All Treats, No Tricks

Oddly, at 7:19 p.m. the trick-or-treating seems to be slowing down. No surpise, I suppose, since I am at the end of a cul-de-sac, but there are certainly fewer gremlins than in the heyday of our neighborhood when one kindergarten teacher had four students who all lived within a few houses of one another.

The writing of this post interrupted because a group of hastily-costumed middle-schoolers just rang my doorbell and recognized me as "the really cool sub from last year." Obviously, I gave them extra candy.

Anywhoo . . . the point of the post is that of the trick-or-treaters I have had, I'd estimate at least half are not from around these parts. I live in what is commonly known as a white-bread neighborhood, so most of our neighborhood trick-or-treaters don't speak Spanish. Tonight I would say that half of the gremlins were non-resident.

I know I will hear snarky comments about "interlopers" at some point. Which will really irritate me. How on Earth can you be upset to the point of complaining about it when people who live somewhere where they might not feel safe going door-to-door with their small children make the choice to find a nice suburb where the streets are safe and the candy is free-flowing?

 I don't get it.

Back in the day . . . good times, indeed.

 

 

 

Comments

[Denise]

I love you! My thoughts exactly. I loved seeing the not-from-the-neighborhood kids tonight. They were sweet and polite and their parents were with them. Then, I saw the nasty comments on FB. Seriously? Let them have fun. Let them get my M&Ms instead of a generic lollipop. Where is the harm? If you have a costume - no matter how homemade it is - and you say "trick or treat," you get candy. Bless their parents for trying.

[lanes]

Unsurprisingly, I agree with your thoughts on the subject! Lots of kids ended up trick or treating outside of their neighborhoods or towns in my neck of the woods, as many towns around here canceled or postponed Halloween because of the recent storm. I'm happy to give out candy to everyone who follows the rules that Denise outlined. Though I was also happy to give candy to the boy who was outraged when I asked him if he was a ninja ("NO! WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP SAYING THAT? I AM PIECE OF COAL!")

[Kim]

We get a lot of out of neighorhood kids around here too. I don't mind in the least.

I'm just thankful I live in a safe place with side walks. I'm happy to contribute a little candy to happiness of children.

[gary rith]

I wish we had sidewalks in our village, but instead it is the cutest place anywhere....but the roads are highways. It is dark and dangerous at night and we don't get t and ters, but the village had a great party for kids instead, that is awesome :)

[unmitigated me]

I didn't recognize a single trick-or-treater last night, but they were all pretty darn cute. It's nice to have affirmation, once again, that my neighborhood is still considered a safe place!

[Busy Bee Suz]

We used to live in a neighborhood where the kids were bussed in....it never bothered me. I was glad they were there, I knew they would be safe.
Happy November!!!

[suburbancorrespondent]

Fewer trick-or-treaters here, also - I'm glad that "interlopers" show up or it wouldn't feel like Halloween!

[Jenrantsraves]

I don't mind that. What I do mind is the obnoxious teenagers who don't even dress up in costume, but go to 3 or 4 different neighborhoods with a pillowcase full of candy! I will say that almost all of our trick or treaters were very polite, regardless of their age.

[green girl in wisconsin]

We go to town and mooch off of our city cousins for Halloween. But we DO play by the rules, saying trick or treat and thank you:) I do enjoy the camaraderie of the holiday.

[Karen (formerly kcinnova)]

With hardly any kids on our block, I'm more than happy to give candy to anyone (including teenagers) who dresses the part, says "trick-or-treat" and "thank you!" We only had about 20 kids, and the only ones I recognized were my own. But then, very few houses on our street had their porch lights on...
On our pre-bedtime walk, my dh & I saw one man outside and asked him if he'd had many T-or-T'ers. He guestimated 75 kids. This was just 2 blocks away. What a difference sidewalks and participants can make to the fun for everyone!

I hope to meet you someday, Jenn. We don't think alike about everything under the sun, but it appears to be pretty darn close!

[bramble]

Our neighborhood has become known as the "cranky assed people street" and even though my neighbor's kid across the street came...we had nobody else this year. Some years there have been mobs and lots of kids we know, but when only 2 houses are lit on the whole street, the kids go somewhere else. Don't mind kids from other neighborhoods, my own chose to go with a friend from a different area one year when his whole "posse" of home dudes got strep. Not a problem in my book, everyone wants a safe and happy experience for their kids. Don't like it when nearly adult people come to the door with a weird hat or something and expect candy, that's just wrong but we haven't had that the last couple years either.

[Brightside-Susan]

I have never minded kids/families going to different neighborhoods on Halloween. There was a time we did it because we didn't really live in a neighborhood. I see more and more dark houses on Halloween - so it makes sense for families to go to neighborhoods where there are a lot of families and kids out to T or T.

[Web design melbourne, web design sydney]

It's nice to have affirmation, once again, that my neighborhood is still considered a safe place!

[shrink on the couch]

Used to get interlopers at my former address and I didn't mind at all. Pretty sure if I was raising my kids in unsafe neighborhoods I would do the same. And? Cute as buttons.

What I don't like is trick or treaters, my neighborhood or otherwise, who throw on a little face paint but otherwise dressed in their normal hoodie and jeans. Not cool. A little effort and imagination, please.