[Satchmo]

That time of the year again where those little buggers come around EXPECTING candy. Half of them don't even say 'trick or treat' and others are waaaay too old to be still doing this. I draw the line at 10 years old.

I try to go out that night to a bar and come home late so I don't have to deal with them. Yeah, I'm a bit of scrooge in that sense, but I don't want to deal with rude kids. The ones who are pissed off if you give them only 2 or 3 pieces of candy. What do they expect? If they hit 25 houses @ 3 pieces/house, that's 75 pieces of sugar filled crack.

And then there's the ones who get pissed off when I'm passing out peanuts in a shell.
So what is your protocol?

[Moogs]

Give the little kids who are polite 3 pieces... the little kids who stick a bag in my face without saying anything 1, and if they're overgrown punks, 2... so they don't teepee my house. With some of the burnouts around here I know better than to stiff them. They'll just make my life miserable.

[709]

I'm passing out those plastic "to-go-food" packages that contain a napkin, plastic spork & knife, and little salt & pepper packets.

I've been collecting them all year just for Halloween night.

[Moogs]

Are you serious? That would be hilarious. Video reactions from kids wanted.

[Sauvblanc]

Last year, we were housesitting for friends in a fairly upscale 'hood in West LA. The sort of place where parents drive their kids to in order to load up on goodies. It was also our first opportunity to have a proper Halloween where we give out candy etc.
At first, I would just put the tray down and let the kids take what they wanted as we had a fair assortment and I figured they'd just take one, maybe two. I learned my lesson quickly enough. Holy smokes, were those little shits greedy!!! They would just try to load up as much as they could before I took the tray away. Later in the evening a couple of kids who were clearly in high school showed up. They hadn't even put any thought into their costumes, really. I just closed the door. Assholes.

[Foj]

You could try and scare the buggers

[kretara]

I both love and hate this time of year.

I love seeing all the young kids (under 12) in our neighborhood come by in their costumes and having a great time.
I love that my kids get dressed up, see all the other kids and have a good time.
I love handing out candy to the kids while my wife goes door to door with our kids.
I love it when the little kids try to scare me because they really think they are a vampire or a ghost or a mummy.
I love talking to the other parents about their kids costumes and such.

I hate it when the van loads of kids from other neighborhoods or from the apartments a few blocks away show up. At least 3/4 of the kids are older than 13, don't wear costumes, wear gang colors and are acting more aggressive every year.
I hate it when said kids come to the door and ask for candy even though they are not wearing costumes and made no attempt to 'get in the spirit'.
I hate it when said kids ask if they can have a few 'extra pieces of candy for my brother|sister|mother|father|uncle|grandmother|gra ndfather|dog|cat|goldfish|cricket who is home sick|in the car|in jail|at work|at school.
I hate it when said kids come around because I know that more than half are over 14 and are carrying big 20 gallon trash bags full of candy, but they want and demand more.
I hate it when said kids come around because (based on past experience) I know that some of them are sizing up your house for a little extra curricular activity when you are away. Robberies in our neighborhood spike the first few weeks after Halloween.

Since the van loads of kids usually show up later in the evening, I am considering closing up shop very early so I don't have to deal with them this year.

Two fun incidents from the past 3 years.

1. I went across the street to visit a neighbor while my wife and kids were trick-or-treating there. I left a bowl full of candy at my front door thinking it would be okay since I would be gone for less than 5 minutes. An older kid (14?) comes by with his friends and he upends the bowl into his trash bag and walks off. I'm walking up my driveway at this point and I yell at him to put the candy back. He starts yelling at me about all the 'evil' things the 'whiteman done done to his niggarz' and how he will come back and take care of me if I don't shut up. He and his 'gang' then run away, but he (and 2 or 3 others) keep falling down because their pants keep falling down around their ankles. I got a great laugh out of this. This kid was fortunate I did not have my gun with me or he would have been waiting for the cops to come out instead of running around showing his ass.

2. Towards the end of the night a group of older (16+) kids come around. All wearing gang colors and throwing signs. Most people refused to open the door, but I had some candy left and I'm in a good mood.
I hand over the remaining candy and one of the guys tells me I better give him some more candy. I tell him I don't have anymore. He says I better find something else to give him or it's my ass. I pull out my .357 Magnum (actually, it's my Mom's. I was borrowing it while my gun was getting worked on) and ask him if he really wants to make trouble. My front porch clears off very quickly.


