How not to be a Mardi Gras jerk

[fleur-de-lisa]

http://www.nola.com/mardi_gras_nola/2018/01/mardi_gras_etiquette.html#incart_2box

Know the rules - New Orleans has a few rules in place specifically for Mardi Gras revelers. Among them:

1. Ladders, grills and tents must be at least 6 feet away from the curb on all parade routes, and they also can't block sidewalks or be set up in blocked intersections.

2. No private portable toilets are allowed on public property without permits.

3. Tossing throws back at floats carries a $250 fine.

4. Groups may not rope off or reserve areas on the neutral ground.

5. Parking on both sides of St. Charles and Napoleon avenues is prohibited starting two hours before parades.

And the unwritten rules - Not every "rule" is codified by the city, so we've got some other suggestions, too:

6. Catch a stuffed animal? Toss it to the kid nearest to you. It was probably meant for them, anyway.

7. If you get the king cake baby, the next 'round (of pastry) is on you.

8. It's OK to borrow an unoccupied chair or ladder. But don't move it, and if the owner shows up, step on down and cede the space. (And if you are the owner, be chill about a little squatting if you've abandoned the territory for a bit.)

9. Read the room. Not everywhere in New Orleans is a boozy party during Mardi Gras. Some neighborhoods and blocks are better suited to families, so find the space that's fit for your brand of action for the day.

10. Don't ask random strangers to use their bathrooms. Chances are, anyone living on or near the route gets asked this a hundred times a day. And don't just go anywhere. (That's illegal, anyway.) Instead, pony up the cash and pay to access one of the many portable toilets at various spots along the parade route, or get yourself to a bar and bar pay the minimum to utilize its facilities.

[marble falls]

1. Pretty damn reasonable rules.