Mardi Gras

[Loftish v2]

So I'm headed down to Mardi Gras today (oooh boy 12 hour ride from Oxford, Ohio) and I'm wondering if anyone who has been there before has any advice for a first timer.

[Shutup]

Get as drunk as possible while still having a slight bit of consciousness of what you're doing. It's a dangerous place especially this time of year and you should be on the up and up. Also, don't do anything stupid and get yourself handcuffed to a telephone pole with the drunk tank on it's way to get you.

[Astrocreep]

is NO fixed or is it still katrina'd?

[Vatoreus]

Grenades my friend, Grenades. My parents got me fucked up beyond all imagine on those when I was in high school.

[The Ancient]

Establish a plan for if you get seperated from your friends ahead of time. It will happen unless you are keen on hand holding.

[...]

I live an hour from neworleans and typically avoid mardi gras like the plague.

be aware that the traffic will be asstastic. parking will either be impossible to find, or difficult and very expensive. plan to park several blocks away from wherever you want to be. Don't look like a tourist to avoid getting stolen from. Don't go in those creepy back alleys in the french quarter (even though some have snazzy little hidden bars). Don't expect to see more good looking boobs than fugly boobs. though if you drink enough, i doubt you'll care.

the place (and the whole gulf coast area) is still a katrina-ed, but it's nothing that will effect you at mardi gras.

[kedwyn]

Don't fuck with the cops. If they tell you something do it immediately or you will be cooling your heels in jail. They deal with so many fucking ass holes during this time that they have zero tolerance for anything.

Don't get too drunk. Enjoy yourself but if you get out of control some bad shit can happen to you.

Stay in the tourist areas, again this should be common sense but New Orleans was referred to as the "Jungle" by its own black mayor do not stray off or bad things will happen to you.

If you go down to Bourbon street you should use a diaper pin or something to keey your wallet and such safe. There used to be tons of pick pockets there and they are very good. If you pin your pocket shut you'll be less likely to have it stolen.

Good luck finding parking

I don't think it will be as crazy as previous year prior to Katrina but I'm sure its still nuts. Not my cup of tea anymore but something you should experience once in your life.

[Ashes Emberblade]

I live and work in New Orleans, here's my sage advice:

1) Do not get drunk. Do not get drunk. Do not get drunk. Tourists come in, get loaded, and then either get mugged (unlikely) or arrested (very likely.) You DO NOT want to spend the night in the Orleans Parish Prison. It is a hellhole and, during Mardi Gras, makes Angola Prison look like a country club.

2) DO NOT GET DRUNK.

3) See numbers 1 and 2.

4) The metro area has 1.25m people living here. We get appx. 3 million tourists at Mardi Gras. When you stuff 4-5m people in a 1.25m person city you get: Insane traffic. Absolutely, positively, insane traffic filled with lost tourists, detours due to parades, and at night drunk drivers. Expect lots of traffic. You will not get anywhere on time.

5) You won't find parking, ever, so take public transport / taxis.

6) Do not fucking get drunk. Do not expose yourself in public whether you're male or female, on Bourbon or not.

7) For the love of sweet zombie Jesus do not get drunk.

8) Don't bother holding up signs at parades that say, for example, "Throw me beads I'm from New York." You won't catch shit.

9) Actually, if you're male, you won't catch shit period, except at three parades: Iris and Muses (all female krewes) and Tucks (only if you're wearing a local University sweatshirt, preferably Tulane or Loyola.) (Wearing my Loyola sweatshirt at Tucks last year I caught a bunch of packs of Pornographic playing cards.)

10) Did I mention that you shouldn't drink too much? One poster mentioned hand grenades earlier. Do not drink those. They're a blend of multiple types of liquor (gin, vodka, everclear I think) and the place they're made at is absolutely filthy. I walked by it earlier this year and sewage was backing up out of their kitchen drain.

Edit: 11) As the previous poster stated DO NOT FUCK WITH THE COPS. If one tells you to do something it's "YES SIR/MA'AM" and you hustle to do it. The cops are overworked during Mardi Gras and they will not hesitate to beat your ass into line.

