What's worse than banning Halloween?

[Veloise]

From today's Press:

A "trunk-or-treat" event is planned from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the parking lot at Sunshine Community Church, one of a growing number of locations offering an alternative to traditional candy collecting.

The event will feature a "faith environment" with a band and about 50 cars with people in costumes handing out goodies to dressed-up kids.

Good

Grief.

[Allison Slater]

I'm not even sure what to say about these kinds of things anymore.

[Weallneedhistory]

From today's Press:

A "trunk-or-treat" event is planned from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the parking lot at Sunshine Community Church, one of a growing number of locations offering an alternative to traditional candy collecting.

The event will feature a "faith environment" with a band and about 50 cars with people in costumes handing out goodies to dressed-up kids.

Good

Grief.

[Rizzo]

I passed out candy at my apartment tonight.

A few years ago, I took my younger brother and his candy to the fire department. They're happy to sweep that wand over the candy to pick up the baddies. I shook my head when over half the bag was thrown out by the fire fighter. I'm talking a pillow case. A firefighter told me that it won't pick up the tinfoil covering, so I felt sick to my stomach over that situation. It was very upsetting. He begged me to go out to Kentwood over at his friends so that he could get the "King Sized" bars, never again.

I don't know of any kid or parent that has ever come across a foreign object or substance in their candy, but still... God forbid. My parents never worried about anything, just sent us kids off in the neighborhood and had fun. We didn't have to check our candy -- it was always the neighborhood parents doing the treating.

Now days it's not uncommon for a family to pack up and go to another neighborhood to "get lucky" then they worry about box cutters and hypodermic needles.

[Veloise]

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

and

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

For many years I have "passed out" little plastic bicycles. (Actually the banging on the door gets tiresome after the first few groups of kids, so I set out a large plastic bucket of them, no passing, but self-serve. No one dumps them all into their loot bag.)

[twoshort]

I passed a few trunk or treat lots on my way back from Middleville last night. I thought it was great, the lots were PACKED. Talk about a concentrated area for candy-getting. It's especially good when out in Middleville some people don't have neighbors for miles.

[Beavis]

Growing up back when Byron Center was all farms - our nearest neighbors were a mile away and there were only about 15 that we went to for Halloween. We knew how lucky we were to grow up in such a place. Many of our neighbor ladies made homemade candy, donuts, etc. but we did slightly envy our city cousins for that one day a year when they could really "clean up" on the candy.

My brother's church in Midland did a "trunk or treat" this year with not only just candy for the kids but an all-out tailgate party. People brought grills, dishes to share...everyone had a great time and it was safe for the kids. I thought if done right, it's a pretty good idea considering all the potential psychos that could be answering the door especially in the city.

[twoshort]

My brother's church in Midland did a "trunk or treat" this year with not only just candy for the kids but an all-out tailgate party. People brought grills, dishes to share...everyone had a great time and it was safe for the kids. I thought if done right, it's a pretty good idea considering all the potential psychos that could be answering the door especially in the city.

[snoogit]

That was my first thought; Good Grief. But then I thought "what about all those kids who might live in not-so-kid-friendly neighborhoods?" Yeah, its not like going up to our neighbors we all grew up with on our own street, with many of the houses decorated, but to a kid who doesn't get that at home I can see it as an alternative.

When I was a kid, (if I recall correctly), I think I remember hearing that malls used to do the same thing...kids go from store to store in the mall collecting candy.

Still, it wouldn't be my kind of thing.

[Weallneedhistory]

What is the definition of not so kid friendly neighborhood?

[Veloise]

I don't have a Merriam-Webster definition. But for me, its a neighborhood where kids are scared to be on the streets. I taught inner-city Kalamazoo students once. I was shocked when I first found out the majority were not excited for Spring Break, b/c they would be forced out on the streets. They were afraid of the roaming dogs, drugs, gangs, and violence (gang and other types), and sexual abuse, not to mention no breakfast or lunch.

So, remembering my year of revelation from my students, a not-so-kid friendly neighborhood would be a neighborhood where I would never want a child to walk from door to door to get treats; with or without a parent on the sidewalk, because of the above mentioned dangers.

[Rizzo]

For trick-or-treating purposes, my former "'hood" is not great:

We had one Halloween visitor in ten years. This is the village of Beverly Hills; "we don't want no steenkin' sidewalks." Seriously. It was on the ballot in '02, and the village administrator, next-door neighbor to my father, took down my YES signs!

[Allison Slater]

There's plenty of psychos in the country as well.

[Sunlover38]

Why would anyone bash a good thing? It is fun for the kids and even the parents. Cripes if they were opposed to Halloween they'd get beat up . . . .just can't win some times!

[Beavis]

There's plenty of psychos in the country as well.

[twoshort]

We had one Halloween visitor in ten years.

[Beavis]

Well this was our first Halloween in our new house. Not ONE kid came and asked for candy. Perhaps our 'hood is too scary.

[Rizzo]

Well this was our first Halloween in our new house. Not ONE kid came and asked for candy. Perhaps our 'hood is too scary.

[Nitro]

My girlfriend just wanted to simply throw candy in a bucket and put it outside our door -- what fun is that?

[twoshort]

What fun is that??? I'll tell you what fun that is..........it's fun for the first little punk that walks up on it and realizes there is a whole bowl of candy sitting there with no one around to stop him from taking it all.

[Veloise]

After waiting around for an hour or so without any sign of life, we were thinking about putting the candy on the porch for someone to steal when we went out..

..then i locked us out of the house so that didn't happen. Rookie homeowner mistake.

[snoogit]

What fun is that??? I'll tell you what fun that is..........it's fun for the first little punk that walks up on it and realizes there is a whole bowl of candy sitting there with no one around to stop him from taking it all.

Of course I didn't do that as a child............

[grrwymg]

Porch light off, they don't come up. If you have a motion detector light, you can set to to ON for the duration.

[twoshort]

Did you have your porch light on? That's the big invitation.