Potential Metro station confusion in DC, as the stop currently called "Stadium-Armory" is nowhere near the Nats' new ballpark, and the name of the station near the Nats' new ballpark -- "Navy Yard" -- in no way communicates the fact that a ballpark is nearby. To change that will cost several hundred thousand dollars in new signage and maps, none of which anyone really thought about until now. While most locals will probably be able to figure this out easily, there is concern that the tourists won't be able to handle it.Having lived in DC for my three years of law school, I am fully confident that they could shut down every single station but Navy Yard and rename that one "STATION TO USE IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE NATIONALS BASEBALL GAMES," and the tourists would still get lost and confused. There they would all be, standing still, two abreast on a 200 foot escalator, festooned with fanny packs, MetroCard in hand, loudly wondering whether they're at the right place to "see the Senators play the baseball," and asking if there really was more than one Smithsonian museum.
3 comments:
as a current DC resident, i agree 972% with your characterization of the tourists. well done sir
Shyster, I think you're missing the obvious here. I've lived in DC also, and there is only one solution to this problem.
Wait until the first tourist gets lost, and then calls their congressman. 2008 is an election year, and since Congress can't stick it to baseball on steriods on the whole "anti-trust" issue, what better excuse for them to salivating at the mouth about possible sanctions against MLB for violating the human rights of their constituents by not making it clear where the ballpark is?
Should be enough to get most of them re-elected.
Your characterization of tourists is spot-on. Over the summer I did an internship that required me to get off the train at Union Station (well, I could've gone to Capitol South, but I was trying to save money by walking the mile to Capitol Hill) and this might be the worst place for tourists on the whole Metro system. Places like Smithsonian and Archives might get more overall tourist traffic, but the people at Union Station all have suitcases and no conception of walking vs. riding the escalators. When you need to run down the escalator to get to the train before it leaves and you've got a 40 pound suitcase and a 180 pound woman and her three kids in your way, it can be frustrating.
I don't think I'll ever get tired of bitching about tourists.
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