# TOT'ers without costumes....



## BILLY BOGART (Apr 3, 2009)

Although last year I didn't have many tot'ers without a costume in the yearsprevious I had upwards of a dozen or two. To me this is intolerable. While it would give me great pleasure to send them away with nothing such an act would only ruin the halloween for those who dressed up. So I get a little subtle. You can see these halloween offenders all the way down the street. In my hand with be candy along with either a dog bone, piece of carved pumpkin, wood etc...They holdout their bag thinking they have it made and then I drop the "Charlie Brown" treat in unbeknownst to the anti halloweenist. What makes it so funny is holding the straight face. Lastyear I had a sign no costume no candy and still offenders came. They left with nothing but pumpkin pieces. It may be called "trick or treat" but that doesn't mean I can't do the tricking!


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## Baron Samedi (Jan 15, 2009)

Right on Billy-boy! that sounds like something I might do this year.
It really p****s me off sometimes that these people want to suck it all up, but make no effort themselves. Ever noticed how they are often the ones who are the most critical of your haunt/props..??

Forget the pumpkin pieces, I'm collecting doggie-do from July onwards...


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

maybe a lump of coal would deliver the hint. or a tootpick wrapped in foil. a little note attached, no costume, no candy. or say, aahhh, no costume to amuse me, you must sing then for your treat. have the mamas and the papas playing in the back ground, sing for your supper. lol well, this wouldn't work for me, i make them every year do something to amuse me anyway. karoake one year, they had to find their treat another year [oh there is nothing funnier than tot running around your yard looking for their treat], bean bag toss another year, walk the plank without falling off, answer a halloween trivia question, identify that monster, blindfolded reach into a bucket of slime and eat it [jello and gummy worms][i loved that one]. this year will be rat splat. so i am back to a toothpick with a note. lol


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## dixie (Jan 30, 2009)

Eh, the hard part about that is.... these "kids" know where you LIVE! All it takes is one quick glance into their bag after leaving your porch, and suddenly you start getting eggs on your car, tp in your trees - or worse.... some of our Uncostumed TOTs are taller than I am, and probably take guns to school! HAHAHAHA


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## yardhauntjunkie (Feb 26, 2009)

Yeah stupid poor kids that might not be able to afford something or their parents don't care enough to help them. I hope you guys really show them!!!! Maybe after you put poop in their bag you can push them over after they turn around. Or maybe you could be in the spirit and give them a piece of candy and send them on their way hoping that your holiday spirit had helped them fall in love with Halloween as much as you.


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

sorry, but i come from a small town and i know the kids. the ones that don't dress up are the older ones with attitude. they've dressed up every year and all of a sudden attitude. also, i came from the next to the poorest family in town, it doesn't take much to incorporate an outfit. it doesn't have to be store bought or family supplied. it doesn't have to be the coolest outfit out there. it just has to show a little effort. a ghost, a clown, a gypsy, a witch, a cowboy, an alien, a rapper. it is trick or treat, halloween, and that does say costumes. and when the guy was saying put poop in the bag, i don't think he was serious, he was just being funny.


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## dixie (Jan 30, 2009)

Yard, I think we are all talking about teen agers here - the ones that walk up to your door in a pair of raggedy jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers, then ring your bell and look at you like, "where in the hell is my candy, dude?" or the ones that "ask" you to put more than JUST ONE in the bag.... stuff like that.

I have a 13 and a 15 year old... they don't trick or treat anymore, its not for them, its for little kids. While age was NOT mentioned in the OP, I am SURE that we alllllll knew who we were talking about - the 16 year old jerks that I described above. _Do you honestly think that ANY of us here would turn away a 5 year old little girl because she didn't have a costume on????? 
_
C'mon, Yard... you know us better than that, man.


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## yardhauntjunkie (Feb 26, 2009)

hallorenescene said:


> sorry, but i come from a small town and i know the kids. the ones that don't dress up are the older ones with attitude. they've dressed up every year and all of a sudden attitude. also, i came from the next to the poorest family in town, it doesn't take much to incorporate an outfit. it doesn't have to be store bought or family supplied. it doesn't have to be the coolest outfit out there. it just has to show a little effort. a ghost, a clown, a gypsy, a witch, a cowboy, an alien, a rapper. it is trick or treat, halloween, and that does say costumes. and when the guy was saying put poop in the bag, i don't think he was serious, he was just being funny.


