A message to float riders

Dear Houma float riders, thank you for the hordes of beads, trinkets and even the decorated top hats (shout out to the gals on the Cat on the Hat float at Hyacinthians Sunday).

Three days of Mardi Gras at our new 6160 W. Main St. digs in Houma put us smack dab on the front line – the fun line for Carnival lovers.

After hours of watching the party buses trek down Main Street – and stop many, many times at the New Orleans Daiquiris Shop in Houma, most float riders looked like they were well lit Friday and Saturday night, even if their floats weren’t. And the imbibing continued well into Sunday. Koozies were in demand, keeping brewskies cool.

Let’s agree spirits were high this past weekend. It was a fun start to the Carnival season.

Until, at times, it wasn’t.

Somewhere along the line, the alcohol choked off logical thinking. Beads became bombs and riders they’re deliverers.

From our front row seat, we witnessed drunken riders catapult bags of beads with the force of a dodge ball at people they knew in the crowd. After enough drinks, tossing beads at full force isn’t an exact science. Much like with hand grenades, anyone in the path is at risk.

Bags of beads, traveling at high velocity, hit senior citizens, children and, on rare occasions, the intended targets. In our area, there were a fair share of bumps and bruises from flying Mardi Gras debris.

So, dear float rider, headed into the final weekend of Carnival season, we collectively have a simple request. If you are going to drink until you stumble, bumble and burn, that’s fine. Let off some steam and enjoy your day. Just keep your wits about you, please, when tossing items to the crowd.

We’re all there to pass a good time, to witness your day of merriment and to go home unscathed. So, laissez les bon temps roulez.