Why You Should Never Be The Last To Leave A Party

So, you’re at the hottest party in town, throwing back the booze, partying like it’s the start of a new millennium. You’re having a blast! The last thing you’re thinking about is leaving.

Maybe it’s because you’re afraid you’ll miss the good stuff, or maybe you want to stick around until the host starts giving you free food to take home. Whatever it is that’s got you hanging around longer than everyone else, you should be warned that it’s not a good look.

Here are 8 reasons why you should try to avoid being the last to leave a party:

1) You’ll make your host feel awkward

Your host has had a long day and is probably dog-tired, having spent hours prepping for the party. And here you are, the annoying so-and-so who won’t get the heck out of their house! But because they’re a nice person who doesn’t want to hurt your feelings, they’re forced to tiptoe around the subject, subtly hinting that you should getting going.

When the host starts reminding you of the time or telling you how early they have to be up in the morning, you know you’ve outstayed your welcome.

You never want to put anyone in the awkward position of asking you to leave, so don’t wait for that moment. As long as you leave before others, you’ll avoid making things uncomfortable.

2) You’ll be forced to help with the cleaning up

If you’re the last person to leave a party, you’ll be expected to help with clean up. And if it’s late at night and the host is exhausted, they won’t appreciate your not pitching in.

At the end of a long night, there are bound to be a pile of dirty dishes, empty beer and wine bottles, crumbs all over the floor. Someone has to clean it all up, and seeing as you’re the only one left to ask, that person will inevitably be you. So, by all means stay if you like moonlighting as a cleaner in your spare time.

3) You’ll seem creepy and pathetic

Depending on who’s throwing the party, and what your relationship to them is, you could come off as creepy for sticking around after everyone’s gone. They might not know what your intentions are, and it’s very easy for them to think you want something naughty from them.

Likewise, whether it’s true or not, you’ll look like you have no life and no home to go to if you stay till the bitter end.

4) It’s boring

All the good people will have already left by the end of the night, which means the party won’t be nearly as fun. The best parties are usually the ones with plenty of guests – lots of opportunity to hear differing opinions and unique perspectives on life.

You might think yourself the life and soul of every party, but if it’s just you and the host(s), there’s only so much entertaining you can do before things start to get boring.

5) All the good food will be gone

Unless the host has some food stashed away somewhere, the likelihood is that most of the food will have been eaten by the end of the party. All that will be left is the potato salad no one wants because it was brought by a woman with questionable hygiene!

So staying till the end usually means there’ll only be scraps left to choose from, which makes for an unpleasant doggy bag, if you intend to take one home.

6) It could be dangerous

If it’s late and you’re the last one to leave a party, it could be unsafe for you. You’re alone, it’s dark, and all the other guests are long gone. You’ll be walking the streets by yourself, at night.

Anything could happen if you’re walking home on your own, or catching the bus. Even taking a taxi alone isn’t as safe as it seems. This is made more dangerous by the fact that you might be three sheets to the wind.

That’s why it’s always best to leave with others, or leave while it’s still early.

7) It’s rude

It’s often considered to be rude when guests stay for hours after a party is over. You’ve already taken up enough of the host’s time, and they’ve gone to all the trouble of feeding and entertaining you. The last thing they want is to have you loitering around their house.

They probably have other things to do, like sleep; if you’re still there, they can’t do that.

8) No chance of a ride home

Being the last to leave a party means there will be no one around to give you a ride home or to the station. You might have to shell out for an Uber, which is money you could have saved had you left earlier with the other guests.

Final word

I know it’s tempting to stay till the very end of a party, but there aren’t many benefits to doing so. You can still have fun at a party while also respecting other people’s time by leaving before it starts winding down.