Yeah this is a humor thread, so anything anyone says should be taken as humor right?  So maybe there was a bit of truth to my comment, but it was meant to be light hearted. I too am bummed when the kids with attitude make comments. But, most of the time I think they are the ones who like it, but just feel like they are too old to like it and still look cool. So they make their little comments. I personally take it as a challenge to try to get everyone in the spirit.


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## Front Yard Fright (Jul 7, 2008)

It really ticks me off when older kids go trick or treating... especially with no costume!
Last year I saw kids from my high school who were juniors or senors and they were in full getup with their friends going trick or treating!
How old are you!? REALLY!?
I say after middle school, stop trick or treating!

We also had a sign out front saying "NO COSTUME NO CANDY"
We only had a handful of (older) kids with no costumes.
I pointed to the sign and said "Aren't you a little old for this?" and they walked away.
.


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## dixie (Jan 30, 2009)

Haha, you are allowed to say that FYF because you ARE an "older kid", (for all intents and purposes!) and not only are you NOT trick or treating, but you spend all year planning, building and preparing a kick ass haunt yourself!

Rockon!


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## litemareb4xmas (Mar 31, 2009)

I had "special bags" with pinecones for em last year, no eggs, no tp, no problems, of course it was fri nite last year and most of the "problem kids" from the previous year were at the football game, this year could be really busy with it being sat nite. I think I only gave out 2-3 pinecones last year, I was ready for more though.


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

i guess it's up to the individual, but i personally give a treat to any age. how do you say to old is to old. some would say 9, some would say 12, some might say 14. but how about my friend who for the first time was getting to go trick or treating. he was 7 and they had just moved to town. he was so excited. the first house he went to chewed him good for being to old. he went home devastated. never did get to trick or treat. both his parents were over 6 ft tall and he was an extra tall kid. my daughter had a friend the same way. they went out trick or treating and everyone thought it was so nice big sis was taking little sis out. so noone gave to big sis. big sis was 6 years old just like little sis. the first time my daughter brought this girlfriend home, i thought how the heck did they make friends. i thought for sure this girl was at least in the 4th grade. the mom was 6'1 and the dad was 6'5. even the parents at my door get a treat, who knows, i just might give some one their first treat. halloween was a fun time for me when i was a kid. i wish that joy on everyone. i don't expect the parents to dress up [although to my delight some do], and when siblings stand back and it is obvious they are taking the little sis or brother around and may not have on a costume but aren't doing it for the treat, i think that is very nice and give. it's the ones that have no costume and have an attitude. i do a haunt for the kids every year. to go through that i don't expect a costume. i am actually aiming that at the teenage kids. little kids are trick or treating, adults are at parties, contests, bars. so what's for the teenager? why, my haunt! and if it keeps them busy and they enjoy it, they can get in line as many times as they want. i do love halloween.


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## Baron Samedi (Jan 15, 2009)

yardhauntjunkie said:


> Yeah stupid poor kids that might not be able to afford something or their parents don't care enough to help them. I hope you guys really show them!!!! Maybe after you put poop in their bag you can push them over after they turn around. Or maybe you could be in the spirit and give them a piece of candy and send them on their way hoping that your holiday spirit had helped them fall in love with Halloween as much as you.


Poor kids?...At Samedi Manor?..Not a chance. We would release the hellhounds the very moment they even thought about stepping up the path...


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## Frankie's Girl (Aug 27, 2007)

I don't care how old, costume or not, anyone that comes to my house gets candy. 

We do have a large number of kids roughly middle school age that TOT with no costume, but there are groups of teens that still TOT AND wear full on costumes. I'll never forget the group that had one 13-15 year old boy wearing a full banana suit... his stem caught on the spiderwebbing and he got a little worried about tearing up everything. It was so funny! His group included a few monsters, a Rainbow Brite, and cheerleader.


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

Frankie's Girl said:


> I don't care how old, costume or not, anyone that comes to my house gets candy.
> 
> We do have a large number of kids roughly middle school age that TOT with no costume, but there are groups of teens that still TOT AND wear full on costumes. I'll never forget the group that had one 13-15 year old boy wearing a full banana suit... his stem caught on the spiderwebbing and he got a little worried about tearing up everything. It was so funny! His group included a few monsters, a Rainbow Brite, and cheerleader.


love ya frankies girl, and that is to funny. what's a little webbing for a good halloween laugh. hope it didn't deter the young man from dressing up in the future. 
i do have a sign up that says no costume no treat, but everyone gets a treat. i do razz them though. i make everyone do a trick for a treat, but without a costume, the trick has to be double time.


