Trick or treat?

[Umbran]

Well, that was a pretty poor showing: just over a dozen Trick-or-Treaters total. A couple of individuals, and a few small groups. Last few years I had easily twice as many or more. Is Trick-or-Treating disappearing from the country? Has it become the providence of the shopping mall and stores to give people the illusion of safety?

I don't know if the safety is an illusion or not. How many incidents of doctored candy are associated with retail-trick-or-treating?

In my area, for a while, the tradition was changed out for parties on Halloween. A large group of parents would get together to defray costs.

We had 16 come to our door last night. That's an increase from previous years. I think it is because more folks with young kids are moving into the area.

 

[Crothian]

I have not seen a kid on Beggar's Night for about a decade. I live in the burbs and neighbors have children but everyone goes across the street to the newer houses that are built closer together.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

We had 16 come to our door last night.

Normally, I'd expect a few groups of 16 hit our door. We live in a small Dallas suburb, but we get kids from outside our neighborhood coming in by the vanload.

Maybe my neighbors have been stingy with the candy and the kids moved on?

 

[Robin Hoodlum]

It was raining and cold here, yet we still took the kids out trick and treating. There was only a fraction of the kids out that were out last year.
However, candy contains sugar, and sugar is poison.
Obviously the only reasonable solution is to ban Halloween.
We must save the children!

 

[Deset Gled]

It's worth noting that the radio call-in that started this discussion has been dismissed as a hoax: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/br...letter for obese children likely a radio hoax

I had a decent turn out for Halloween this year, probably in the neighborhood of 40 kids. That's a bit down from last year, but it was a drizzly out in the early afternoon and late evening, so weather was likely to blame for the lower volume.

We had relatively low Halloween turnout when we first moved into our house a few years ago, but I've been actively working to turn that around. We decorate our house as much as our kids allow (about 20 carved pumpkins and some 4' tall homemade lighted ghosts this year), always dress in costume when answering the door, play related music/sound effects, and give out full sized candy bars. Since we've started doing this, I've noticed that the number or kids is generally increasing, and Halloween decorations in the area are (slightly) on the rise. Halloween really is a community thing, and getting involved is the best way to foster it.

 

[Janx]

I don't know if the safety is an illusion or not. How many incidents of doctored candy are associated with retail-trick-or-treating?

In my area, for a while, the tradition was changed out for parties on Halloween. A large group of parents would get together to defray costs.

We had 16 come to our door last night. That's an increase from previous years. I think it is because more folks with young kids are moving into the area.

As a I recall, the whole doctored candy scare was a myth. There are zero incidents of anybody getting a Razor Blade Apple, or whatnot.


And I do agree with you that regardless of correct terminology for negative/postive reinforcement, that handing out letters to fat kids instead of candy will very likely make the fat kid feel worse, not get better.

There are close to ZERO fat kids on the planet who don't know they are fat. Some stranger stopping to tell them, "hey you're fat, you shouldn't eat more candy" is not likely to boost their self esteem and cause them to alter their life trajectory in a good way.

I got no clue how you get a person to change their lifestyle, but I am pretty sure ruining a fun time for them is not on the list of best practices. Especially when fat people generally have a lower self esteem already (due to jerkholes singling them out about their weight in the past).

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

It was raining and cold here, yet we still took the kids out trick and treating. There was only a fraction of the kids out that were out last year.
However, candy contains sugar, and sugar is poison.
Obviously the only reasonable solution is to ban Halloween.
We must save the children!

Couldn't we just ban children? I know we can all agree that children are the real problem.

 

[Umbran]

As a I recall, the whole doctored candy scare was a myth. There are zero incidents of anybody getting a Razor Blade Apple, or whatnot.

Snopes says there are no clear cases of random poisonings with Halloween candy - there are a couple of targeted occurrances, where someone was using the myth to do harm. Cases of physically doctored candy - pins, needles, or razors - are rare, but do occasionally occur.

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/poison/halloween.asp

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/mayhem/needles.asp

 

[sabrinathecat]

Snopes says there are no clear cases of random poisonings with Halloween candy - there are a couple of targeted occurrances, where someone was using the myth to do harm. Cases of physically doctored candy - pins, needles, or razors - are rare, but do occasionally occur.

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/poison/halloween.asp

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/mayhem/needles.asp

Thank you!
Good to see that there are at least some people who know that these are (odious) urban legends. I lost a lot of candy back in the old days...

 

[Robin Hoodlum]

Couldn't we just ban children? I know we can all agree that children are the real problem.

Sure!
And why don't we ban reality while we are at it?
I mean, after all, reality causes hurt feelings and is unfair.
Obviously the only reasonable solution is to ban reality. (REDACTED) do it all the time anyway.