As Halloween approaches, the supply and demand for parties is endless. Halloween weekend will be one of the craziest weekends in Davis, second of course to Picnic Day.
And just like Picnic Day, a lot of people from out of town pour in looking to party. By 10 the streets are filled with hordes of people scanning for open parties and by 12 they're usually all stumbling home. For freshmen the allure of going out for one weekend and blowing off a little steam, as they either finish or are about to start midterms, is particularly strong. And its not wrong to want to go out and have some fun with your friends and meet some new people. But there are somethings everyone should be aware of, not only for Halloween weekend, but any time you go out.
1. DON'T Drink and Drive
We've all heard of the horrible effects that can come from drinking and driving, but even if you're just feeling "a little tipsy" if you're underage, and get pulled over you can lose your licence for anywhere between 30 days or until you're 21, so definitely not worth it. Plus there are so many other options in Davis to get a ride if you're under the influence, UC Davis offers Safe Rides, which students who are on campus can ride to somewhere else on campus (downside is wait times can be up to an hour or more), there's also Tipsy Taxi which is only for UC Davis undergrads, so if you plan on using them you'll want to bring your student ID, and last but not least, Uber/Lyft are pretty plentiful during the weekends, and would be your quickest way home.*Always double check your Uber driver is who is actually sent from Uber to pick you up*
2. Travel in Groups (if you can)
If you stay up to date with Davis rumors and the police WarnMe or Crime Alert notifications, two cases of attempted sexual assault have been officially reported and rumors of sexual assaults have been going around since week 1. While we all like to think of Davis as a safe little town, sexual assault does happen. Traveling in groups isn't always a fool-proof plan, and sometimes you may feel safer walking by yourself than with a group of strangers, whatever your situation may be, do whatever makes you feel most safe. If you can travel in a group, try to designate specific pairs to stick together, so that way if the group does get split up, you at least have one other person to travel with.
3. Know Your Limits
For freshmen, or anyone inexperienced at drinking, this can be a tough one, since its easy to over do it and spend the next day hurling in your bathroom. Try to count your drinks and how quickly you've had them. If you drink a lot quickly, it may take a few moments for it to really hit you, so pace yourself and drink lots of water to avoid a nasty hangover. If you ever feel sick, let someone know, so they can take you home or to the hospital if its necessary. Don't be afraid to go to the hospital or take a friend to the hospital if you're concerned about alcohol poisoning, the hospital and emergency staff aren't looking to get you in trouble, they just want to help.
