Halloween sucks nowadays...

[Dookus]

I had 18 trick or treaters.

18.

I live in a single family house in a good part of a great town. 18... and NONE of them from my immediate neighborhood.

I *DID* spend the afternoon downtown, which was packed with families and kids trick or treating at the local businesses - I guess that's replaced old-fashioned door-to-door trick or treating.

But it sucks.. it used to be such a big deal for me when I was a kid. Our house used to get hundreds of kids when I was young.

Now 18. Feh... I hate the fear that's eveloped our nation - that nothing is safe. That taking candy from strangers is inherently dangerous. The belief that everybody wants to hurt your kid. It's bullshit, and it's a real shame that kids have to grow up thinking that.

[Tweed]

1. I hear ya Dookus

I had 10 kids come by. Granted I'm in the city and in a 'trendier' neighborhood, but there are lots of little kids.

[BoX o BooX]

2. We had exactly ONE.

But I live in an apartment complex.

The ONE trick-or-treater we had, my nephew scared the shit out of. So that was OK.

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. We only had about 3 or 4 all night

There used to be dozens. I think the thing has been ruined by church sponsored "harvest" private parties. It is very sad.

[ogradda]

4. i know i had 8 kids

people are scared to have their kids get candy from strangers i can't blame them but it is a shame - i always enjoyed all those little ghost and goblins.

[kokomo]

5. I have about 5 dozen. All between 5 & 7.

Everyone was escorted to the door by a parent who watched what I gave to their kiddies. I guess the other parent was back at their homes doling out the treats.

[Seabiscuit]

9. I had at least 50

Most (the youngest ones) escorted by one parent. Many kids in groups. And this despite the fact that for two days and nights in a row the local shopping center for the first time has been hosting hallowe-en festivities including bands and free candy giveaways and all kinds of stuff to buy. So not all is lost. Hallowe-en still lives on in some corners of our planet.

[blue sky at night]

6. people have changed

They are so freakin paranoid, that knocking a door is too scary. I just spent a few weeks knocking on doors, and it is amazing how there can be 4 or 5 cars in the drive, but no-one is home. WTF?? I guess if knocking is really tough, then answering is out of the question. My wife answered our door to find some Jehovah's Witnesses today...she ended up asking them the questions; do you vote? they said no, we are of god's realm, we do not submit to a man as our ruler. Funny, our current ruler seems to do alright with that idea, huh? she asked them if they thought he was evil, and told them she thought he is, and we need your help to vote the man out of office. they do not vote, so I guess they don't worry about tyrants in the executive branch. anyway, I think the old fashioned idea of knocking on the door is going the way of the letter, it ain't happening. just a side note, they told us canvassers that roughly 45% of all doorbells don't work.

[NJCher]

7. I was doing some research on child abuse

And ran across an article that said it has been unable to find an instance of trick or treat candy being made unsafe by anyone but the kid's own parents.

That's the kind of world we really live in. Sick.




Cher

[Dookus]

12. exactly!

the paranoia is totally unfounded. The so-called "hypodermic in the Snickers" or "razor in the Apples" were ALL based on intra-family attacks.

Halloween SHOULD be about as safe an activity as any kid ever participated in... but fear has ruined it.

[realisticphish]

13. yeah

and there were only two of those EVER recorded

:hippie: The Incorrigible Democrat

[MI Cherie]

8. We had less than a dozen!

Our city had trick or treating on Saturday night. It was very cold, a little rainy, and really super windy. (Our K/E sign almost blew away!)

We live in the 'burbs, no sidewalks, dirt (muddy) road. Last year we had less than 20, if memory serves.

We've got lots of left-over candy!

[BigMcLargehuge]

10. we only had a handful too

sad... Ian and I had fun trick or treating, but there only a few families out.

[Tweed]

11. yeah! Yojimbo!

[lakemonster11]

14. We only got five or six kids,

but most of the people in my neighborhood are college students, so I was happy that any trick-or-treaters came by at all.

I was at my parents' house yesterday, and my mother had bags and bags of candy ready---and she was worried about running out. They live in the suburbs, and she said that the neighborhood kids come by all night.

I have noticed that a lot of businesses have trick-or-treating now. It seems odd to me, never having gone that route as a kid, but I can see it being fun as an additional activity. When I was doing some darkroom work yesterday, the photo lab was participating in a business trick-or-treating event, and they were taking pictures of all of the kids in their costumes against this gorgeous Halloween-themed backdrop. They were posting the pictures online where the kids could see them and send them to their grandparents.