You would think I live in the ghetto. Nope. I live in one of the 'better' parts of town. Our problem is that we have lots of apartments in the area and since hurricane Katrina the apartments filled up with a bunch of scum.

90% of the kids that stop by are great, 10%...not so great.

Regardless, I love Halloween!!

[alcimedes]

Last year we have 105 kids (our neighbor counted) and the only older kids who stopped by did so to get food items for a food drive.

[kretara]

Originally Posted by alcimedes Last year we have 105 kids (our neighbor counted) and the only older kids who stopped by did so to get food items for a food drive.

It was like that when we lived in Boston.

We love Little Rock, but the drastic increase in crime (since Katrina) and the ever increasing gang violence is making us consider moving back to New England.

[Xaqtly]

I'm going to find out, I live in a new area now, it's a large gated community so I'm expecting a lot of kids.

[Naderfan]

I've had good experiences so far.

I usually let the kids just take a couple pieces out of the bowl. I'll never forget the brother/sister pair. The girl was probably about 7 and the boy was maybe 5. She politely took one piece of candy and her brother started taking one of each kind. She immediately told him that he could only have one in sort of a bossy tone (one I'm sure I rarely, if ever, used on my own brother ) I told her they could each have 2 or 3 pieces if they wanted.

So far, no older kids have ever shown up. I wonder if that has to do with the fact that we have regulated trick-or-treating times or we just don't have older kids living in the neighborhood.

[Souflay123]

I am usually the one who is home to hand out candy, I used to sit on the porch(the cement front yard) and hand out full sized Hershey bars that I had gotten at costco from Christmas the year before(i ate half of the pile) and watch scary moves(JU-ON/ The ring/ Ringu... all of the clean scary genra) it was fun but i scared the crap out of my self

This year i think I am going to a party, so um... i think beer is the correct answer.

In terms if the 12-15 year olds that are out there asking for candy... just hand them some candy, most just want to go out and have a little fun as if they were little.

[Trumpetman]

Perhaps it is just me getting older but I am really shocked at how all the "slutty _________" costumes are now being worn by 11 and 12 year old girls. Their 15 and 16 year old sisters have apparently given up on slutty as an adjective and just go straight for the noun.

I'll know I'm middle aged when they somehow find a way to combine the two. Then we will have slutty red riding hood, slutty pumpkin, just straight up slut and now for the cutting edge, slutty sluts which are even sluttier than regular sluts.

[kieran]

Like this one?





On the topic, I hate Halloween. Stupid freaking "holiday."

[Foj]

Originally Posted by kieran On the topic, I hate Halloween. Stupid freaking "holiday."

The Great Pumpkin is not going to leave you any presents now.

[curiousuburb]

Originally Posted by 709 I'm passing out those plastic "to-go-food" packages that contain a napkin, plastic spork & knife, and little salt & pepper packets. I've been collecting them all year just for Halloween night.

Originally Posted by AppleNova You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to 709 again.

I have a kilo of pennies and change for the kids here who prefer cash.

Not sure how much I want to weird them out yet... </costume serendipity>

[psmith2.0]

I'm going over to my sister's neighborhood - a nice, flat, sidewalked sub-division with lots of kids, houses, etc. - and walk around with my little niece and nephew for a bit. They're a hoot as is, so I can imagine what they'll be like all decked-out and hopped-up on candy.



Then I'll probably swing by my little neighborhood pub (the one I've written about here a few times) and "people-watch" for a bit (they're having a costume contest, and it's the type of customer base that all but guarantees a degree of lewdness and fleeting nudity).

I wouldn't miss it for anything.



So, in short, I won't really be home to hand out candy. But like others here, I don't dig the roving bands of surly, marble-mouthed 16-year-olds showing up at the door dressed in everyday clothes and expecting candy.



Pinheads.

But you're in a tough spot because if you tell them to beat it, guess what you'll spend the next day doing?



But little kids dressed up and running around are funny and cute. My nephew was going to be Spider-Man (again), but changed it to Batman (yay!). Then, two weeks ago, out of the blue, he decided to be some construction worker/builder from some kids show(?). A nod to the Village People, perhaps?



