New Year’s Eve is almost upon us, so we wanted to offer you a few thoughts on bringing in 2015 safely and enjoying the evening to the fullest.
PLAN, PLAN, PLAN.
The most important this is figure out a plan for the evening, whether it is staying home, visiting with friends, driving to a great overlook to watch fireworks or heading off to one of the many official parties to celebrate the New Year. Take some time to plan your evening and make sure it is a relaxing and enjoyable one.
TRAVELLING?
If you will be travelling on New Year’s Eve, consider using public transportation which will be FREE from 8pm through 5am courtesy of SF MUNI. Ride all MUNI and cable car routes for free to get to and from your destination. All pay gates will be set to “free fare.” Just be sure you don’t tap your Clipper Card in a drunken stupor, or you may end up paying for that free ride.
IF MUNI or a cable car ride won’t work for you, then consider alternatives such as taxi, Lyft, Uber or Homobiles. They’ll be more expensive, and availability may be limited at times throughout the evening, but they’re much better than driving yourself after a drink. Keep enough cash stashed in a safe place when you go out to grab a cab home if all else fails.
If you MUST drive, DON’T drink ANYTHING! Police will be out in force to catch Drivers Under the Influence, and it’s frankly just not worth it to drink and drive. You stand to lose much more than just your license. So if you MUST drive, stay clean and sober for the drive home.
SAFETY IN NUMBERS
The majority of people will be out to simply celebrate the passing of the old year and the dawn of the new, but with increased alcohol consumption often comes decreased common sense. Have a few drinks, but DON’T get totally wasted if you are out in public. Doing so significantly increases your chances of becoming the victim of a crime, or an act of stupidity that at best land you on Youtube and at worst may land you in jail or in hospital.
Party with responsible friends who look after each other, and don’t regularly end up calling you at 3am to pick them up because they’re “too wasted” to get themselves back home. You’ll have a better time. You’ll feel better in the morning, and you’ll actually remember the celebration.
If one of your friends does overdo it, make sure to help them get home safely and either stay with them until morning when they are sober, or call a cab to get yourself home in similar safe fashion. People unfortunately do go way overboard on New Year Eve, so if you feel someone is severely intoxicated or a danger to themselves or others, call 911 and let the professionals handle it.
LET SOMEONE KNOW
If you live with family or room-mates, let them know where you are going, who with and when you expect to return. Update them if your plans change.
If you meet the God or Godess of your dreams and you must bring in 2015 with a proverbial “bang”, snap a photo of your conquest before you head off with them and send it to your regular e-mail address and that of a buddy. Let them know where you’re going and when you’ll contact them next to fill them in on all the details. In this way, if anything goes awry and you find yourself “tied up” literally, or worse, the Police may have a chance of tracking you down.
DON’T TAKE ALL OF YOUR BLING AND GOODIES
You’ll be out for one incredible night of fun, but that doesn’t mean you need to take every credit card you own, all of your most precious and irreplaceable photographs and a whole lot more cash that you need with you. Take ONLY what you really expect to need and enough for an emergency cab stash. Leave the rest at home. One or two credit cards with your ID and whatever cash you expect to need should be just fine.
The less you take, the less you are likely to lose, from whatever cause.
IF YOU HAVE PETS
Remember that they don’t particularly like the explosion of fireworks on this particular night of the year. Try to get them indoors well before the “witching” hour and settle them down in the most soundproof room you have. Buy them a new treat or toy for the New Year to help take their mind off things (it may work.) If you must walk your dog, be sure the collar and leash are up to the task.
ENJOY YOURSELF!!
Most importantly, enjoy yourself whatever your plans are. We wish you a safe, happy and memorable New Year’s Eve celebration. Happy 2015 !!