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## DarkLore (Jan 31, 2009)

Wow. This thread really surprised me.

Back in the 80s I was in college. We had a huge halloween keg party planned for the late evening. We talked about how little kids didn't ToT because of candy scares ... and how sad that was. So before heading to our party, a bunch of us donned our costumes and went through the nearby neighborhood to show our spirit. Folks loved that we were out. Many said we were the only ToT they expected to see.

You bet older kids get candy at my house. Costume or not.


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

Baron Samedi said:


> Poor kids?...At Samedi Manor?..Not a chance. We would release the hellhounds the very moment they even thought about stepping up the path...


you know, that could be funny. someone dressed up scary like a scarecrow and when the kids get to the door, it's the one without a costume you jump up at and chase. lol


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## BILLY BOGART (Apr 3, 2009)

Ha Ha ha....did someone just utter the p double o p...I'm incapable of even uttering such a word. 

The reason I do not reward those who do not dress up is because it encourages them and their friends(yes children have those and are forced to dwell together 6 hours a day or more)to think it's okay to not dress up. 

Who are the offenders? Teenagers mostly..although the new teen with ipod/cell in tow might be 10. No parent lets their kid(sub 13)out of the house on Halloween without a costume. 

What if they're "too old"? Too old? WT you know what does that mean??? lol I don't care if they're 100 years old if they dress up I will offer candy....raisonette? 

Everything is relative too. If you normally only get 15-20 kids you might go wayyyyy out of your way to see their parents dental bill is healthy. However if you live in a city like I do you have different attitudes, mass migration, and a sense of entitlement. 

Every trick deserves a counter trick. Not dressing up is their trick....mine is next. It's a game but it's also an education in the city. 

Do I worry about vandalism? Not really...because kids are too afraid now along with adults....Bunch of kids were walking down the street yesterday talking about "that's the scary house"....They also called it the scariest around....I go through great efforts to arrange things just right. It's only fair all show me the respect I deserve along with the night of Samhain deserves by showing some good spirit. Afterall my ancestors used to sacrifice small mammals.....key phrase "small mammals".....


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

so billy my young man, question for you? do you dress up to pass out your treats?


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## dixie (Jan 30, 2009)

"Sense of Entitlement" you hit THAT nail right on the head, Billy. 

Thats the part that bugs me. Teenagers with saggy britches, holding open a huge lawn/leaf bag with the look on their face like, "where's the damn candy lady?" I work all year for my display, and they can't even put on a cheesy mask with their torn jeans?

Irks me, yes....but I still give them candy. It just may be the generic individually wrapped toffee that no one else wants, LOL.

This is more or less just a thread to get to vent about it, I'm not all out there, starting arguments in my front yard on Halloween night, lol.


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## haverghast asylum (May 28, 2007)

Everyone is welcome to enjoy my haunt. That being said we get alot of people. People with costumes get a piece and the haunt. Everyone else just gets the haunt. Of coarse there are exceptions . Young kids ( up to 5) Get A piece of candy with or without a coustum.
Anyone else better have a some kind of getup or else. I'm not going to lie. The main reson behind this is because I'm too cheop to buy candy for 900+ people.


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## milemarker (Jan 19, 2009)

With , or without a costume ... they STILL receive a NICE treat when they come to my house . 
Reason - you folks with the negative attitudes need to stop and realize , not everyone out there has some bucks to waste on a kids costume . AND , regrettfully , there are ALSO some parents who will not take the time to help their young ones out , and when monies are tight , STILL not aid in MAKING them a costume either
Now , does this apply to ALL of those out there without a costume on ? more than likely not , BUT , who's gonna toss the first stone ( so to speak ) and call judgement ? 
I mean ,after all , with all the peer pressure the kids have on them now adays , they SURELY do not need any added on , when they're out there trying to have a little fun and pick up some FREE goodies along the way .
Remember , the kids get to be a certain age ... they still WANT to go out ToT ,but , lots of times do NOT , due to "what would their friends say" .
So .... costume or not ... little or not ... I think if they come to the door , knocking and ToT , then , they SHOULD receive . 
Lets face it ... we're ALL in this for the fun of it ... why try and ruin it for those that have it rough enough without US adding more fuel to the fire . ( and then folks wonder WHY their Halloween and Christmas displays get kicked , smashed, and just generally ruined . )
Remember the old adage " what comes around , goes around "