My niece is going as a cheerleader. She's a bit hyper and extroverted as it is, so I imagine the jumping and yelling will come naturally to her.

Clarification: I've got nothing against teens trick-or-treating; but put a little effort into it and do it right. Show up with a bit more than a pair of sunglasses (or goofy fright wig or Dr. Seuss hat) and calling that a "costume".



That's just a subtle way of saying "give me something, or else", and it offends me greatly.



Work for it, sparky...

[Capella]

I will admit that I trick-or-treated up until I graduated HS...but, because my town had very very few kids until I entered middle school (we had a huge population spike when we became the fastest growing US county for like 4 years), up till I was around 11 most adults didn't even bother to have candy. So once they DID start having candy, I made up for lost time. I always showed up in costume, too, even if I was Darth Vader every year.

[thegelding]

we have a party every year...all costumes are hand made...fun times...

g

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by Capella I will admit that I trick-or-treated up until I graduated HS...but, because my town had very very few kids until I entered middle school (we had a huge population spike when we became the fastest growing US county for like 4 years), up till I was around 11 most adults didn't even bother to have candy. So once they DID start having candy, I made up for lost time. I always showed up in costume, too, even if I was Darth Vader every year.

You're the coolest person here, you know that?

[faramirtook]

Originally Posted by Capella I will admit that I trick-or-treated up until I graduated HS...but, because my town had very very few kids until I entered middle school (we had a huge population spike when we became the fastest growing US county for like 4 years), up till I was around 11 most adults didn't even bother to have candy. So once they DID start having candy, I made up for lost time. I always showed up in costume, too, even if I was Darth Vader every year.

I'm in my senior year of high school and I'll probably go out once all the little ones have cleared out and pick up some candy for fun. :P I always dress up, though. I think I'm going to be Freddie in an ensemble Scooby-Doo group.

[Foj]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Then, two weeks ago, out of the blue, he decided to be some construction worker/builder from some kids show(?). A nod to the Village People, perhaps?

I believe he's going as Bob the Builder. Seems to still be popular

[psmith2.0]

No, it wasn't him. I know that character, I've heard of him. This other one was new to me.

I'll e-mail my sister and ask...

[curiousuburb]

Joe the Plumber? Luigi?

[psmith2.0]

Handy Manny? Handy Andy? I don't know. Something like that.

Probably one of those Dora the Explorer gang.

[Moogs]

Brad is clearly a master of Halloween etiquette based on today's awesome color scheme. I actually like the beiges. Easier to read. Maybe the new default can be something like this but without the dark browns? Do seasonal themes. Fall can be red, yellow, orange... winter can be blues... spring greens... summer... well I don't know what summer would be but the point is a change of pace is easy on the eyes. Sometimes those army green colors make things hard to read after a while.

[Wyatt]

Originally Posted by Moogs Brad is clearly a master of Halloween etiquette based on today's awesome color scheme. I actually like the beiges. Easier to read. Maybe the new default can be something like this but without the dark browns? Do seasonal themes. Fall can be red, yellow, orange... winter can be blues... spring greens... summer... well I don't know what summer would be but the point is a change of pace is easy on the eyes. Sometimes those army green colors make things hard to read after a while.

Army green? Somebody needs to calibrate. Or somebody's color blind, I'm not sure.

[Moogs]

OK not army green but that grey-green-with-a-bit-of-blue... whatever the hell you want to call it. Who do I look like, Mr. Pantone? The regular forum is green-based is it not?

[Wyatt]

Originally Posted by Moogs OK not army green but that grey-green-with-a-bit-of-blue... whatever the hell you want to call it. Who do I look like, Mr. Pantone? The regular forum is green-based is it not?

No, I'm pretty sure it's grey with a hint of blue. I don't recall ever seeing any green.

http://forums.applenova.com/showthre...t=18462&page=7

Maybe I'm wrong, though. Brad said in this thread that it's supposed to be sort of teal. Still a far cry from Army green, though.

Who needs to calibrate now?

[Moogs]

Yah you're probably right on that. I just call anything that's a dark or faded grayish green "army green". In fact there are a whole array of army greens.