diff --git a/sqlglot/tokens.py b/sqlglot/tokens.py
index 956fafdf..1c5df09b 100644
--- a/sqlglot/tokens.py
+++ b/sqlglot/tokens.py
@@ -797,7 +797,7 @@ class Tokenizer(metaclass=_Tokenizer):
         self._start = 0
         self._current = 0
         self._line = 1
-        self._col = 1
+        self._col = 0
         self._comments: t.List[str] = []
 
         self._char = ""
@@ -810,13 +810,12 @@ class Tokenizer(metaclass=_Tokenizer):
         self.reset()
         self.sql = sql
         self.size = len(sql)
+
         try:
             self._scan()
         except Exception as e:
-            start = self._current - 50
-            end = self._current + 50
-            start = start if start > 0 else 0
-            end = end if end < self.size else self.size - 1
+            start = max(self._current - 50, 0)
+            end = min(self._current + 50, self.size - 1)
             context = self.sql[start:end]
             raise ValueError(f"Error tokenizing '{context}'") from e
 
@@ -841,17 +840,17 @@ class Tokenizer(metaclass=_Tokenizer):
             if until and until():
                 break
 
-        if self.tokens:
+        if self.tokens and self._comments:
             self.tokens[-1].comments.extend(self._comments)
 
     def _chars(self, size: int) -> str:
         if size == 1:
             return self._char
+
         start = self._current - 1
         end = start + size
-        if end <= self.size:
-            return self.sql[start:end]
-        return ""
+
+        return self.sql[start:end] if end <= self.size else ""
 
     def _advance(self, i: int = 1, alnum: bool = False) -> None:
         if self.WHITE_SPACE.get(self._char) is TokenType.BREAK:
@@ -866,6 +865,7 @@ class Tokenizer(metaclass=_Tokenizer):
         self._peek = "" if self._end else self.sql[self._current]
 
         if alnum and self._char.isalnum():
+            # Here we use local variables instead of attributes for better performance
             _col = self._col
             _current = self._current
             _end = self._end

diff --git a/tests/test_parser.py b/tests/test_parser.py
index e811e96a..11df5669 100644
--- a/tests/test_parser.py
+++ b/tests/test_parser.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ class TestParser(unittest.TestCase):
             {
                 "description": "Invalid expression / Unexpected token",
                 "line": 1,
-                "col": 7,
+                "col": 6,
                 "start_context": "",
                 "highlight": "SELECT",
                 "end_context": " 1;",
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ class TestParser(unittest.TestCase):
             }
         ]
         with self.assertRaises(ParseError) as ctx:
-            parse_one("SELECT 1;", "sqlite", [exp.From])
+            parse_one("SELECT 1;", read="sqlite", into=[exp.From])
+
         self.assertEqual(str(ctx.exception), expected_message)
         self.assertEqual(ctx.exception.errors, expected_errors)
 
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ class TestParser(unittest.TestCase):
             {
                 "description": "Invalid expression / Unexpected token",
                 "line": 1,
-                "col": 7,
+                "col": 6,
                 "start_context": "",
                 "highlight": "SELECT",
                 "end_context": " 1;",
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ class TestParser(unittest.TestCase):
             {
                 "description": "Invalid expression / Unexpected token",
                 "line": 1,
-                "col": 7,
+                "col": 6,
                 "start_context": "",
                 "highlight": "SELECT",
                 "end_context": " 1;",
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ class TestParser(unittest.TestCase):
         ]
         with self.assertRaises(ParseError) as ctx:
             parse_one("SELECT 1;", "sqlite", [exp.From, exp.Join])
+
         self.assertEqual(str(ctx.exception), expected_message)
         self.assertEqual(ctx.exception.errors, expected_errors)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_tokens.py b/tests/test_tokens.py
index f70d70e8..c09eab48 100644
--- a/tests/test_tokens.py
+++ b/tests/test_tokens.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ class TestTokens(unittest.TestCase):
         for sql, comment in sql_comment:
             self.assertEqual(tokenizer.tokenize(sql)[0].comments, comment)
 
