Top 10 Reasons Not to Visit Times Square on New Year's Eve

I read that if you ever went to Times Square on New Year's Eve, you're penned there for nearly a whole day and stuck in that spot with the rest of a huge crowd of approximately 100,000 people (mistaken for millions), pushing each other. It's literally a war zone and a disaster waiting to happen. You have a hard time, can't leave, or do anything comfortable. You feel forced to suffer through this miserable holiday, and it's seriously a claustrophobe's worst nightmare. There's no doubt about it.

Once you visit Times Square on New Year's Eve, once you get to your spot, you're penned with the rest of the approximately 100,000 people (mistaken for millions) in a crowd like cattle. You spend nearly a whole day there, especially if you were one of the first to arrive. You could do so much stuff in far less time! Yet you can't escape, and you push into others while being pushed at the same time. You're trampled with the rest of the crowd and could suffocate, especially if you have breathing issues. It's like a literal prison there, even if it's only for nearly a day, which is more than enough to make you feel homesick and depressed. The anticipation of the new year is the only thing you can think of besides the torture.

Usually, at Times Square on New Year's Eve, it's so cold that temperatures are below freezing. For example, the coldest New Year's Eve was 1°F, and 2017's New Year's Eve was 10°F, making it the second coldest on record. By comparison, water freezes at 32°F. People spend the whole day there freezing, even with heavy-duty clothing, and some had to be hospitalized for hypothermia. Think about possible pneumonia or even death. Yet despite all that, only three people were hospitalized in 2017. New Year's Eve is really the worst holiday in that regard.

At Times Square on New Year's Eve, once you get penned to your spot, you can't sit or relax. You're forced to stand on your feet and stay in place for much of the day, causing serious pain and worsening conditions over time. Many people who went there struggle to walk because of that. It forces blood down to your feet and even increases the risk of heart problems, which is already a safety and health hazard.

Considering the security and staff want everybody safe, you can't be safe in poor health. It seriously makes people there feel like slaves and prisoners. Security and staff banned chairs and many other things for capacity accommodation and in the wake of terrorist attacks. They check everywhere to make sure nobody's comfortable. It's just pure forced torture that can't be described.

As time goes on, you feel more and more tired, beyond exhausted, or even hungover, especially if you were among the earliest ones in your spot. The only thing keeping your energy up is the anticipation of the countdown and new year. At the end of the day, you feel like you ran a marathon in freezing temperatures and have a hangover. Some people develop depression and even suicidal thoughts. Many have PTSD, mobility disorders, and other health conditions as a result of being treated like slaves and prisoners in this so-called party.

If you want to go to Times Square on New Year's Eve, you have to stand in your spot. Depending on when you pick your spot, once you're there, you could spend much of the whole day there. You can't leave, and if you do, you won't be able to return to your spot or anywhere in the pen ring. You wouldn't be part of the party or witness the ball drop or countdown to the new year from the best view possible. New Year's Eve at Times Square is a literal war zone.

On New Year's Eve at Times Square, there are no restrooms available, not even portable ones, and other restrooms are closed off. People who are in their spot are stuck there for much of the day in pure misery and can only wear adult diapers, which is gross but the best option. Otherwise, they'd have to hold it in, leading to possible bladder or bowel problems. It's literally a nightmare.

Large bags have been banned from places like Times Square on New Year's Eve in the wake of terrorist attacks. Security and staff don't want people to have weapons or be mistaken for terrorists. This prompts people to bring almost nothing and spend a hellish day in Times Square on New Year's Eve.

It sometimes rains at Times Square on New Year's Eve (it did in 2018), and many need umbrellas to stay dry. However, law enforcement ensures nobody brings umbrellas, so they're banned. The only thing to keep you dry are plastic covers, which have to be clear since weapons are a big cause for concern these days. Umbrellas can bump into one another and be mistaken for weapons. Many people instead suffer through the rain, getting soaked.

Remember, once you're in your spot, you're there for much of the whole day. Meals such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner are vital for staying healthy, and remember large bags are prohibited on New Year's Eve. There are no food or drink vendors available. This means it's practically impossible to eat or drink anything unless you bring your own water bottle and staff hand out food for guests. But think about approximately 100,000 people attending the pen ring at Times Square on New Year's Eve, all crammed together. It's literally worse than any other holiday annually (except for Bastille Day that one time in 2016 due to a truck attack).