Photo by number7cloud.
Usually, people expect Metro crowding the night of a Nationals game to occur after, with everyone flocking to leave Nats Park at the same time. But yesterday evening, at the height of rush hour, platforms and trains on the Green Line experienced extra crowding as Nats fans rushed to the sold out game to be one of the first 25,000 fans to snag a Jayson Werth garden gnome.
The Post reports that Nationals Park ran out of all 25,000 gnomes by 6:15 p.m.—nearly an hour before the game started—which means thousands of Nats fans crowded the trains the same time as evening commuters vying to get home via the Green and Yellow lines. The result was a perfect storm of crowded platforms for both Nats fans and commuters alike:
@unsuckdcmetro lets go #nats! #WerthGoesGnome pic.twitter.com/GapiG1DIIY
— andy fish (@wvufish) August 5, 2014
Dangerous overcrowding at l’enfant … Garden gnomes aren’t worth it people #nats #wmata
— BobbyHockey (@rje76) August 5, 2014
@Metrorailinfo @unsuckdcmetro – 3 back to back yellow line trains, and no green line trains when there’s a sold out Nationals game. Smart.
— Carly Cloud (@CarlyC26) August 5, 2014
Three straight yellow line trains at L’Enfant Plaza where 2,000 people wait for a green line to the game. Noble work, @wmata.
— Chris Williams (@slimceeVA) August 5, 2014
Although Metro says there weren’t any malfunctions or train issues at that time last night, several Yellow Line trains were transferred to Green Line trains at L’Enfant Plaza, which caused some problems for commuters not going to the game.
As for the gnomes, a few are already for sale on Ebay, with the most expensive going for $63.
God help us for Bryce Harper lawn flamingo night.