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## kprimm (Apr 3, 2009)

I have to agree with billy here, if you want to come get free candy you should be able to put in some kind of effort. If i was dirt poor i could still rub dirt im face or hair or put on some tattered clothes and go as a zombie or something.If everyone just put in a little effort it would be so cool. I guess while i'm on this subject i have to admit that i get a bit pissed also when i see so many houses that cant even hang a paper skeleton in a window or something. I guess it's just the deep love of this season that i have, i just wish that everyone was like us.


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## milemarker (Jan 19, 2009)

> If i was dirt poor i could still rub dirt im face or hair or put on some tattered clothes


You obviously never had the honors of being in a "rich" neighborhood/area before . ( ftr - thats the normal everyday look for them ... not some costume getup for Halloween )


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## yardhauntjunkie (Feb 26, 2009)

Why even have anything set up for people if all you are going to do is scout out people without costumes and then mock them? I get a big mix of very wealthy people and very poor people and everything in between. Ask me how many TOT's I had without a costume and I would honestly tell you I have no idea. You know why? Because I was too busy having fun and enjoying talking with people and just taking it all in and enjoying it. When I started this 10 or 12 years ago there wasn't a single house on the street with a single decoration. Now there are at least 6 that go pretty crazy and quite a few that put some effort into. They all say how they loved what we did and wanted to do it too, I wonder if they would have wanted to share in the holiday if I had put pumpkin pieces, pine cones and dried up dog poop in their bags or told them if they didn't have a costume they weren't welcome? I understand that there will be kids that make comments about your props, but I just give them candy and ask what they would have done differently and most of the time that lets their guard down and I actually got a few good tips. Most of them wouldn't be out trick or treating still if they didn't still have some passion for Halloween.


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## Calloween (Mar 8, 2009)

dixie said:


> Eh, the hard part about that is.... these "kids" know where you LIVE! All it takes is one quick glance into their bag after leaving your porch, and suddenly you start getting eggs on your car, tp in your trees - or worse.... some of our Uncostumed TOTs are taller than I am, and probably take guns to school! HAHAHAHA


We got cameras this year.


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## Calloween (Mar 8, 2009)

dixie said:


> I have a 13 and a 15 year old... they don't trick or treat anymore, its not for them, its for little kids.


I still trick-or-treat.


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## milemarker (Jan 19, 2009)

Good for you CALLOWEEN  ( I know your still a teen , but how young are you again exactly ? )
I also have two boys still at home ( the rest of our clan is grown and moved out - these two are 11 and 13 , we have a total of 8 kids )
ALL my kids love it when Halloween comes around . and YES , they DO dress up ( not for the question of getting candy or not , but rather for the ENJOYMENT of it all . )


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## Baron Samedi (Jan 15, 2009)

Chaps.. I think we've lost the essence of this thread somewhere along the line.
It was supposed to be a _humorous _jibe at the older teenagers and young adults that turn up at your haunt with their @ss hanging out and an attitude to match...(thats why Billy posted it in the _humour_ section and hence my initial reply). Just to set the record straight, I would not set the hounds on anybody, or palm anybody off with dog dirt because they weren't wearing a costume..I am a father myself and would be savage if anybody did that to my kids or anybody elses for that matter.
Yes, we have visits from kids whose parents don't give a damn enough to help them out with even the most basic costume. Mrs Samedi will offer to daub on a bit of face paint on these kids, and kit them out with some plastic vampire teeth to "scare off the monsters" before they come into the haunt. _Everybody_ is welcome at Samedi Manor on Halloween, and _everybody_ gets a treat.
My unreserved apologies if my "English" sense of humour has been taken out of context and has offended anybody. My comments were not intended to inflame or to cause controversy. We all love halloween and to share our love of the season and to encourage others to do so means including everybody, regardless of age, race, gender or social status.

I may look like a monster, but I'm not really.

Best regards,

Baron S.


