Photo by Tony DeFilippo
In a stunning act of magnanimity, an unexpected show of goodwill, a surprising deed of public charity, the Washington ‘Skins will be footing the tab to keep Metro open late following their game next Monday against the New York Giants.
The ‘Skins host the Giants in a game that should have significant playoff implications for both teams, as well as the standings in the NFC East, but as a Monday night’s game starts at 8:30 p.m., it will—barring the quickest NFL game in modern history—end well after Metro’s usual weeknight closing time of 11 p.m. But fans who travel to FedEx Field on Metro’s Blue Line will be able to get home, as the ‘Skins are putting down the requisite deposit to keep the transit network open late on a school night.
For a deposit of $29,500 per hour, the ‘Skins will pay to keep Metro’s lines running and employees working while (presumably heartbroken) fans cry their way home. For each rider who boards at Morgan Boulevard, Metro will credit the ‘Skins back $2.68 (the cost of an average ride), doubled to reflect a round trip. If 5,500 riders get on, the ‘Skins will get all their money back; Metro will keep anything above that.
The last train bound for Franconia-Springfield will depart at 12:25 a.m., while the last to Largo Town Center will leave at 1:33 a.m.
This is the same deposit that the Washington Nationals squirmed away from plunking down when they made the playoffs in October. Eventually, LivingSocial stepped up with the corporate credit card, although the deposit was not needed when none of the Nationals’ three home games in the National League Division Series stretched past Metro’s usual closing time.
Despite our feigned shock at the ‘Skins willingness to pay to keep Metro open late—hey, the team does have a reputation for doing mean things—they routinely front the money so their fans can get home after a Monday night game. Metro spokesman Dan Stessel reminded DCist that the ‘Skins also put down the deposit following Monday Night Football games in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010.