-    def test_token_line(self):
+    def test_token_line_col(self):
         tokens = Tokenizer().tokenize(
             """SELECT /*
 line break
@@ -30,10 +30,19 @@ line break
 x"""
         )
 
+        self.assertEqual(tokens[0].line, 1)
+        self.assertEqual(tokens[0].col, 6)
         self.assertEqual(tokens[1].line, 5)
         self.assertEqual(tokens[1].col, 3)
-        self.assertEqual(tokens[-1].line, 6)
-        self.assertEqual(tokens[-1].col, 1)
+        self.assertEqual(tokens[2].line, 5)
+        self.assertEqual(tokens[2].col, 4)
+        self.assertEqual(tokens[3].line, 6)
+        self.assertEqual(tokens[3].col, 1)
+
+        tokens = Tokenizer().tokenize("SELECT .")
+
+        self.assertEqual(tokens[1].line, 1)
+        self.assertEqual(tokens[1].col, 8)
 
     def test_command(self):
         tokens = Tokenizer().tokenize("SHOW;")
@@ -51,7 +60,7 @@ x"""
         self.assertEqual(tokens[3].token_type, TokenType.SEMICOLON)
 
     def test_error_msg(self):
-        with self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, "Error tokenizing 'select.*"):
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, "Error tokenizing 'select /'"):
             Tokenizer().tokenize("select /*")
 
     def test_jinja(self):
diff --git a/tests/test_transpile.py b/tests/test_transpile.py
index 701f8ef4..1085b092 100644
--- a/tests/test_transpile.py
+++ b/tests/test_transpile.py
@@ -555,14 +555,14 @@ FROM v""",
     def test_error_level(self, logger):
         invalid = "x + 1. ("
         expected_messages = [
-            "Required keyword: 'expressions' missing for <class 'sqlglot.expressions.Aliases'>. Line 1, Col: 9.\n  x + 1. \033[4m(\033[0m",
-            "Expecting ). Line 1, Col: 9.\n  x + 1. \033[4m(\033[0m",
+            "Required keyword: 'expressions' missing for <class 'sqlglot.expressions.Aliases'>. Line 1, Col: 8.\n  x + 1. \033[4m(\033[0m",
+            "Expecting ). Line 1, Col: 8.\n  x + 1. \033[4m(\033[0m",
         ]
         expected_errors = [
             {
                 "description": "Required keyword: 'expressions' missing for <class 'sqlglot.expressions.Aliases'>",
                 "line": 1,
-                "col": 9,
+                "col": 8,
                 "start_context": "x + 1. ",
                 "highlight": "(",
                 "end_context": "",
@@ -571,7 +571,7 @@ FROM v""",
             {
                 "description": "Expecting )",
                 "line": 1,
-                "col": 9,
+                "col": 8,
                 "start_context": "x + 1. ",
                 "highlight": "(",
                 "end_context": "",
@@ -585,26 +585,28 @@ FROM v""",
 
         with self.assertRaises(ParseError) as ctx:
             transpile(invalid, error_level=ErrorLevel.IMMEDIATE)
+
         self.assertEqual(str(ctx.exception), expected_messages[0])
         self.assertEqual(ctx.exception.errors[0], expected_errors[0])
 
         with self.assertRaises(ParseError) as ctx:
             transpile(invalid, error_level=ErrorLevel.RAISE)
+
         self.assertEqual(str(ctx.exception), "\n\n".join(expected_messages))
         self.assertEqual(ctx.exception.errors, expected_errors)
 