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## milemarker (Jan 19, 2009)

I'm sorry ... might I ask so I don't misunderstand ...
Where exactly in the quoted areas , is the humour section? Sorry , I missed those sections :



> Although last year I didn't have many tot'ers without a costume in the yearsprevious I had upwards of a dozen or two. To me this is intolerable. While it would give me great pleasure to send them away with nothing such an act would only ruin the halloween for those who dressed up. So I get a little subtle. You can see these halloween offenders all the way down the street. In my hand with be candy along with either a dog bone, piece of carved pumpkin, wood etc...They holdout their bag thinking they have it made and then I drop the "Charlie Brown" treat in unbeknownst to the anti halloweenist. What makes it so funny is holding the straight face. Lastyear I had a sign no costume no candy and still offenders came. They left with nothing but pumpkin pieces. It may be called "trick or treat" but that doesn't mean I can't do the tricking!





> Right on Billy-boy! that sounds like something I might do this year.
> It really p****s me off sometimes that these people want to suck it all up, but make no effort themselves. Ever noticed how they are often the ones who are the most critical of your haunt/props..??
> 
> Forget the pumpkin pieces, I'm collecting doggie-do from July onwards...



When it comes to childrens enjoyment ... THAT .. should come first ! Not the question of handing out a $0.50 piece of candy regulated on whether the ToT'er is wearing a costume or not .
I find NO humour in this thread what-so-ever . 
And like I said ... if its not a money issue , it MIGHT very well be a PEER pressure issue - like .. its not cool to dress up - your too old - only little kids dress up for Halloween . 
Peer pressure was bad enough when I was a kid ... and now .. well , lets just say , I am SOOOOOO glad I am not a kid living in todays environment with all the peer pressures that they have to deal with .

I find no humour in this thread , and because of that reason , and that its in the HUMOUR section , I am submitting this thread to be flagged by the mods .


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## larry (Apr 5, 2002)

I am moving this thread as it really does not belong in the humor section.

Personally, it is all about the kids. When I decorate, it attracts people of all ages. I gladly will hand candy to any and all who say "trick or treat". I take it as a compliment.

What if a child is ill and was not able to put on a costume? Who am I to judge.


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## Calloween (Mar 8, 2009)

milemarker said:


> Good for you CALLOWEEN  ( I know your still a teen , but how young are you again exactly ? )


I am 13.


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## halinar (Oct 10, 2005)

I still believe that the candy is equal to your level of effort on your costume... no matter the age.

Adults that show up in costume get candy, wee one's that started in costume but quickly shed it also get candy also.

The older kids who just show up with a pillow case.... a small box of raisins.


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## zero (Aug 27, 2004)

never understood the whole ' no costume then your not welcome to view my haunt ' additude,, really people, what are you taking the time to set up a display for?? can those not in costume not appreciate? have a costume party if thats all thats important to you, then you can dictate who enjoys your setup


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

well, the way i see it, this is america and if you want to give candy, give candy. that is your choice. if you don't want to give candy don't. that is also your choice. if you want to start this thread and state what you do that is your choice. but no one should be chewing on anyone for their right to decide what to do. they can state what they do and keep it at that. but not grind into others who have a difference of opinion. lots of people turn their lights off and sit in total darkness just so they don't have to participate. costume or not no one is getting candy there. that is their choice. so let's have a little respect here for everyones choice. you have the right to choose.


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## zero (Aug 27, 2004)

hallorenescene said:


> well, the way i see it, this is america and if you want to give candy, give candy. that is your choice. if you don't want to give candy don't. that is also your choice. if you want to start this thread and state what you do that is your choice. but no one should be chewing on anyone for their right to decide what to do. they can state what they do and keep it at that. but not grind into others who have a difference of opinion. lots of people turn their lights off and sit in total darkness just so they don't have to participate. costume or not no one is getting candy there. that is their choice. so let's have a little respect here for everyones choice. you have the right to choose.


?????? inst the purpose of a forum to invoke diff opinions??


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

yes, invoke different opinions. but if someone doesn't agree with you guys opinions, you are telling them they are such horrible people. state your opinion but let the others have theirs. i mean, you have taken it to larry because not everyone agreed with you. i haven't seen anyone say a bad thing to you about your choice. let them have theirs.


