Will you open your door for trick or treaters tonight?

[fried eggs]

I'm on the fence. It's not as safe to open the door for strangers as it was 20 years ago.

[Brickbat]

1. WTF?

[sadbear]

2. Where do you live?

Does that have something to do with it?

[Berlum]

34. IT likely lives in the soul-sick Republican "Homeland" -- the Home of the Fearful and Hateful

while the rest of us live in America.

The Americans will have fun with their neighbors children (of all colors, creeds, and personalities) and reward them with smiles and treats.

It is so sorryass pathetic that people with Republican "values" will be cringing in fear in their basements -- attempting in vain to escape the Inner Daemons (R) that they carry everywhere with them.

[Go Vols]

74. +1

[former-republican]

50. If I was afraid to open my door after looking outside and seeing little children dressed up

in costumes on Halloween night.

I think I would be reevaluating where I live.

[obamanut2012]

69. +1 -- this exactly

[demwing]

3. hell yes I will :)

my favorite night of the year!

[kstewart33]

4. Absolutely - it will be a big night in Denver tonight.

Temps are just right - we're expecting 60-70 kids.

[FSogol]

5. Of course. I like my neighbors and their kids. n/t

[Throckmorton]

6. No, cancelled here as the conditions are unsafe

96% of the town is blacked out. Wires and trees down everywhere.
They haven't determined a make up day

[etherealtruth]

79. sorry to hear about the bad conditions

[LiberalLoner]

7. Yes. But I can see people feeling anxiety. When I am home alone, I don't open the door if there

is a salesman outside the door. I'm getting a bit old now and I am too aware of how a young man could easily overpower me if he wanted to, to get in to rob me or something.

But I'm not afraid of Halloween, I mean it's mostly little kids with their parents is all. It feels like a safe time. I don't answer the door after 9 PM though.

[deutsey]

8. Where I live it's something like a big neighborhood party

A few houses don't participate, but it's usually a pretty big thing. I think after Sandy, it will probably even be bigger.

I hope where you are is safe and that you have a good evening!

[txdemsftw]

9. Of course!

After I take my 2 boys trick-or-treating, we come home and then hand out candy.

[ellie]

10. Yes, I will be ready

although I live in an apartment. There are a lot of kids in this complex. I am going to stick a Halloween decoration on my door and buy candy that I like in case no one shows up. I love Halloween! Last year I was traveling for work and although the flight attendant passed out candy to everyone, it wasn't the same.

[catbyte]

30. Our complex has a huge party, does yours?

[gollygee]

11. Yes, and I'll send my kids to knock on other people's doors too

I don't see anything unsafe about Halloween.

[Dulcinea]

63. Absolutely!

My husband will take our girls trick-or-treating, & I'll hand out candy to the neighborhood ghosts & goblins when I get home (around 8 Eastern.)

Halloween is all about fun! I don't get people who don't get Halloween.

[Tikki]

12. No sidewalks, no street lights, acreage between homes...no children ever come by...

Tikki

[hedgehog]

44. Same here: we used to get trick or treaters, but the neighborhood has aged,

so i don't think there are any kids in a quarter mile!

[Le Taz Hot]

13. Yep.

First time in two years. Somehow I managed to eek out enough to buy some Halloween candy this year so I'm REALLY looking forward to it. I especially like the early part when the little guys come to the door. They are SO cute!

[Comrade_McKenzie]

14. Trick or treat is rarely on Halloween here. nt

[tularetom]

15. I can't remember the last time we had a trick or treater here

Maybe never.

So I'd be very shocked if any of them show up tonight.

[Lisa D]

16. Yes, we're expecting about 250

little ghouls to knock on our door

[Llewlladdwr]

81. Whoa! That's awesome!

We'll be lucky to get 20 to 30. We're in an older neighborhood though so not that many young ones in the area.

[justiceischeap]

17. Nope but we're leaving a big cauldron of candy outside.

We're having a Dumb Supper tonight to celebrate Samhain.

