As the new semester kicks off and students arrive back in Leeds, its very likely you’ll be spending a few evenings sampling the city’s night life. Leeds certainly has plenty to offer students with a wide array of different venues to suit all personal tastes in music and culture. It is a busy time for the student night scene and with that comes the importance of playing hard but playing it safe.
Getting to your night out can be made safer and easier by ordering an Uber or Amber car who will send you the registration plate and the name of the driver. Apps like these also allow you to track the driver coming to pick you up making it one of the safest options. Amber cars operate in partnership with the University of Leeds to offer a service meaning if you don’t have enough money to pay for a taxi, having accidentally bought too many jagerbombs or spent questionable amounts of money on a much needed greasy takeout, then students can hand in their student card to the driver. The next day you can collect your student card from the union helpdesk and pay for your taxi.
Once you arrive at your night out it can be all too easy to spend the night buying drinks for your mates and forgetting about safety within the actual venue. Drink spiking in Leeds is something to be aware of. It wasn’t until I got spiked that this became a really important issue for me to voice. While it is highly unlikely you will get spiked, it should be emphasised that you should never put your drink down or take a drink from a stranger. While you cannot avoid it completely, it certainly prevents and significantly lowers the chances of getting your drink drugged. In my own experience drinks on nights out tend to be costly too so I’ve taken to the precaution of just pre-drinking, and on the odd occasion I do buy a drink in a club I make sure it’s a shot so I can put it away quickly. In bars it’s a lot safer and easier and the issue is less prevalent due to better visibility than in a club but it still helps to be aware that putting your drink down or taking a drink from a stranger is far too dangerous a risk to take.
Pickpocketing is something to also be aware of and as a general rule you should always keep your valuables to a minimum and keep a close eye and grasp on your phone. When heading back from a night out if walking make sure you are in a group, don’t walk back on your own and especially don’t walk back through Hyde Park or anywhere that is dimly lit. It’s much safer to stick to main roads than to tempt the possibility of anything dangerous occurring in the park. Besides what better way to end your night than to walk on a road filled with every kind of takeout your drunk self can dream of? Charcos, Milanos or the ultimate Crispy’s to end your night sounds like a much better idea. What better way to limit your hangover and make it to that dreaded 9am?
Cara Bintcliffe
Image: Channon Gray