1. Don't leave the grill unattended, even for a moment. It may be tempting to go check on your friends two aisles down and see what they are cooking, but not at the risk of starting the back of your SUV on fire. The safety rules that apply for the backyard griller are even more important in the stadium parking lot, because of the density of people there.



2. Food safety is important, too. Bring paper plates so you can put the uncooked food on one plate, and then put the cooked food on a fresh plate. Wear disposable latex gloves when handling foods such as chicken that can cause contamination. Bring extra utensils, so again, you can handle the uncooked food with one utensil, then switch to a clean one when taking the food off the grill. Wash your hands frequently using liquid hand sanitizer.

3. Clean up as you go. Bring an extra plastic tub with a lid for the dirty cookware and utensils. Lock down the lid to minimize bugs and critters. Put disposable plates, glassware etc. immediately in a plastic bag and tote to the garbage bin. And of course dispose of any coals in the appropriate containers even if you've doused them with water.

4. Clean hands clean food. It's tempting to relax the rules of wash your hands before you eat at a tailgate party but now is not the time to ignore safety. Both adults and children should make trip to the restroom for clean hands. If that's not possible use a liberal dose of hand sanitizer. There are also disinfectant hand wipes that can be used.

5. Organize the tailgate party. A tailgate party is a little bit like camping, in that it takes practice to learn how to pack and unpack the car so there is room for both the uneaten food and you and your friends to get in the car and go home. Also, being organized will allow you to get to your seats by kickoff, and get out of the stadium lot before the worst of the deadlocked traffic occurs.

Make enough food so you can share with neighboring tailgaters. It's really fun for tailgaters to sample each other's cuisine. This can be a great way to make new friends, or even learn about some new dishes you may want to try. You might even want to offer food to the fans of the opposing team, in a gesture of good sportsmanship, before you go inside the stadium and watch your team totally annihilate theirs.