Do kids trick or treat anymore?

[Guest greatness]

I buy a lot of candies and nobody actually come.. I'm not scary looking or anything... Kids have to walk up a long hill to get to my place so I guess they don't want to bother to do that. A kid used to come every year to sell chocolates but he hasn't come this year. I wonder he is ok. I guess I will spend Halloween with my cat.

[Kevin Slater]

I imagine at some point common sense had to prevail and we'd stop sending our kids out to collect candy from strangers.

 

What always got me was the homemade stuff with a note saying "This is safe. It was made be me, Mrs. Smith at 123 Main Street." Cuz god knows the sicko who bakes arsenic into cookies would never dream of forging a note.

 

Kevin Slater

[+ deej]

I imagine at some point common sense had to prevail and we'd stop sending our kids out to collect candy from strangers.

 

Yeah. In the neighborhood I used to live in, the community center had a special organized event for the kiddies to keep them off the streets.

 

I always made sure I was stocked up anyway because every year there was a new family that didn't get the memo. I just made sure I bought stuff I didn't like and took leftovers to the office. Will probably do the same this year.

[JoshAB]

I only take my kid to friends. C'mon - sure if you're in a small town where everyone more or less knows each other, fine. Otherwise we go to friends, or Safeway....that's your choice.

 

Scrooge.

[Guest zipperzone]

Up until a few years ago I used to live in a subdivision that was children rich. Oct 31 always saw all the neighborhood rug rats at my door and I always had lots of calories to hand out. I used to get about 100 callers.

 

Then I started to notice a marked increase in the number of kids at the door. It took me a while to figure out why the huge influx. It finally dawned on me that parents who were not part of the neighborhood were trucking their little darlin's into what they perceived to be an upscale area, therefore more goodies.

 

That when I stopped turning my lights on for Halloween. I didn't mind feeding the neighbor's kids but I was damned if I was turning into a supermarket for strangers offspring who in my opinion were just plain greedy. Call me Scrooge - I don't care.

[MsGuy]

Call me Scrooge - I don't care.

 

Scrooge.

[Guest greatness]

hmm

 

My family wasn't rich when I was young so I couldn't get a halloween costume. However, I wanted to do trick or treat so I used a trash bag and a box to make a halloween custom. I was so excited that I wasn't embarrassed about what I put on. After going through a trouble of making my own custom and running around my neighborhood with a trash bag on me, I thought I deserved a lot of candies. There was one house with lights off in my neighborhood. I don't know why but I thought I really had to get some candy from that house. I knocked and knocked... No answer so we went to surrounding houses for a while and came back and knocked on the door. I wasn't going to leave until I got my candies. I simply thought as a young kid, it was rude not to give out candies on Halloween while everybody in the neighborhood did. The lady finally came out but didn't have any candies. She gave us some pennies instead. I commended her for showing up at the door but now I am embarrassed for what I did. Maybe she was sick or sleeping. Zipperzone I hope there is no crazy kid like me in your neighborhood.

 

I always feel good when I give candies to kids. They are so adorable in their little customs. I guess due to swine flu it will be a quiet halloween.

 

 

Up until a few years ago I used to live in a subdivision that was children rich. Oct 31 always saw all the neighborhood rug rats at my door and I always had lots of calories to hand out. I used to get about 100 callers.

 

Then I started to notice a marked increase in the number of kids at the door. It took me a while to figure out why the huge influx. It finally dawned on me that parents who were not part of the neighborhood were trucking their little darlin's into what they perceived to be an upscale area, therefore more goodies.

 

That when I stopped turning my lights on for Halloween. I didn't mind feeding the neighbor's kids but I was damned if I was turning into a supermarket for strangers offspring who in my opinion were just plain greedy. Call me Scrooge - I don't care.

[josephga]

I use to get 50 to 75 kids but I put a stop too it last year. kids started using the apartment complex parking lot as a play ground kicking balls into peoples cars setting on the cars, yelling fighting, This group of kids would turn off the air conditioner units from outside no parent supervision what so ever in that complex. Last year I told them they were a bunch of worthless brats and their would be no candy lol

[justaguy]

We have the same experiene in our neighborhood. The local kids all go to a party at the school. Two years ago, the kids were not only not local, but obviously in high school with most not even bothering with a costume. These days the lights are out.

[+ Charlie]

When we lived in Philadelphia, there were lots of neighborhood kids who came trick-or-treating, always accompanied by an adult or older sibling. In our first year here in Palm Springs, we had only one visit on Halloween, and none since. I don't know if it is because almost every household on our street is older gay male, or if it is not a custom in this area, or the general culture has changed.