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## yardhauntjunkie (Feb 26, 2009)

There is a difference between not giving someone candy and giving them pine cones, pumpkin pieces and dog dirt. I think everyone knows there will be kids without costumes, but why be vengeful when you can be generous. I guess it just comes down to how much you enjoy life and want to celebrate or if you want to be vengeful and full of spite.


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

hallorenescene said:


> sorry, but i come from a small town and i know the kids. the ones that don't dress up are the older ones with attitude. they've dressed up every year and all of a sudden attitude. also, i came from the next to the poorest family in town, it doesn't take much to incorporate an outfit. it doesn't have to be store bought or family supplied. it doesn't have to be the coolest outfit out there. it just has to show a little effort. a ghost, a clown, a gypsy, a witch, a cowboy, an alien, a rapper. it is trick or treat, halloween, and that does say costumes. and when the guy was saying put poop in the bag, i don't think he was serious, he was just being funny.


i think it was pointed out here in #6 that this was in jest


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

dixie said:


> Yard, I think we are all talking about teen agers here - the ones that walk up to your door in a pair of raggedy jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers, then ring your bell and look at you like, "where in the hell is my candy, dude?" or the ones that "ask" you to put more than JUST ONE in the bag.... stuff like that.
> 
> I have a 13 and a 15 year old... they don't trick or treat anymore, its not for them, its for little kids. While age was NOT mentioned in the OP, I am SURE that we alllllll knew who we were talking about - the 16 year old jerks that I described above. _Do you honestly think that ANY of us here would turn away a 5 year old little girl because she didn't have a costume on?????
> _
> C'mon, Yard... you know us better than that, man.


and here in #7 it was in jest


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

yardhauntjunkie said:


> Yeah this is a humor thread, so anything anyone says should be taken as humor right?  So maybe there was a bit of truth to my comment, but it was meant to be light hearted. I too am bummed when the kids with attitude make comments. But, most of the time I think they are the ones who like it, but just feel like they are too old to like it and still look cool. So they make their little comments. I personally take it as a challenge to try to get everyone in the spirit.


and here we think you acknowledge it


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

Baron Samedi said:


> Chaps.. I think we've lost the essence of this thread somewhere along the line.
> It was supposed to be a _humorous _jibe at the older teenagers and young adults that turn up at your haunt with their @ss hanging out and an attitude to match...(thats why Billy posted it in the _humour_ section and hence my initial reply). Just to set the record straight, I would not set the hounds on anybody, or palm anybody off with dog dirt because they weren't wearing a costume..I am a father myself and would be savage if anybody did that to my kids or anybody elses for that matter.
> Yes, we have visits from kids whose parents don't give a damn enough to help them out with even the most basic costume. Mrs Samedi will offer to daub on a bit of face paint on these kids, and kit them out with some plastic vampire teeth to "scare off the monsters" before they come into the haunt. _Everybody_ is welcome at Samedi Manor on Halloween, and _everybody_ gets a treat.
> My unreserved apologies if my "English" sense of humour has been taken out of context and has offended anybody. My comments were not intended to inflame or to cause controversy. We all love halloween and to share our love of the season and to encourage others to do so means including everybody, regardless of age, race, gender or social status.
> ...


and here sami apologizes for his joke.


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## yardhauntjunkie (Feb 26, 2009)

hallorenescene said:


> and here we think you acknowledge it


Huh????????


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## milemarker (Jan 19, 2009)

I don't think "joking" around about giving dog poop , or rotten pumpkin , or anything of the such , is in any way , shape or form , a joke . It actually makes me wonder if its because of folks ACTUALLY doing things like that , that made towns , like the one I live in , act the way they do ! 
The town actually looks DOWN on Halloween . It was this way before I moved here ( no , I was not born in the mid west , but rather in Florida and moved here to Iowa aprox 17 yrs ago )
They don't want trick or trickers here , and have been trying these REALLY rediculous ways to get kids out of going from house to house .
The call it TRUNK OR TREAT .. which is a BUNCH of crapola - Iowa style !
Its where folks all meet at the local school parking lot , open up their car trunks , and have the candy in there , waiting for all the good little ToT'ers to arrive to come and take their candy and go home . 
And you want to know WHY this all started ? Hummmm ... think it had anything to do with some person doing something similiar to what some here , was "joking" around about doing ? 
And to the other Iowan here that keeps posting ... I live in Oelwein - which is the NE section of Iowa , in case you were wondering . 
And FTR - seems people ONLY started to apologize AFTER they started getting griped at . 
Look , if you want to be cheap , and not give out candy .. of course , thats your option , and you are entitled to do so ...
BUT...​when you start giving out dog crap and such ... 
well , just let me say ... you BETTER not give any of MY kids , my grandkids , OR any kids I know , anything like that ! 
This is where I end before I get to a point where I start flaming and cussing ! 
And yes ... this type of stuff being taken out on KIDS , really gets me going .
I am done with this thread .


