10 Safety Tips for 2010 Mardi Gras Carnival

Mardi Gras is a French word meaning "Fat Tuesday"; this time honored tradition began in the middle ages as a religious observance to indulge in food, wine and celebration before lent. Mardi Gras made its way to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1699 with a French explorer named Iberville. Over the centuries Mardi Gras has become less a religious holiday and more a commercialized and inebriated chaos. Today's Mardi Gras participants are more of the party hardy types and only want to get drunk all week, rather than learn some of the history.

If you are considering attending this years festivities or any big venue for that matter, the safety of yourself and you're loved ones should be your main priority, especially if you are traveling alone or meeting someone there. Whether you are a Mardi Gras first timer or a seasoned Mardi Gras junkie, there cannot be enough emphasis on safety, safety and more safety. When you get full throttle in the festivities we as Americans tend to let our guard down and become more trusting of the stranger next to us, especially if we are inebriated. I have listed below several tips on how to stay safe during the 2010 Mardi Gras carnival.

Top 10 Mardi Gras Safety Tips for 2010

Have a map of the area with your routes clearly marked on it.

Gain knowledge about the area you will be staying at before you make the trip; you may also obtain area maps from the hotel you are staying at. One could always ask a Police Officer if you feel that you are lost.

Avoid dark alleys and vacant areas and always travel in groups or pairs; never go off by yourself, as this will make you a great target for criminals.

Do not carry any purses or bags of any kind. Carry all pertinent information on your person such as ID, cash, credit cards, keys and travelers checks. Carrying handbags makes you a good target for thieves.

Always respect Law Enforcement Officers; they are over worked and under paid during this time and will loose patients with irrational inebriated individuals and you just might end up in jail.

Regardless of what you have herd about Mardi Gras being a week long drunken festival, where you can get away with anything. This is a myth and if you are too outrageous with your behavior you will end up in jail. So tip number six, don't over drink alcohol.

Be early on the parade route, pick out a spot and stay put. This particular crowd will be severely swollen with hundreds of thousands of party goers.

Do not bring babies and small children under the age of 13 to this event; it is totally inappropriate for them to attend an event when there will be such a high volume of alcohol intake. In the past there have been accidents involving small children riding on the shoulders of a parent that was thrown off by a rushing crowd and severely injured. This is an adult event and therefore small children should not attend.

Do not drink and drive; take a shuttle. The Louisiana State Police are very diligent during this time of year in keeping the number of drunk driving accidents to a minimum, if caught you will go to jail.

Do not drink excessive amounts of alcohol; this will cloud your judgment, thus effecting all of the above.

With all the main safety tips laid out of you, New Orleans welcomes everyone to come experience this joyous, vibrant, extravagant, sassy and sarcastic costume extravaganza, and always remember to be safe.

References for this article came from my own personal experience and SunHerald.com and
mardigrasneworleans.com