By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher, GwinnettForum
MAY 17, 2016 | Three distinct elements distinguished last weekend’s springtime trip to Washington, D.C.
It turned chilly when we visited the new (for us) Washington Nationals park on Sunday. A radio station reported as my daughter and I rode in a Uber car to the stadium that the weather was “blustery,” and that was an understatement.
Oh, the weather was beautiful, with plenty of sunshine. But that wind must have been blowing sometimes in 40 mph gusts, and it was downright cold. Heaters were turned on above us, and their warmth felt good.
First, the stadium itself. It’s located on South Capitol Street, near the Anacostia River and within several blocks of the nation’s capitol itself. Living quarters are all around in this newly-developed area around the stadium.
Seeing that stadium for the first time, we can only say it’s beautiful, with great sight lines from every seat. And the baseball action is relatively close to the stands. The designers have also done a good job in making the overall facilities and the food stands convenient to fans. We presume that the Atlanta Braves are taking notice of new stadiums around the country, and these observations and updates will significantly improve the Atlanta baseball experience when the Braves open in Cobb County next year.
The second item had to do with the game itself. The Nationals were playing the Miami Marlins. There was a most interesting play, one where a National (First baseman Ryan Zimmerman) scored on an inside-the-park home run. That’s something you seldom see, and might not have taken place at all except for the outfield play on the fly ball.
Zimmerman lofted a high fly toward right center field. Marlins outfielders Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna both ran back watching the ball high in the sky as it neared the outfield wall. Then suddenly the two Miami players collided as the ball fell to the ground between them. Both players were flat on the ground for several minutes, and most of the eyes of fans in the stadium were on the two downed players. Meanwhile, Zimmerman trotted in with the unusual home run, with the fans relatively quiet, all intent on the felled players. After a couple of minutes, both players shook the collision off, and continued in the game. Meanwhile, the Marlins went on to win 5-1, with Zimmerman’s hit the only Nationals’ run.
WITH THE COLD, my daughter and I left the stadium early. That’s when I was treated to a different way to get around.
A new phone application showed my daughter that a Car2Go for hire was nearby. Car2Go provides cars for one-way trips within the District of Columbia. Three of these rental cars were parked along a street in various locations across South Capitol Street from the stadium. (Probably fans came to the game in them.) A reader inside the windshield read my daughter’s membership card, with information linked to her payment method and rental history, the car unlocked, She logged into her account and drove to her home in this tiny, two seat Smart Car.
Once at your destination, you park in any legal parking space, get out, and that’s it. A GPS device inside the Smart Car tells the company where the car is parked. Eventually, someone in that area will need to rent a car, look at the App to see what cars are close by, reserve it, walk to it, and then they are off driving to their one-way destination.
This new way to get around beat walking home on a cold day in Washington. And the cost: a mere $5 for our trip (prices are based on distances driven.)
This new way to get around beat walking home on a cold day in Washington. And the cost: a mere $5. And no tipping, you note. A benefit from modern technology!
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