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## larry (Apr 5, 2002)

Nothing like a good discussion. 

I did have to remove a post here as someone did directly attack a member. That is not tolerated (as it never should be).

Remember to be nice. If you disagree with someone, always speak up...just always to it nicely.

Thanks.


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## Scatterbrains (Nov 16, 2008)

milemarker said:


> They don't want trick or trickers here , and have been trying these REALLY rediculous ways to get kids out of going from house to house .
> The call it TRUNK OR TREAT .. which is a BUNCH of crapola - Iowa style !
> Its where folks all meet at the local school parking lot , open up their car trunks , and have the candy in there , waiting for all the good little ToT'ers to arrive to come and take their candy and go home .
> And you want to know WHY this all started ? Hummmm ... think it had anything to do with some person doing something similiar to what some here , was "joking" around about doing ?


Trunk or Treat aint a small town Iowa thing,,,,they're everywhere, especially in Utah where the predominant faith gets everyone to come to the Church parking lot. Trunk or treats have nothing to do with dog poop or razor blades. Trunk or treats give single parents the ability to both hand out candy and let their kids trick or treat. That's about the only "good" thing I would say about trunk or treats, because I think it boils down to lazy parents who don't want to take their kids out on a cold night. Same thing goes for those who take their kids to the death march at the mall for a tootsie roll.

As for those non-costumed teenagers...I give em the candy based on their attitude. Everybody gets a piece, but if they give me props for my props or are just nice in general, they get more pieces...


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Ah....The Trunk or Treat. 

Yes, Trunk or Treat is about "safety". 

Both from razor blades and dog poop, and from the "evil influences" of Halloween. Various church organizations have attached to it as the Halloween alternative. 

Last I got word of one was at the old house. "No wonder we don't get ToT's" I thought. 

So, I got me an AC converter, threw a fog machine in the trunk and went down, only to be asked to leave, my costume being too graphic for the innocents. 

Anyhow. 

Lacking costume:

I am happy to indulge the teen taking his younger sibling, the teen who is clearly out on a date stopping by, and the drunken frat boys next door who came trick or beering as part of their party.

I haven't had any others come sans-costume.


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

i never heard the mall thing called a death march. i always thought the mall thing was so businesses could enjoy the night and give something to the customers. in a town close to mine they step it out a little. the businesses go down to a specified area and are alotted so much space. you can decorate your space anyway you want. then the kids line up and at a specified time they begin marching through. it's fun and it's all volunteer. no one has to participate unless they want to. i did it with my sister 3 years in a row. we pushed through 2000 kids. i don't remember anyone not dressed up, but here everyone gets a treat of some kind. it takes about 2 hours for the front of the line to reach the last booth. 2 hours then they stop allowing kids in. but by then the line is pretty well in. the kids are so cute and some of the costumes are amazing. my sister and i had the first booth and so we could see the other booths, we would fall into line behind the last kids and go around. a lot of work goes into the booths. and this way we could see everyones work. B U T, instead of taking a treat we would go up to those workers and say happy halloween and give them one of our treats. that would really tickle them and some would join us in line and go around with us. it's a fun night but two drawbacks. it's down by the river so0 you are pretty frozen just standing there and, you have no voice left after commenting on how cute the costumes are.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

I'm pretty sure I've been to the same death march as Scatterbrains, and it certainly fits. 

IMO, the worst one locally is the Dinosaur park. (last time we went anyway). 

"treats" amounted to fliers from all the sponsors. (Notable exception being the mortuary...predictable, but funny, room, and at least suckers for the kids) 

Ah well, Kyle won the costume contest...


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## TK421 (Mar 27, 2009)

Frankie's Girl said:


> I don't care how old, costume or not, anyone that comes to my house gets candy.


