Mardi Gras Safety Tips

Courtesy of our Safety Awareness Committee, here are some safety tips for this year's Mardi Gras season.

Mardi Gras season is here, so if I can draw your attention away from that King Cake for a moment, here are some tips to ensure a safe, fun Carnival.

Children want to see the parades at Mardi Gras and catch throws. Although the crowds along the routes are family-friendly, they can be heavy. You don't want your kids running around trying to catch throws and getting lost or stepped on by others vying for the beads and those collectible throws.

We New Orleanians have Mardi Gras ladders specially designed for safety. You can make your own or buy a seat at your local hardware store. They are made by bolting a Mardi Gras seat on top of a 6-foot ladder. Here, the little ones can watch the parade safely. They not only see better, they stay put.

By law, these ladders must be placed as far back from the street as they are tall. To keep them steady, always have an adult standing on the back.

Write your cell phone number on your child's arm with a marker - better that it takes you a while to get them clean than have them get lost. Also, write your cell phone number, the child's name and any other pertinent info on a piece of paper and put it in your child's pocket. Tell them it's there and to show it to a police officer if they get lost. Finally, don’t forget to set your phone on its loudest ring tone and vibrate - it gets pretty loud around here this time of year.

So, that being said—laissez les bon temps roulez - let the good times roll.