More on Samhain Dumb Supper:

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/samhainoctober31/p/Dumb_Supper.htm

In some Pagan and Wiccan traditions, it has become popular to hold a Dumb Supper in honor of the dead. In this case, the word "dumb" refers to being silent. The origins of this tradition have been fairly well debated -- some claim it goes back to ancient cultures, others believe it's a relatively new idea. Regardless, it's one that's observed by many people around the world.

[lunasun]

18. yes after our kids go out and do their thing then they like to hand out the candy to others

[Javaman]

19. Not only will I open my door...

My GF and I will be sitting on our rockers on the front porch handing out the candy.

[Livluvgrow]

20. I live on a mountain

and there is 2 feet of snow on the ground don't think I will be greeting any trick or treaters

[luvs2sing]

21. For the first time in many years, no...

We adopted a shelter dog with numerous behavior issues about six months ago. He's come a long, LONG way since then, but stranger shyness and door reactivity are still minor problems. I'm sure he will be ready for trick or treaters by next year, but not this year. We're taking him to his favorite pet store to "shop" this year and giving the neighbors candy to hand out on our behalf.

[badhair77]

42. We have a dog issue also.

She will go crazy with all that activity at the door. I will put a big box of candy on the porch. Only problem is that bigger kids will dump the whole box in their bags. I've learned that thru past experience. Oh well . . .
I will try to see the smaller neighborhood kids earlier.

If I were home alone I might think twice. I don't open the door to just anyone anymore, especially at night. I also lock the front door if I'm in the back yard. Too many things have happened in our area lately. Just a reality, and I am no longer strong enough to fight off someone.

[Maeve]

22. Usually, I sit outside and wait for them

Not tonight--too cold in central Ohio!

Geez, afraid of kids in costumes???

[luvs2sing]

33. Agreed!

I'm in Columbus, and it's going to be chilly!

[a la izquierda]

77. Howdy from Licking County...

We won't get trick or treaters, as we live in the country. I miss the kids coming by, but luckily we won't have any as I have a migraine brewing.

[MineralMan]

23. Of course. Last year, we had over 150 trick or treaters.

We live in a neighborhood in St. Paul, MN, and the whole neighborhood of kids turns out to knock on doors every Halloween. Parents accompany them, and we hand out full-size candy bars.

Why would it not be safe to open the door for children in costumes? That's just silly.

[Bluenorthwest]

24. Of course. This 'it's not as safe' stuff is made up, you have zero statistics to support

such fear mongering. Twenty years ago it was 1992. Was the crime rate lower or higher in 92? Do you even know that? Of course not....
Of course, Halloween is all about a good scare, so shut out the lights and hide under your bed and just get all freaked out!

[WorseBeforeBetter]

25. My fun neighbors and I sit out front with a small fire pit,

spiked cider, seasonal brews and lots of candy. We LOVE Halloween, even though we don't get many trick-or-treaters.

"Not safe"... is this a reverse razors-in-apples scare tactic? Boo! A 3-year-old in a princess costume... eek!

[obamanut2012]

26. Where do you live, in Bladerunner?

[catbyte]

27. Nah, I bought a shitload of candy when we moved into the apartment complex

thinking lots of kids. Nope. They have a big party in the Community Center. I was eating candy at Christmas, lol.

[fried eggs]

28. Thank you for your responses! I will participate!

Your posts have convinced me to.

[sinkingfeeling]

29. Of course!

[SalviaBlue]

31. Absolutely.

[rurallib]

32. I sit in the yard by the sidewalk

They can get their candy and keep on truckin'

[reflection]

36. I pay my butler to do that.

[RomneyLies]

37. I will be taking down the 8 signs in my yard for Democratic Candidates

and will give heaping handfuls of candy to every child who shows up on my doorstep.

Trick-or-Treating is for the children and politics has no place in it.

The signs go back up at 7:30 PM when Trick-or-Treating ends.

