Safe & Secure: Valuable Tips for a Mardi Gras Night Out
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Whether you are going out for Mardi Gras or just about any other night out, it is extremely important that you take the initiative to keep yourself safe. Spend more time catching beads and dancing the night away and less time figuring out where your wallet went with these essential tips:
Have a Plan
No, this doesn’t mean you have to plan your night down to the second, but it’s great to have a general idea of how it will play out. It also won’t hurt to have a backup plan under your sleeve as well. Check to make sure you have everything you need (phone, wallet, keys) and have some sort of emergency contact in mind. And throughout the night, check yourself to see if you’re still having fun, feeling uncomfortable, or needing to pace yourself.
Don’t Drink and Drive
Seriously, just don’t do it. If you’re going out with a group of friends (which is another must!) and planning on driving to your destination, make sure that either you or someone else in the group is the designated driver. There is also the option of either taking public transportation or calling a car from a rideshare app. No matter the method, you just do not want to be behind the wheel while intoxicated especially if you surpassed your drinking limit.
Keep Your Valuables with You
Only carry around your essentials and leave the rest at home. Keep your essentials in your front pockets or the inner pockets of your coat (outer and back pockets are easy targets for pickpocketing if you aren’t careful). If a purse is your only option, be sure to keep it with you at all times. Lastly, don’t rely on coat check services to keep your valuables secure – instead, remove them from your coat before having it checked as mix-ups can happen.
Stay Where the People Are
Safety is in numbers; bad people are less likely to harm you when other people are watching. Stay close to your group of friends and be aware of your surroundings. And do your friends a favor by watching out for them as well.
The most important thing to keep in mind is to just have some fun. With these safety tips, you are guaranteed to have just that.