(AP)

So that's at least two ways to get home from whatever bar or house party you post up at this Friday night. Metro will operate until 3 a.m. both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, with trains running on a less-frequent Sunday schedule, and SoberRide will be shuttling free cabs from 10 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday (1-800-200-TAXI).

In our experience, landing a regular old cab on New Years -- particularly in one of D.C.'s major nightlife areas (Georgetown, Adams Morgan, U Street) -- requires tenacity, fortitude, and sometimes divine intervention. And as admirable a concept as SoberRide is, scoring one of those free rides can seem all but impossible.

So if you haven't already bought a ticket for some open-bar extravaganza across town, we recommend you consider partying somewhere in your own 'hood on Friday. Then ring in the new year with an early-morning walk home.