         more_than_max_errors = "(((("
         expected_messages = (
-            "Required keyword: 'this' missing for <class 'sqlglot.expressions.Paren'>. Line 1, Col: 5.\n  (((\033[4m(\033[0m\n\n"
-            "Expecting ). Line 1, Col: 5.\n  (((\033[4m(\033[0m\n\n"
-            "Expecting ). Line 1, Col: 5.\n  (((\033[4m(\033[0m\n\n"
+            "Required keyword: 'this' missing for <class 'sqlglot.expressions.Paren'>. Line 1, Col: 4.\n  (((\033[4m(\033[0m\n\n"
+            "Expecting ). Line 1, Col: 4.\n  (((\033[4m(\033[0m\n\n"
+            "Expecting ). Line 1, Col: 4.\n  (((\033[4m(\033[0m\n\n"
             "... and 2 more"
         )
         expected_errors = [
             {
                 "description": "Required keyword: 'this' missing for <class 'sqlglot.expressions.Paren'>",
                 "line": 1,
-                "col": 5,
+                "col": 4,
                 "start_context": "(((",
                 "highlight": "(",
                 "end_context": "",
@@ -613,7 +615,7 @@ FROM v""",
             {
                 "description": "Expecting )",
                 "line": 1,
-                "col": 5,
+                "col": 4,
                 "start_context": "(((",
                 "highlight": "(",
                 "end_context": "",
@@ -625,6 +627,7 @@ FROM v""",
 
         with self.assertRaises(ParseError) as ctx:
             transpile(more_than_max_errors, error_level=ErrorLevel.RAISE)
+
         self.assertEqual(str(ctx.exception), expected_messages)
         self.assertEqual(ctx.exception.errors, expected_errors)
 

Highlight in error is off by one for BigQuery when identifiers are quoted
When trying to parse a BigQuery statement that has an error, the returned error info's `start_context` and `highlight` are off by one when the query quotes the identifiers.

**Fully reproducible code snippet**
```
import sqlglot

sql = "SELECT * FROM `TableA` UNION `TableB`"
try:
    parse = sqlglot.parse_one(sql, read="bigquery")
except Exception as e:
    error = e.errors[0]
    print(f'With quotes: Start context: {error["start_context"]}; Highlight: {error["highlight"]}')


sql = "SELECT * FROM TableA UNION TableB"
try:
    parse = sqlglot.parse_one(sql, read="bigquery")
except Exception as e:
    error = e.errors[0]
    print(f'Without quotes: Start context: {error["start_context"]}; Highlight: {error["highlight"]}')
```

Expected output:
```
With quotes: Start context: SELECT * FROM TableA UNION ; Highlight: TableB
Without quotes: Start context: SELECT * FROM TableA UNION ; Highlight: TableB
```

Actual output:
```
With quotes: Start context: SELECT * FROM `TableA` UNION `T; Highlight: ableB`
Without quotes: Start context: SELECT * FROM TableA UNION ; Highlight: TableB
```
tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_parse_into_error tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_parse_into_errors tests/test_tokens.py::TestTokens::test_token_line_col tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_error_level
tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_column tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_command tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_comment_error_n tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_comment_error_r tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_comments tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_create_table_error tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_expression tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_float tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_identify tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_lambda_struct tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_missing_by tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_multi tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_parameter tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_parse_empty tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_parse_errors tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_parse_into tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_pivot_columns tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_pretty_config_override tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_rename_table tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_select tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_set_expression tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_space tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_table tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_transactions tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_type_literals tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_unary_plus tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_union_order tests/test_parser.py::TestParser::test_var tests/test_tokens.py::TestTokens::test_command tests/test_tokens.py::TestTokens::test_comment_attachment tests/test_tokens.py::TestTokens::test_error_msg tests/test_tokens.py::TestTokens::test_jinja tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_alias tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_alter tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_asc tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_comments tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_extract tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_identify_lambda tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_identity tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_if tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_index_offset tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_leading_comma tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_normalize_name tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_not_range tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_paren tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_partial tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_pretty tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_pretty_line_breaks tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_some tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_space tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_time tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_types tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_unary tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_unsupported_level tests/test_transpile.py::TestTranspile::test_with