I should have kept away from going out last night. After a long week at work, all I wanted to do was go home and relax. But my colleagues wouldn’t stop talking about this new bar downtown. They managed to talk me into going, saying it would be a great way to unwind. I wasn’t really in the mood, but I figured, why not try it out?

That was my first mistake.

The moment I left the office, I got stuck in traffic—for an hour! Sitting in a taxi that barely moved, I could already tell this night wasn’t going to go well. By the time I finally arrived, my colleagues were already waiting in a long line outside the bar.

“Come on,” I thought. “How bad could it be?”

Well, bad.

As we stood in line, I felt someone bump into me, but in a crowded place like that, I didn’t think much of it. Big mistake. When I reached into my pocket a few minutes later, my wallet was gone! Someone had stolen it, and with it, my ID and all my cash.

Things got even worse when a couple of guys near us started arguing. At first, it was just shouting, but then, one of them cut the line, shoving past people. That was asking for trouble. The next thing I knew, fists were flying, and the bouncer had to step in.

By the time we finally reached the front of the line, I was hoping I could just go inside and forget the whole mess. But, of course, without my ID, the bouncer wouldn’t let me in. “Rules are rules,” he said, letting my colleagues through one at a time, while I stood there, embarrassed.

They told me to wait, but honestly, what was the point? I didn’t feel like standing outside in the cold while they had fun. So, I decided to walk home. And just when I thought the night couldn’t get any worse, it started raining.

By the time I got home, I was drenched, exhausted, and completely done with the idea of going out ever again. Next time, when someone tries to talk me into a wild night out, I’ll know better.

This was definitely a night to forget.