[JT Brooklyn]

Trick or Treat! Ain't what it used to be in NYC

 

it's still done in my Neighborhood!

 

BUT Sadly the busy "Yuppie Lifestyle" which has taken over my Area doesn't have people sitting on their stoops to give out Candy, like the Old Timer's did Years Ago!

 

They seem to be more into THEMSELVES and their Saturday Nite Halloween Beer Partie's!

 

BUT judging by all the damn Baby Stroller's coming out of Trader Joe's that may change in the Future!

[Guest zipperzone]

My family wasn't rich when I was young so I couldn't get a halloween custom. However, I wanted to do trick or treat so I used a trash bag and a box to make a halloween custom. I was so excited that I wasn't embarrassed about what I put on. After going through a trouble of making my own custom and running around my neighborhood with a trash bag on me, I thought I deserved a lot of candies. There was one house with lights off in my neighborhood. I don't know why but I thought I really had to get some candy from that house. I knocked and knocked... No answer so we went to surrounding houses for a while and came back and knocked on the door. I wasn't going to leave until I got my candies. I simply thought as a young kid, it was rude not to give out candies on Halloween while everybody in the neighborhood did. The lady finally came out but didn't have any candies. She gave us some pennies instead. I commended her for showing up at the door but now I am embarrassed for what I did. Maybe she was sick or sleeping. Zipperzone I hope there is no crazy kid like me in your neighborhood.

 

I always feel good when I give candies to kids. They are so adorable in their little customs. I guess due to swine flu it will be a quiet halloween.

 

Greatness - I think you didn't get my point. I have no objection to ruining the teeth of NEIGHBORHOOD kids. I gladly handed out candy for years and usually averaged about 100 visitors. Where I drew the line was when greedy/lazy parents started hauling their kids in by the SUV loads from areas as far away as 10 miles. I'm not the Salvation Army!

 

However I'm glad to hear that your perseverance paid off to the tune of a few pennies.

[Guest greatness]

not at all

 

I didn't write to criticize you or anything It just brought my memories back, how immature I was when I was kid. And a bit cute too. lol

 

Greatness - I think you didn't get my point. I have no objection to ruining the teeth of NEIGHBORHOOD kids. I gladly handed out candy for years and usually averaged about 100 visitors. Where I drew the line was when greedy/lazy parents started hauling their kids in by the SUV loads from areas as far away as 10 miles. I'm not the Salvation Army!

 

However I'm glad to hear that your perseverance paid off to the tune of a few pennies.

[KMEM]

When I was a kid (back in the dark ages) I heard about kids going to "better" neighborhoods for better "treats" but I never was brave enough to do it. However, these kids walked or rode bikes to those "better" neighborhoods and were not driven by parents or anyone else. Obviously, a different time. At least they were independently enterprising for their "better" treats.

 

My sister lives in a very small town in the SE US. She gets a lot of candy for Halloween but seldom has many knock on the door. Her comment is, oh, well, we will have candy for the forseeable future, even if it is stale. When I visit, there is indeed stale candy in the dish on the coffee table.

 

There is a lot of money spent on Halloween. I believe I have read that this "holiday" is second only to Christmas in spending. I observe many adults dressed up in costumes for parties and office functions (during the work day). Amazing.

 

And, I should not neglect to mention it seems to be a "special" holiday for some gay folks. I was in New Orleans over Halloween a few years ago and it was an unusual experience, kind of like a Pride Parade + how can we exploit other's sensibilities today?

 

Best regards,

KMEM

[Guest ryan2552]

I buy a lot of candies and nobody actually come.. I'm not scary looking or anything... Kids have to walk up a long hill to get to my place so I guess they don't want to bother to do that. A kid used to come every year to sell chocolates but he hasn't come this year. I wonder he is ok. I guess I will spend Halloween with my cat.

 

Maybe he died from eating too much chocolate while walking up that long hill

 

Oh cats can be fun on Halloween i think its their kind of holiday.

[Guest zipperzone]

 

There is a lot of money spent on Halloween. I believe I have read that this "holiday" is second only to Christmas in spending. I observe many adults dressed up in costumes for parties and office functions (during the work day). Amazing.

 

And, I should not neglect to mention it seems to be a "special" holiday for some gay folks. I was in New Orleans over Halloween a few years ago and it was an unusual experience, kind of like a Pride Parade + how can we exploit other's sensibilities today?

