Did you have trick or treaters? (sort of a rant)

[cignus_pfaccari]

You know, my trick-or-treating, when I was a munchkin (in the physical age sense...), was conducted via car, given that we had two neighbors within a one-mile radius.

That being said, I've never had trick-or-treaters when I wanted them. A couple of years ago, the complex had given us signs to put out on the door so we could say whether or not we wanted trick-or-treaters. We, of course, didn't put out a sign, as we were going out to a party, and so didn't want to cruelly tease children.

You can guess what happened. The kids looked ticked, since we didn't have any candy for them. Sigh...

Brad

 

[drothgery]

I've had one trick or treater in four Halloweens at my apartment (admittedly it's on the third floor and in college-student land, but it's also a pretty expensive part of town even by San Diego standards). The first two years I had some candy. The third year I got the lone trick or treater (and I didn't have anything to hand out). This year I bought a six-pack of full sized candy bars. No one came, so they're ending up in my lunch bag this week.

 

[thatdarncat]

You can guess what happened. The kids looked ticked, since we didn't have any candy for them. Sigh...

We were gaming Sunday, and hadn't gotten any candy. Seri works in a daycare, so had enough of screaming sugar high children on Friday and I'm just generally tired of the "gimme candy" attitude of children. So despite the "No Candy" note taped to the door, us gaming with all the lights off (mmm candles) we had many children come and bang on the door. Several even attempted to open the door. When Seri and I complained to the parents about this, we were given blank looks and the children were hustled off to the next house.

Bah, humbug.

 

[Eremite]

I was really surprised to see several groups of kids both on Saturday and Sunday nights... even though I live in Australia rather than the USA. This is the first time that this has happened.

 

[Hida Bukkorosu]

from the looks of it i didnt get many at my poor near the college apt (there are kids in the complex - but only a little of our stock of candy and chips was given out when i got back here today) - and only 5 kids came to my mom's house in a fairly affluent suburb...

apparently the thing these days is to drive the kids down to the biggest, richest suburban neighborhood and have them trick or treat there. your own suburb is apparently not good enough.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

City-life really puts a damper on the entire holiday, I think...

I'm from a small town by most standards in South Dakota (it's large by South Dakota standards)... and, Halloween is a HUGE deal. Trick or Treaters galore... just like in the movies... hundreds upon hundreds of kids running from house to house to see how many pillow cases of candy they can acquire before 9pm. The streets just crawl with comstumed-chitlins!

And now, I live in the DC-metro area where no one has trick or treaters... it sucks.

 

[Aeolius]

For the past four years, I have lived just inside the city limits, in a neighborhood without city utilities (which I prefer...I hate city water...but I digress). Most of the people on my street are elderly and/or retired. Thus no one trick-or-treats, here. Some new folks with four kids moved in last month but they apparently went trick-or-treating in the old neighborhood, as did my family.

Years ago, the local malls and shopping plazas would stay open late on Halloween, handing out candy to kids in costume. As my son uses a wheelchair, that was our preferred mode of trick-or-treating. There is nothing quite as frustrating as going door-to-door in a neighborhood and being greeted with flights of impassible stairs at every house. Alas, since 9/11, the malls and plazas discontinued the practice.

By this time next year, I hope that my new house will be completed. It's only a mile away from where I live now but is on the other side of the city limits, on a 20-acre farm. One side of my property borders 11 houses. Yet, from my observations being stuck behind the local school bus, only one elementary school age boy lives on the street. One set of new neighbors has 4 kids in their teens, which apparently go trick-or-treating in another neighborhood nearby. Yep, you guessed it; no costumes or candy at my new place, either.

So it's not just the apartment-dwellers who are feeling left out, this year.

Next year...and I mean it this time....I'm setting up a Haunted Trail.

 

[billd91]

We must have gotten about 50-60 trick or treaters on Halloween. Our town, a fast-growing suburb, has an organized trick or treating time and it's pretty vigorously pursued by the local kids. Not all neighborhoods are as busy and some are quite a bit busier.
When I lived in an apartment in a busier neighborhood, we never got trick or treaters. Apartments just naturally seem to suppress trick or treating when there are decorated houses sitting nearby as more attractive targets of childish avarice.

 

[eris404]

I have lived in Chicago for the last 13 years and have lived in various neighborhoods. When I lived in trendier neighborhoods, there were no kids, no trick-or-treaters. I live in a more residential neighborhood now (and to be clear, there are tons of multi-unit buildings, including ours) and I have been overwhelmed by the number of kids trick-or-treating. This was a record year, and every kid I saw was wearing a complete costume. My boyfriend didn't want to buy candy because he believed trick-or-treating was on the decline. When we ran out of candy and the kids were still coming by and ringing our bell, I have to admit I felt pretty satisfied.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

We had about 40 kids or so I would say. I expected more since it was so nice and warm here this year, but it didn't happen. The younger kids were all great, it is the older ones who drive me nuts. They put on a shirt with some red paint spattered on it or just some face paint and call it a costume. Those kids get a single piece of candy (really only because I don't want my house or car to get egged). Kids with good cosutmes get more.

Oh, and it would be nice if they learned to say "Trick or Treat" and "thank you." I know the little ones can be shy and that's fine (my daughter is one of those), but many kids just walk up to the door and hold out their bag without saying a word and look annoyed when you ask them to say Trick or treat.