Opinion: Did Yogi Berra predict the D.C. papal traffic nightmare that wasn’t?

Yogi Berra, who died Tuesday, famously said of a restaurant that “nobody goes there anymore; it’s too crowded.” The same was true of downtown D.C. on Wednesday -- a day on which Pope Francis visited the White House, met with American bishops at the Cathedral of St. Matthew and celebrated Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

This was something of a surprise. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority had posted an advisory saying that it was “preparing for large crowds and traffic detours during Pope Francis’ three-day visit to Washington, D.C.”

But in a possible manifestation of the paradox described by Yogi, lots of people stayed home on Wednesday. On my rush-hour ride downtown on the Red Line subway, it was atypically easy to find a seat.

My impression was confirmed by the authority. It said on Twitter that “as of 8 a.m., Metrorail ridership is a bit LIGHTER than a typical weekday. Down 14% vs same time last Wed.” A 4 p.m. update reported that rail ridership was down 21% compared with last Wednesday.

As Yogi might say, the afternoon rush hour was deja vu all over again

It’s not that the pope didn’t attract a crowd. About 25,000 people gathered outside the basilica for the pope’s Mass, in which he canonized Junipero Serra, the founder of the California mission system.

But after warnings of “Pope Day” traffic jams, it seems that plenty of commuters decided to work from home, an option recommended for federal workers by the Office of Personnel Management.

The losers seem to be the vendors of papal memorabilia and T-shirts, at least those purveying their goods downtown. There were still lots of Pope Francis dolls on the counter of a downtown convenience store when I dropped in after lunch to buy my usual Big Gulp of Diet Coke.

But who am I to judge?

Follow Michael McGough on Twitter @MichaelMcGough3