 

Best regards,

KMEM

 

Hard to believe Halloween is the 2nd biggest spending holiday. That's what happens when Madison Ave gets involved and smells money to be made. I would have guessed that Mother's Day was the 2nd biggest.

 

Halloween has always been a big gay deal in Canada. One year, in Toronto, I went as a nun and called myself Sister Clitoris. Did all the bars on Yonge Street (main drag). Strangely the Protestants wanted to kill me - the Catholic thought it a hoot.

[Kevin Slater]

One year, in Toronto, I went as a nun and called myself Sister Clitoris. Did all the bars on Yonge Street (main drag). Strangely the Protestants wanted to kill me - the Catholic thought it a hoot.

 

Yes, but did you pronounce it "CLIT er is" or "cli TOR is"?

 

Kevin Slater

[raulgmanzo]

I don't consider neighbors to be strangers even though some of them are mighty strange. Anyway what are the odds that someone would give tainted candy out from their home? Maybe the same as an escort being attacked in the home of his client? Not hard for the criminal to be caught in either case. But yes the occasional wacko might do something horrible. Heck every now and then people are gunned down in a McDonalds or hit by an SUV crashing through the Starbucks windows. It happens but doesn't seem to deter people from patronizing either of those awful establishments.

 

In my older urban neighborhood in Chicago there are still lots of trick or treaters, and they even come to my scary building. My 'hood used to have quite a rough reputation ( I still have some bullet holes in my 100 year old front door) but it is the kind of place where people walk and talk on the street. Where the owner of the local grocery store lives a block away and I run into my alderman on the way to get a cup of coffee. I know most of the few hundred people living on my block and every summer we close the street and have a pot luck party where we eat all kinds of food from "strangers". I don't recall anyone even suffering food poisoning.

 

I imagine at some point common sense had to prevail and we'd stop sending our kids out to collect candy from strangers.

 

What always got me was the homemade stuff with a note saying "This is safe. It was made be me, Mrs. Smith at 123 Main Street." Cuz god knows the sicko who bakes arsenic into cookies would never dream of forging a note.

 

Kevin Slater

[jgoo]

I've lived in my neighborhood for almost 30 years and have seen Holloween go through its high and low turnouts. Recently it has been on the upswing and it has been much more fun because the neighborhood really seems to be getting into it by decorating their houses in very creative ways and getting dressed up in costumes to hand out their candy. One house even had an adult rest stop where they had beer for the weary parents taking their tots around. Everyone is really into it and there is a great "spirit" to the whole neighborhood. I really enjoy and look forward to it.

[david]

I buy a lot of candies and nobody actually come.. I'm not scary looking or anything... Kids have to walk up a long hill to get to my place so I guess they don't want to bother to do that. A kid used to come every year to sell chocolates but he hasn't come this year. I wonder he is ok. I guess I will spend Halloween with my cat.

 

 

we live in a restricted access community...(translatation paranoia rules) so no not much goes on as far as door ta door...but their is some organized activity for the younger kids.

[Guest greatness]

That's nice

 

at least kids have some kind of an organized activity. They are so cute.

we live in a restricted access community...(translatation paranoia rules) so no not much goes on as far as door ta door...but their is some organized activity for the younger kids.

[btmstudnyc]

Absofuckinglutely

 

I have a house out in NJ, and we get about 80 kids coming from 4pm to 930pm. Of course we are decorated beyond belief. I have a pumpkin carving party that week and we have at least 17 pumpkins lit on top of the other decorations. Also, we know a lot of people in the neighborhood and they purposely come to the our house because of that and the awesome decorations. Just having the light on doesnt usually do it anymore. Also, on another note, we have HAPPY Halloween, not Scary Halloween...No gore....kinda cutsy, kitzchy and fun. That tends to bring in the parents. They dont want their kids TOO scared.

[KMEM]

Hard to believe Halloween is the 2nd biggest spending holiday. That's what happens when Madison Ave gets involved and smells money to be made. I would have guessed that Mother's Day was the 2nd biggest.

 

Halloween has always been a big gay deal in Canada. One year, in Toronto, I went as a nun and called myself Sister Clitoris. Did all the bars on Yonge Street (main drag). Strangely the Protestants wanted to kill me - the Catholic thought it a hoot.

 

I looked it up and Snopes says it is sixth at 6 billion. Not pocket change but not Mother's Day either. Apparently an urban legend got me.

 

 

Best regards,

KMEM