[liberal_at_heart]

38. We will for a few hours

then we will put a bowl of candy out and then we're going to watch a Halloween movie with the kids. We've never had a problem with people getting hurt opening the door. Of course of I were a single mother I may feel different. I have turned people away when I was alone who say they are receiving help from a charity that requires them to go door to door to earn some money. I don't like opening the door if I am home alone. I need to finish decorating too. I had a window display that I used last year that doesn't fit in the window of our new place. I want to put some kind of decoration out. I think it's sad how little decoration people put up for Halloween these days. There's always plenty of decorations up for Christmas.

[nolabear]

39. Oh yeah! Makes life worth living.

Your attitude doesn't.

[Iggo]

40. Nothing's the same as it was twenty years ago.

What'd you do last year?

[MadrasT]

41. No. I hate Halloween and purposefully avoid being home. n/t

[NV Whino]

43. Trick or treaters can't find my door.

[hamsterjill]

45. We gather in the cul-de-sac

A bunch of us gather in the cul-de-sac and take our candy buckets along. We shoot the breeze and hand out candy for a couple of hours, then go home. I like this better than staying at the house, and getting up and down and opening the door for each group of trick-or-treaters. This way, the door stays shut so no kitties get out and get into harm's way.

[former-republican]

46. My neighborhood is still without power and I'm running on generator but if kids come of course

I don't think they will though.

[etherealtruth]

76. Oh, sorry (re the no power) n/t

[justabob]

47. porch light off

But not because of security concerns. I rarely get trick or treaters anyway. My neighborhood doesn't have a lot of kids. Most folks go a few blocks over to where the neighborhood is more families and kid friendly.

[ieoeja]

48. Of course, I will.

I live in a blue-collar Chicago neighborhood that is around 90% White. Despite this fact a number of my suburban friends are afraid of my neighborhood. A Chicagoan on the Internet assured me that a White person walking in my neighborhood would be shot on sight!

You sound very much like those people. Afraid of your shadow. I feel sorry for you.

[Solly Mack]

49. I spent a week getting my house and yard decorated.

You can bet your sweet bippy I'm giving out treats.

[NYC Liberal]

51. Actually it's probably a lot safer now than it was 20 years ago.

Last edited Wed Oct 31, 2012, 03:49 PM - Edit history (1)

So, sure.

[Posteritatis]

64. Seriously. It's sad it took this many replies before someone pointed that out.

So many people programmed by the news cycle...

[NYC Liberal]

66. People like to remember "the good old days". They never existed.

[Habibi]

52. No, but not for that reason.

We just don't get enough kids in this neighborhood to justify having bags of candy lying around. And probably even fewer this year, as the weather will be cold and rainy.

Plus, the kids we do get don't even try. Seems like "costumes" are a quaint tradition that few in this area participate in.

[Posteritatis]

67. The SF con in town schedules itself just before Halloween to try to kickstart that sort of thing

The last few years since it's gotten big it's actually worked; I've seen the local costumes get more common and more elaborate, probably because of it. It's great.

[slackmaster]

53. No. I'll be at a party at someone else's house.

Besides, I'm all out of cheap pocket knives to hand out.

[cyberswede]

54. Not exactly - we have over 300 kinds in an hour - we just sit outside and hand out candy.

There's no way we could be inside and answer the door when the trick-or-treaters come. It's a CONSTANT steady stream from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Most years I buy enough candy for 300-350 kids, and we run out after 45 minutes.

Awesome fun, though!

[Buns_of_Fire]

55. Sure. I figure if they can make it past the barbed wire, the pungee sticks, the moat, and

the vats of boiling oil I've set up with tripwires, they deserve some goodies. I even toss in a few shiny new uncirculated Sacajewea dollar coins so they can afford some band-aids and iodine (they still have to make it OUT again! ).

Just kidding. I've got all the stuff, but since the apartment faces a highway, I seldom get trick-or-treaters. The few that DO occasionally come by usually wind up with a couple of pounds of candy each.

[LanternWaste]

56. if it's a kid, they get candy, if it's a teen or older they get a toothbrush...

