New Years Eve in Reno, Nevada! Rules for a Safe Celebration

New Years Eve in Reno, Nevada is a dream come true for a lot of people and I mean a LOT of people. They start showing up the night before and check in until every hotel, motel and casino is packed solid. Reservations must be made in advance because rooms are limited once you arrive and very expensive. Parking is hard to find and once your get a place you leave the car and walk everywhere you want to go. Everyone comes together on this one night of the year to celebrate like there's no tomorrow.

However there are a lot of people coming to Reno for something other than celebration. They are the ones out to make a quick buck. Some are prostitutes. Others are there to sale drugs, con people out of there hard earned cash, pick pockets, muggings or just old fashioned fighting. It's hard to know which ones are going to be trouble, because when the booze is flowing and people are crowed shoulder to shoulder on the streets it isn't long before the pressure builds, words are exchanged and all Hell can break loose.

It is a wonderful city to celebrate in but you have to take steps to protect yourself and your family if you are going to have a good and safe time. So take a few precautions and enjoy the celebration. But be aware of where you are and how much you are drinking for safety sake.

1. Awareness. The main drag of the city is the place to be during the celebration. It is busy, exciting and filled with people of every kind from all over the country and the world. Cultures come together in one big party. But don't trust everyone by your own standards. A wrong word can start a fight just because of gang colors, territory or even gender. Be nice, be friendly and be cautious of the motives of others around you.

2. Always take your room key with you. This is a big one. If things go wrong and riots start many of the casinos on the strip will shut the doors and lock them to prevent further trouble from coming inside. The only way to gain entrance is by your room key where you are staying and it will only allow you entrance because you have a room in that particular casino or hotel. Once inside, do not venture out into the street again until everything is under control.

3. Do not give money to people on the street asking for a loan. There are no loans on the street on a night like this. Whatever you give will be gone and if you open a wallet with a roll of bills it is very likely you will be followed or lured away from the crowd and mugged. Sometimes the muggings happened when surrounded by the crowd because police can't get to you and the mugger will be long gone lost within the night.

4. Do not take strangers to your room. It doesn't matter if they look clean cut and nice. This is the night a lot of criminal elements know how to dress and act to gain your trust. Once in your room there are no cameras and security will have their hands full with the party downstairs. If you are mugged in your room or worse it is likely you can make a report and just wait. It can be many hours before the police are able to send someone over to take your statement. The hospitals will be packed and the wait there will be even longer.

5. Do not drink too much and do not take drinks from strangers. Too much alcohol is the down fall of many a good citizens who end up with jail time and calls to family back home for bail money.

6. Do not buy drugs on the street. It's a good way to get mugged, get something other than what you think it is or get killed. You think it can't happen to you? It happens every year and is considered just another night by the locals.

7. If someone seems to be following you contact security right away. Do not go back to your room. Stay with the crowd. Don't let them pull you into an alley way or away from the lights.

8. Remember to be aware of who you get into elevators with or who is in the hallway when you are going to your room and how close they are. It is still possible to end up getting mugged or beaten. Yes, the cameras will catch it, but too late for anything to be done about it. Even with a clear picture it will be days or even weeks before your case comes up and you will have to return to the city IF the person is caught.

9. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CHILDREN ALONE IN A HOTEL ROOM!!!! I have seen this so many times. The parents figure they are just going to gamble for a few minutes and will be right back. By the time they return hours later the room is destroyed or the kids are missing. It is illegal to leave children under the age of 12 in a Reno hotel room alone. It is dangerous!

10. If you are going to gamble make sure you have a hard, fast rule that you do not pull cash from your savings account if you have lost what you brought with you. There are a lot of people who arrive in $30,000.00 car and leave on a $80,000.00 bus! Broke, sad and possibly divorced. You may win a little or you may hit the jack pot, but it's much more likely you are going to lose all the cash you bring with you for gambling. Casino's are in the business to make big money and they do! Gambling is a loser's game. It is for fun only and not for creating a comfortable future.

I know how this great city works on New Years Eve because I worked as a Security Officer in one of the least safe casino's in town. It was fun and exciting and so often very sad. Families torn apart, children missing, rooms destroyed and retirement savings lost forever. It's a tough life and a world unlike any other. But it can also be one of the most incredible experiences you will ever live through.

Now you have an idea on how to celebrate safely and what you can expect. Reno is a fun city and the celebration is one of the greatest in the country, but it can cost you your money, your family or your life if you don't follow the rules of common sense. Be careful and have the greatest time of your life, just make sure you are able to wake up the next day and not have any regrets of the night before.