Top 10 Things NOT To Do During Mardi Gras

1. Do not stray from the crowds! Even if someone who seems perfectly cordial and trustworthy invites you to a party “around the corner,” or offers up his or her bathroom — or you think you know a shortcut through a dark alley or dimly lit and empty street. If you are not surrounded by tourists, you are a perfect target for the New Orleans predators. Stay where the action is.
2. Arrange a meeting point with your friends and family immediately upon arriving to the scene. It’s easy to be separated from your group during the festivities, whether you’re wandering through the zoo of people, or distractedly following the hot trail of a passing float for a pair of Mardi Gras underwear that you just HAVE to have. Do yourself a favor and pick out a rally point before this happens.
3. Do not carry your money, credit cards, or anything important tucked away in your back pocket, especially if you brave it up enough to hit Bourbon Street! This is the perfect opportunity to fall victim to the Mardi Gras pickpockets.
4. Be wary of the scam artists! If someone approaches you with the question, “I bet you $100 I know where you got your shoes” or any question along those lines, do yourself a favor and do not wager! Even if you purchased your shoes on Mars, they will get you every time with the infamous answer: “on your feet.” And at that point you may feel obliged to pay, because technically they are correct, aren’t they? Sometimes it’s even common to be forced into a service, such as someone offering a shoeshine, and before you know it they are shining your shoes and demand immediate payment (even if you said “no thanks” loud and clear). Avoid these folks as much as possible. The more you stall, the higher the chance of being pushed into a bad situation. Just keep on moving.
5. Petting the police officer’s horse is a serious no-no, unless you want to risk spending the night behind bars. The New Orleans cops are already more than likely irritated with the out of control and drunk tourists, especially the one who thinks it would be funny to slap and startle a horse. So even if you are just an animal lover wanting to reach out, keep your hands to yourself! It is not uncommon to be arrested for touching a cop’s horse in any shape or form, so just don’t do it.
6. Do not urinate in public, even if you are in a dark alley with no one around (and you shouldn’t be there in the first place if you read tip Number 1). You will be arrested. Everyone shares the pain of searching for a bathroom during Mardi Gras, so think in advance before you have to go. Try to locate the nearest bar, hotel, or Porto-Johns as soon as you arrive. You may even stumble across one of the hardcore festival champs who brings his own Porto-John on the back of a pickup truck. He might charge you to use it (so bring extra cash!), but it’s not hard to make new friends in New Orleans, so put on your friendly face.
7. Always have a cab number on hand. It’s nearly impossible to find a cab in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, so more than likely you will have to call one for a pickup. United and Yellow Cab are two of the major companies in New Orleans, so bring their numbers (and a cell phone) with you to the party. Better yet, ask your cab driver for his personal number before you exit, he might be able to work with you faster than waiting on a pickup from the main number.
8. Write down the vehicle number of your taxi. If you accidentally leave your wallet or camera in the backseat of the cab, your chances of seeing them again are much higher if you can tell the company which vehicle transported you. With this information they can page the driver immediately and your belongings might be recovered before another passenger takes their dibs. Without the information, you will anxiously hope for a nameless driver to clean the cab return your belongings to the lost and found at the end of his shift.
9. Do not fight over beads. Remember, at the end of the day they are just plastic, although somehow we’re convinced that they’re worth more than gold during the parades. Bottom line, it’s just not worth it. If you’re having a hard time catching beads, here’s a few pointers: if you see a group getting ready to hold a sign up to a passing by float, go stand next to them. They know someone behind the masks and are about to get buried under bags of beads and goodies.
10. Do not get arrested. Bottom line: You might laugh at the prospect now, but it’s not so uncommon to forget all common sense during Mardi Gras. If you do in fact get hauled away, it’s not going to be an overnight trip you can laugh about with your friends later. You’ll be there the rest of the weekend, at least. And you won’t be laughing about it.

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