This Mardi Gras season, there were two heartbreaking deaths in New Orleans. Both were the result of unsafe parade practices. My heart goes out to the families and loved ones left behind by Joe Sampson and Geraldine Carmouche, but neither the New Orleans officials nor the New Orleans Police Department are responsible.
These devastating deaths were the result of a myriad of factors. No one reason can be isolated from the rest. The remainder of both parades during which the deaths occurred, Nyx on Wednesday and Endymion on Saturday, were cancelled following the tragic accidents. In the wake of Joe Sampson’s death Saturday night, New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell issued a statement banning tandem floats for the remainder of the 2020 Mardi Gras season.
New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson also issued a statement assuring the public that his law enforcement officers would be evaluating the current safety measures and taking extra precautions to keep everyone safe during Mardi Gras going forward. The New Orleans officials are handling the situation to the best of their ability, dealing with the tragedies, ensuring safety going forward and quelling the fears of tourists and locals alike. 
The news of Carmouche’s death Wednesday night was startling and brought a heavy cloud of uneasiness and grief down on the city, but nevertheless Mardi Gras continued on as scheduled. Accidents, injuries, and unfortunately even deaths are not uncommon during the Mardi Gras season. The mixture of heavy machinery, alcohol, bright lights, excitement and general chaos is not often a peaceful one.
New Orleans has a reputation for being a party city for a reason—we know how to have a good time—but when tragedies like these occur, it’s time to reevaluate the culture and atmosphere we’ve cultivated around Mardi Gras.
There are only so many safety measures which can feasibly be put in place and enforced for an event as large and decadent as Mardi Gras. Police officers and EMTs are spread thin across the city. Barricades and grandstands which hold spectators away from oncoming floats are few and far between. While some events are prescheduled and widely publicized, like parades, many others, like those hosted in bars and clubs, are private events.
The city can’t possibly police every corner at every moment of the Mardi Gras weekend, meaning individuals must be more vigilant and aware of their surroundings. Personally, the news of two deaths only days apart was sickening. How could that happen? How could we let it happen?
It’s tempting to blame it on the krewes for putting showmanship and extravagance over basic safety measures. After all, how many of us have watched float riders lean dangerously far down to speak to someone or drink heavily? But it’s not just them. Many of us have watched spectators sprint in between bands or floats to get to the other side, or have even done that ourselves. Sunday night, during Bacchus alone, I crossed Napoleon Avenue in front of floats several times without even thinking twice. 
This year’s tragedies should be a wakeup call to all of us. The city is doing the best that it can under the circumstances, so it’s on us to be responsible for our own individual wellbeing. Mardi Gras is a great time to let loose and have fun, but it’s not an excuse to throw caution to the wind and make irresponsible choices which could cost us or others their lives. 
Marie Plunkett is a 21-year-old classical studies junior from New Orleans, Louisiana.