Prom Advice and Prom Stories

First time at the prom? If it is, then you're probably feeling a mix of giddy anticipation and lingering dread. Which is perfectly understandable; you don't know what to expect.

Enjoying Yourself

Everybody who wants to go to the prom doesn't necessarily go there for the limelight or the social jibber-jabber. Mostly, they're at prom to have a ton of fun with friends, dates, and if they are legally of age to drink, maybe a glass or two of their favorite cocktail. Just be careful to slip into your gown and not your drink! If you do drink, do it responsibly; because, for starters, you'll have a better time remembering the event. Otherwise, you are better off just staying home, watching your favorite Sit-Com on T.V.

Of course, killjoys aren't the only things that can keep you from enjoying yourself at the prom. Plenty of prom horror stories tell tales of disasters ranging from simple wardrobe malfunctions to kidnappings and hold-ups on the way to and from the ball. There are cases where renting a car turned out to be a bad idea;and, even some stories of prom disasters that happened to people who ditched the prom for a more upbeat joint elsewhere. And of course, there's always the possibility of a vegetable for a date.

Naturally, another consideration is safety. So how safe is safe? There's no way of telling if the venue of the ball is safe, or if the people going to the prom are trustworthy and won't try anything funny that would turn a night of gaiety into a horror story to remember. What's a girl do do?

Plan Ahead and Play Safe

Here're some prom tips you might want to take note of, just to make sure that you don't end up dragging your gown through the dirt ten miles from downtown:

1. Bring extra cash. Unless you have pre-paid, the tickets for the ball might not be what you expected, or you might want to go somewhere else for dinner. Whatever the reason, having a little extra money can go a long way to making your night one of the most memorable.
2. Run a background check on the rental service. You can't be too careful with car rentals. If the service isn't on the up and up, you might want to find another service that could drive you to the prom and everywhere else without ripping you off or stranding you in the middle of nowhere.
3. Travel in groups. Not only will that make car rentals cheaper, this might also keep you safer than you'd imagine.
4. Have an exit strategy. If your date or friends act like Harry Houdini, performing a disappearing act everytime you turn around, you might need to lose them, too.
5. Stash the cash. Pre-arrange a hiding place to place some emergency fund in case you need to catch a taxi home alone and need to pay for the trip. It's never worth the risk to your safety to ride with an inebriated driver.