Sign goes up on my door tonight that reads: "You must be at least this short to receive tricks or treats" I'll open the door- when it's knocked on- if it's a kid, they get some good candy, if it's a teen or older they get a toothbrush.

As for the safety issue, I'm simply not too concerned about any nefarious deeds by the residents of my apartment complex.

[shanti]

57. nah, my house lights will be off here

that's the best signal. i haven't done halloween since my youngest was 10, and he's now 22.

[Spirochete]

58. Yes, if I get any

I don't get many - some years none. So I just get a small bag of candy that I like, because i know I'm gonna end up eating at least some of it. No candy corn, no Baby Ruths...

[Faith9326]

59. I wish

But I live in an apartment building.



But definitely in the future when I buy a house.

[Lucinda]

60. We never get them. Very few permanent residents in the area where we live.

Mostly tourists, and they don't knock on strangers doors.

I would if I lived in a normal neighborhood though. I love Halloween!

[FreeJoe]

61. Absolutely

I'm leaving work early today so that I can go with the kids to the neighborhood Halloween party. I'll leave them there because I have to get home to set up. We set up an impromtu photo studio on our driveway with several strobes and a black backdrop. We take professional quality photos of the neighborhood kids when they come by and then share the photos with the neighbors. It's a very popular tradition in our neighborhood.

I love Halloween! It is such a fun holiday. I can't imagine not celebrating it with my community.

[woodsprite]

62. We usually block off the den and have a 'haunted' house maze.

BUT, since Sandy left us with a 62' tree in the den, we had to dismantle everything and salvage what we could. We are going to sit out at the end of our driveway with our firepit, long bamboo toasting sticks and smores makings, plus our candy bowl and our pneumatic jumping spider prop that my husband made.

Next year we'll add to the Harry Potter theme we tried for this year and rebuild the swinging bridge. Need to find some place to store our huge paper mache basilisk head we made.

If you didn't want to let people in, I know houses where the owners sit out on their porch or steps to wait for the T-or-Ters.

[Posteritatis]

65. We're getting Sandy remnants now so I'm not expecting much of anything this year

It's blustery, pouring, and we're getting some absolutely spectacular thunder.

That said, it's safer than ever to open the door for strangers these days by any objective standard there is for determining such things, so I'm not in the least worried on that front.

[gkhouston]

68. No. It's easier to sit on the porch with the candy.

That way, the house won't become Mosquito Central.

[PD Turk]

70. not sure yet

too close to call


I keed, I keed!

Unfortunately I'm out of town working this year, but my wife will be manning the door and the treats. It's kind of a bummer, I usually come up with something to scare the beejezus out of the kids when they come up..... I'm a big kid at heart

a couple years ago I dressed in a scarecrow outfit and sat on the porch in a rocking chair, perfectly still like I was just a big decoration, then when they least expected it, I'd reach out and touch one of them

[Zoeisright]

71. Huh? Of course I will.

[City Lights]

72. Trick-or-treating took place Sunday afternoon in my neck of the woods.

I don't expect my doorbell to ring tonight.

[Go Vols]

73. My wife

has been making fudge for the last few hours,we will wrap it and put the return address stickers on it and hand it out like always.

We get the same kids the last few years because they want "the real candy".

[etherealtruth]

75. I have been handing out treats since ~ 6:00 PM

I haven't even bothered to close my door

[quinnox]

78. Not without my fucking Glock cocked and ready

And standing by the side of the door as cover while I peek out to see if its trouble. lol, just kidding.

[nadinbrzezinski]

80. What trick or treaters?

Where I live that is hardly a concern.

[Chorophyll]

82. In a word, yes.

It's Halloween! I'm in New York. The kids need a little fun this week.

[Stinky The Clown]

83. Of COURSE we will open our doors

[Llewlladdwr]

84. We will.

Hopefully we'll have more than last year. Not many kids in the neighborhood.

[Mz Pip]

85. I always do

But I won't get many. We live on a hill and it's kind of a steep climb. We rarely get many trick or treaters. Some years we don't get any.

It also looks like it might rain. Not a good night for the kiddies.