Now, all that being said, you will have a great time at Mardi Gras. It's extremely fun and pretty much impossible not to have a good time as long as you follow the rules, don't get shitty, and respect the city. People do live / work here after all.

Edit2: 12) If a pan handler tells you he bets you $10 he can tell you "where you got ya shoes" the answer is "On my feet in New Orleans." Do not take the bet, he won't leave you alone until he gets his $10.

Edit3: 13) Bourbon street closes at midnight on Tuesday night / Wednesday morning. The police clear it on horseback. You don't want to be there at that time.

[...]

also (as most people seem to forget, especially during the hurricane), there's a lot of cities on the gulf coast, not just new orleans. there's other parades around in the cities around new orleans and if you're in town for a while, they may be worth seeing.

[Astrocreep]

I saw a documentary on IFC or Sundance(i cant tell the two apart) about how the mardi gras beads were made and where they came from. they are made by very poor people in workhouses in china. they didnt even know what the beads are for. when the documentary director showed them images of women flashing their titties for beads these people made, the workers were completely stunned. lol

Then at the end of the movie they show the cleanup crew at the end of mardi gras cleaning up tons and tons of these necklaces off the ground. makes me wonder why people just dont pick the stuff off the ground instead of whipping out your privates to get them.

[Sunder]

Anything that touches the ground during Mardi Gras belongs in the City of New Orleans landfill. That probably includes the sole of your shoes too.

[...]

man nothing, and i mean nothing, is as fierce as an old lady at mardi gras. they see a set of beads near them they will stomp your hand if you try to take it.

[Dabamf]

Originally Posted by Loftish v2

So I'm headed down to Mardi Gras today (oooh boy 12 hour ride from Oxford, Ohio) and I'm wondering if anyone who has been there before has any advice for a first timer.

i have nothing to add but i went to miami as well

unless you're a townie, in which case i hate you

[Borzak]

Being from Baton Rouge and having moved from there I'm AMAZED that people will knowingly and with a choice visit New Orleans nowdays....

Having said that

Take minimal amounts of cash. There's nowhere you can put it that it's safe. Even if you stay in the best hotel in town and leave your cash in the room it's likely to get lifted while your out by the "help".

Put your wallet/billfold or whatever cash/ID you need and stick it in your front pocket. Not your back pocket. Or you'll be broke leaving New Orleans.

Carry ID at ALL TIMES.

Make a piece of paper and stick it in your wallet that reads "I HAVE INSURANCE - DO NOT TAKE ME TO CHARITY HOSPITAL". This is the most important one. Carry your insurance card on you at all times or they will take you to charity hospital.

Have the attitude that you will get ripped off so it won't be a suprise.

Don't fuck with the cops. They don't care. Dont stand in the way of the cops on horses - they care even less. Don't even make a funny remark around them.

NEVER EVER NEVER EVER get seperated from your friends. Have a plan to meet at XXX in YYY minutes to regroup at ALL TIMES. Don't rely on a cell phone to work - because it will either be overloaded by people on the phone or it will get stolen.

Early in the mornings like 4-6am don't get too far off the beaten path in the French Quarter. If you notice the street your on starts to thin out - go back to the crowd ASAP. Even if you don't get mugged you'll see some shit you probably rather not see.

If your a guy just buy the beads at the little shop to bring home and show friends etc...because your not getting any from the floats.

Oh yeah the big one people take for granted. Like the famous song says "There's no place to go on Mardi Gras day", and by go he means go to the bathroom. All those people in New Orleans and they put out no bathrooms, and the few public restrooms there are will be closed during Mardi Gras. Unless you have a hotel within walking distance of the quarter your not going to have ANYWHERE to go to the bathroom for a few days......

As a guy it's not that bad, women hate it because they have to wind up peeing in public on steps to buildings etc...you see this a LOT. Also be aware you can be arrested for it and I have seen people arrested for it and placed in the little mini jails the police keep in the quarter.

[Gigfc]

Originally Posted by Borzak

Even if you don't get mugged you'll see some shit you probably rather not see.

Stories, asap!