These 6 New Year’s Eve Horror Stories Will Make You Want to Stay In to Bring in 2020

When it comes to New Year’s Eve, expectations don’t always become realities. What you think is going to be a wild-in-a-good-way night out with great drinks, great friends and general happy vibes often ends up in some sort of disaster. From nights out that were foiled by hot dogs to coat-check thieves, here are seven NYE horror stories from friends—real and digital—and coworkers that will make you want to lock your door on December 31 and hibernate until 2019 begins.

“One year I had a hot dog for dinner before going out on New Year's Eve. While I was out, I had only had one drink, but started to feel super sick—like throw-uppy sick—and went home. I ended up puking all night from food poisoning from the HOT DOG. So miserable.”

“In 2013, I went to a bar near Washington Square Park in NYC, paid more than $125 for an 'open bar,' which essentially equated to tipping the bartender $20 every time I went up for a drink because dozens of people were trying to be served all at once. On top of all that, the police were called around 1 a.m., because it turns out the women who were working the coat check were robbing everyone’s jackets and bags. I was stuck waiting around until 4 a.m. to get my coat back, before struggling to make my way back to my friend’s apartment. Needless to say, I’ve soured on NYE ever since then.”

“This was in college (I was young and stupid). My friends and I were going to a house party that ended up being super crowded. Because it was so hot and loud inside, I decided to hang outside for a little while. I was having a great time until my right ear started to get extra cold. I didn’t think anything of it until I woke up the next morning and discovered that it was fire-engine red and still feeling numb. It turns out I had gotten frostnip (basically a less-serious version of frostbite) and had to spend the rest of the winter basically living in earmuffs.”

“I was at a large New Year's Party that was being thrown by an arts group that I was a part of in a two-story Irish bar near Penn Station. Eventually, my friends and I made our way to the dance floor where I happened to run into another friend of mine that I had had a big-time crush on. We started dancing together a little bit and just when I felt like maybe there were some sparks going on between us, we both noticed that her ex was standing a few feet away and staring at us. We tried to ignore him and keep grooving, but he kept staring. We would move to a different part of the dance floor. His eyes would follow. Typically, I don't see nothing wrong with a little bump 'n' grind, but we left plenty of room for the Holy Spirit, lest this man decide to ring in the New Year by thumping my butt into the ground. It felt like we were trapped in an episode of American Bandstand.

Anyway, the tension was finally cut when another friend of mine started puking all over the place. I know a lot of people puke on NYE, but I remember having to pick up her shoes and bring them to her cab, so I can only assume that she puked her shoes off. Anyway, this story has a happy ending because we ended up dating, but ALMOST YEAR LATER. We now live together, but that lurking ex delayed our happiness BY 10 MONTHS.”

“Does being at an open bar event, which cost an exorbitant amount of money, and not being able to even get close to the bar because it’s so crowded count? If yes, then every New Year’s from age 22 to 26.”