The sun beat down on a hot July afternoon. I stood just at the corner of N and First streets SE at Nationals Park, sweating in 90-plus degree weather. As I watched the flow of people swarming the street corner, I saw a young woman ride by on her bicycle. She slowed down and, wiping her sweaty brow, entered Garage C, where both cars and bikes can be parked.

She walked her bike up to the left-hand side of the garage entrance where there were a handful of valet attendants. She filled out a claim check, handed over the bike and was given a stub. Then her bike was gone, taken off safely to be racked with other bikes until she came to claim it. Now, she was free to go sit back, relax and watch some good old fashioned baseball.

The Washington Nationals have become the third team to adopt the bike valet at their stadium, along with the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants. But why, when the Nationals offer over 250 bicycle racks around the stadium, would bikers purposely ride all the way over to the valet?

“Well, I feel insecure about leaving my bike just anywhere for long periods of time. It was expensive, and I guess I get paranoid about it getting stolen or vandalized,” said 19-year-old Brittany Adam, who had just biked in from an internship on Capitol Hill. “I’m really not in any hurry to get in and out of here, either. I like to enjoy the experience of games. It’s not every day I can make it out to one of these. Oh, and [the valet] is free. So why not?”

Free is a good thing, but what about service? “I have no problem with the service,” said Adam. “The line is never long, and [the attendants] are nice enough.”

When asked about the safety issues of riding in the city, she smiled. “I’ve been doing this all my life. I guess it can be dangerous at times, but so is driving. Besides, there are enough paths, lanes and sidewalks to get to the park safely.”

For many fans, driving and using the Metro are common modes of transit to get to the stadium. But for those who live close by, biking seems the most favorable option. “I bike to the game because it takes me two minutes to bike there, 10 minutes to walk there. So I figure I might as well bike because it’s quicker,” said local Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner David Sobelsohn.

However, unlike Adam, Sobelsohn had a different view about the bike valet. Sobelsohn stressed quickness and efficiency, claiming that “the bike valet defeats the purpose of biking to the stadium. You bike to the park to get in and out quickly. If I have to wait for the valet to take my bike and get it back to me, it eliminates my intention of biking. Although the valet is free, you can be led to believe otherwise or that tip is required.” Sobelsohn has proposed that the Washington Nationals post signs announcing “free valet” and “no tipping.”

“I know about the valet, but I am an advisory [neighborhood] commissioner. Others riding to the stadium might not be aware of the valet or that it is free,” was Sobelsohn’s conclusion on the bike valet.

Sobelsohn may be right. Whether it be a matter of patience or ignorance, according to Nationals Vice President of Communications Chartese Burnett, only an average of 38 bikes are checked into the valet per game, while the racks around the stadium fill up.

Though there may be a lack of advertising, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) has embraced such developments as the Nationals bike valet by celebrating its opening with a potluck bicycle tailgate party on April 27. Both the WABA and Washington Nationals’ websites include a map of safe and efficient bike routes to the stadium.

Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells has taken an exceptionally positive outlook on the establishment of the valet. He claims that “[The National’s bike valet] makes a statement of our greatest financial investment in years,” and that bicycling is no longer just a hobby but “an important means of transportation.” He stresses local biking in the DC area as well as the Nationals bike valet, claiming to advocate it publicly in forums.

After the game, I plodded along, a sheep in a massive flock of people being herded back to the Metro. I stood waiting as about two or three Green Line trains departed, loaded with Nats faithfuls. With all the spare time, I met a DC native from Anacostia named Jason Shrader. When I asked Shrader why he didn’t bike, or if he was aware of the bike valet, he seemed both unaware that the valet existed and that the Metro would be inconveniently slow. “The way [the Green Line] gets on game days, I might as well just start biking,” he said. “I’ll look into that valet.”