minor correction, there are no basements in nola, for obvious reasons
having lived in nola for several years, it's a huge misconception that mardi gras is the best thing nola has to offer. there's a shit ton of festivals going on all spring in nola that are worth going to. mardi gras is just the most chaotic. and really, if you've done it one you've done them all. you're really not missing out on much.
if you want to experience the real new orleans, you have to spend at least 3-4 months there. you'll enjoy it a lot more than just going to one festival.
first, he's a vet, so it's not that surprising. second, people don't really understand or appreciate how dangerous new orleans has become since the population has nearly reached it's pre-katrina numbers. with people coming back, so has the crime, and back when i was still living there and bartending everyone started getting real nervous after a fellow bartender got shot and killed in a mugging by some underage gangster kids. i started carrying a tazer myself, and it doesn't surprise me at all that other people would be walking around armed, especially late at night.
