Strategies for when a good night goes bad

Sadly most of us have been there at least once. Everything’s great at the start of the evening, but come midnight, you seem to have lost half of your friends, someone’s had their handbag nicked and you’ve missed your train home.

The best advice for avoiding a bad experience on a night out, quite simply, is to drink alcohol sensibly. It’s important to remember that Government guidelines advise that a man should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units a day and a woman should not regularly exceed 2-3 units a day. The most widely accepted definition of a "binge" is the equivalent of double that amount - 6 units for women and 8 for men.

Some negative situations might be caused by simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but many of them are the result of drinking to excess. Keeping an eye on how much you drink, making sure you eat before you go out and pacing your alcoholic drinks with water or soft drinks are simple ways to help ensure your good night stays on course. And keep an eye out for your mates, they'll thank you for it in the morning.

Regardless of whether it happens to you or a friend, whether it’s alcohol related or just bad luck, we offer some advice on what you should do if disaster strikes and give suggestions for your next night out.

Getting separated from your mates

Losing your friends during a night out can happen whether you have been drinking or not. Getting separated when tipsy, distracted or disoriented, however, can make the situation more worrying.

Keep calm.  Send a text to tell your mates where you are - and stay there.

Plan your night before you go out. If you plan on hitting several venues, for example, make sure everyone knows where they are.

Agree on a spot to meet up in. Pick an obvious place, like by the cloakroom, or agree to meet somewhere at the end of the night, like the local taxi rank

Missing last bus or train home

You’re having a great time, you lose track of time, it’s easily done – but if you’ve missed the last bus home you don’t have to doss down on the streets.

What to do

Do not try and walk home by yourself, or accept a lift from someone you don’t know.

Instead, call or text a mate and see if they’re nearby. That way you could split the cost of a cab home.

As hard as it might be when going out on an already tight budget, always keep a tenner in your wallet for emergencies like this. That way, you can get a cab home even if you’re by yourself. But make sure you take a licensed cab.

Swallow your pride and call someone at home who can come and pick you up.

Losing your belongings

There’s nothing worse than that feeling when you know where your keys/ wallet/ phone are not – and that’s in your pocket. Losing personal possessions on a night out is a sure fire way to put a dampener on your evening.

What to do

Keep your belongings with you at all times and keep them out of sight.

Keep your mobile separate from the rest of your belongings so if your bag does get lost or stolen, you will still have it.

Inform police if your phone or bag is stolen, and inform your network provider if your mobile is lost or stolen, so they can block your handset and stop anyone else from using it. And you can call 100 in a phone box to reverse the charges, so if your phone is gone you can still call someone.

Spending too much money

It’s easy to flash the cash when you’re out on the town. But ending up at midnight with a five mile walk home because you haven’t got any money for your bus fare is not the greatest way to finish a night out.  

Set aside some cash at the beginning of the night.  A fiver for your bus fare or a tenner for a cab should do it. Tuck it away at the back of your wallet where you won’t see it and be tempted to spend it.

Leave the cash card at home. Instead, set yourself a budget and take only cash with you.

Getting away from the persistent attentions of someone

It’s never nice to be hassled by someone you don’t want to talk to.  The more you have been drinking, the more your reactions will be slowed and you may find yourself more vulnerable.

Be calm. Tell them clearly that you don’t want to talk to them, but do not be aggressive.

Tell someone.  Alert a friend, or a member of staff at the bar or club you are in. Bouncers are a good bet here – they are trained to deal with situations like these.

If you are in the street and you think you’re being followed, don’t hang about. Head to a busy, public place and call a mate to meet you, or alert a police officer if you can see one.

And be a good mate - never leave your friends to go off with someone they don’t know.

Being ill

Feeling sick and dizzy is a clear sign you have drunk too much. Being in a hot and crowded place can make you feel even worse.

Tell a friend you’re not feeling well.  Then ask them to come with you to get some fresh air, drink some water and sit down in a quiet spot.

Nibble sweets or suck a lolly.  It may sound like an odd thing to do on a night out, but St John Ambulance staff say these foods will keep energy levels high and help reduce nausea.

Eat before you go out.  Eating food will stop the alcohol being absorbed so quickly into your system.

The London Ambulance Service say that calls related to alcohol now make up over six per cent of their total workload, and this increases to more than 15 per cent during some hours of Friday and Saturday nights. Whilst it’s always better to err on the side of caution, don’t call 999 unless it is a real emergency.  

Getting into a fight

Sometimes being in the wrong place at the wrong time might mean you are on the receiving end of someone who has had one too many and is feeling aggressive. Alcohol generally makes people more aggressive and so can inflame any situation. More than a quarter of young people who had been drinking alcohol said they had got into an argument in the past 12 months and 12% reported getting into a fight.

What to do

Walk away – avoid aggressive people and don’t argue back if someone is picking on you.

If you know you become aggressive when you drink alcohol, that's an even more important reason to keep within your sensible limits. Whilst it might not bother you getting into a fight consider your friends who might end up getting caught up in the situation.

If you have been hurt in a fight, don’t panic.  Get the attention of a nearby policeman or paramedic. Many cities now have paramedics on patrol during busy weekend nights.

Page last updated by

Unknown, 10 May 2012.

Page checked on

24 Aug 2009