Nationals Park Advice

[JimF22003]

I’ve never been to a Nationals game. The company is having a get-together at the Phillies game on Sunday (go Nats!)

I understand they have a pretty good/safe bike valet service at the park. I’m looking for some logistics and route advice.

I’ll be coming in over the 14th street bridge. I’ve ridden on Maine Ave before but it felt kind of hairy. Are there any recommended routes to the park I should take? I don’t mind a little longer route, say going down I street, which I’ve done before (I think it has a bike lane, doesn’t it?)

Thanks for any hints or advice.

Topic

[ShawnoftheDread]

@rcannon100 93889 wrote:

Yeah….. they were pitching tonite. I think I saw Dickie pitching relief in the 10th.

That guy throws nothing but googlies. So predictable.

[Steve O]

@rcannon100 93869 wrote:

The Valet system is a little thin. They give you a piece of paper claim check. You come back, get your bike, and on the way back hand them the claim check which they do not look at. It would be pretty easy to walk in there and walk out with someone else’s bike.

In other words, as good as it is (and its great), lock your bike. It takes 5 seconds and it makes Bryce Harper happy.

Against my usual guidelines, I will agree with rcannon: there is no harm in locking your bike.
However, if you forget your lock or want to just hang your helmet on the handlebars or whatever, I wouldn’t break the slightest sweat over it. Using my Sherlockian skills, I deduce that no bike has yet been stolen in the 700+ games that have been played there so far.

How do I know this?
1) If it had happened we likely would have heard about it through this Forum or Washcycle or something.
2) The very fact that the valets are so lax is an indicator that no bikes have been stolen. If one had been, the customer would have been pissed and reported it. The valet’s bosses would have cracked down on them to do a better job with the claim checks and they would be taking better care to match them with the bikes. Hence my deduction that it has never occurred. Also, although they do not check your claim check against your bike, you have to have one. So someone would essentially be trading bikes to steal yours–not getting one for free.
That said, someday it probably will happen, and locking your bike will mean it won’t be yours.

I also add additional deterrence by hanging my sweaty biking jersey on my handlebars and my sweaty head cover on my brake lever. It’s a bit “ewwww,” and no one really wants to touch my bike.

[cyclingfool]

@rcannon100 93889 wrote:

Yeah….. they were pitching tonite. I think I saw Dickie pitching relief in the 10th.

I believe he’d be tempted to call it bowling.

[Author]

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