I agree! Each year, I see a couple of kids that don't dress up, or don't really take a lot of time putting something together. Regardless, I give everyone candy. I might tease the older kid(s) that don't have a costume -- but they still get candy. I also have a cider shack and hand out free hot cider to anyone and everyone that wants it. The parents really like having something warm to drink and the TOTs get hysterical over the sliver of dry ice I put into each cup.


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

tk, that's a sweet setup. you know, i wish i had thought of something like that last year for the parents while the kids were playing their games. it was chilly out and they would have enjoyed that


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## yardhauntjunkie (Feb 26, 2009)

The Cider Shack is just awesome. I have feeling that now we will be seeing a lot of those this year.


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## Junit (Sep 1, 2008)

I don't give candy to kids who don't have a costume - like others have said, the older toters that is. If someone is 20, 6'tall and comes toting, i'll still give them candy as long as they are in a costume. For the teens who don't wear a costume I was thinking of this year giving them empty boxes of candy that have a note inside with a scribbled drawing of a dot or a gumdrop and says 'no costume no candy'.


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## Evil Bob (Sep 10, 2004)

yardhauntjunkie, TK421, Frankie's Girl, you guys are awesome. 
I give out the same candy to the ones in costume as I do to the ones without. I used to think it bothered me, but after reading posts like this, The Baddest TOTs...how do you stop them? - Page 2 - HauntForum.com
, it's such a minor thing to worry about. It is all about fun, or mostly anyway.


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## zero (Aug 27, 2004)

TK421 said:


> I agree! Each year, I see a couple of kids that don't dress up, or don't really take a lot of time putting something together. Regardless, I give everyone candy. I might tease the older kid(s) that don't have a costume -- but they still get candy. I also have a cider shack and hand out free hot cider to anyone and everyone that wants it. The parents really like having something warm to drink and the TOTs get hysterical over the sliver of dry ice I put into each cup.


 nice shack!!!!!!! here in so Florida its to warm for cider,,but i bet a beer shack for the parents would make them REAL happy


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## yardhauntjunkie (Feb 26, 2009)

I am not sure about a beer shack for Halloween in Western Washington, but what a great idea for my back yard during the summer.  At least it would be dual purpose.


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## Calloween (Mar 8, 2009)

yardhauntjunkie said:


> The Cider Shack is just awesome. I have feeling that now we will be seeing a lot of those this year.


I think I am going to make one like a lemonade stand and charge 25 cents
or 25 cents for a refill and give them a free one first.


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## haverghast asylum (May 28, 2007)

"It's always a great idea to teach kids too take candy from a strangers trunk"


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## yardhauntjunkie (Feb 26, 2009)

haverghast asylum said:


> "It's always a great idea to teach kids too take candy from a strangers trunk"


Hey kid come over here and look in my trunk, I got some candy for you.


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## TK421 (Mar 27, 2009)

Mmmm...beer shack!!!


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## TK421 (Mar 27, 2009)

We have a nice little shopping center near our house and I love taking the family over and walking on the weekends, but they do car trunk Halloween thing and I really don't care for it. I applaud all the people that go out of their way to decorate their car trunks in a halloween theme, but I think they're cheating the kids out of classic Halloween memories.

I still remember Halloween as a kid, and it was great to walk around for hours on Halloween night and visit house after house, in neighborhood after neighborhood.

Plus, I really want the foot traffic.


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## Mr Grimsley (May 8, 2008)

OK... so I was going to post at about the end of the first page and for some reason, it didn't work. Now, a day later and I'm at the end of page 7?!?!? WOW... great thread! Not sure if my post will even mean anything now! LOL. But here goes... My thought regarding the teen ToTs who are dressed as... well... teens...

Maybe... you have a Mirror Scare set up just down from your front door. The ones with no costumes are also going to be the most image conscious. So when you get some attitude toting teens, you tell them they "have something in their hair... but there's a mirror right there where you can check it if you want". 

Then when they are staring into your "two-way mirror" with the corpsed bucky (or bloody zombie, severed head, strobe & loud shriek sound effect etc) behind it, you hit the trigger button you have hidden just inside the door. If that doesn't get them into the spirit, well then nothing will. They'll probably think it's cool in the end.

Videos I've seen recently show lots of teens having a blast after getting the be-gee-bees scared out of 'em! Also this way, you control who gets the scare and who doesn't (ie. not really lil ones)!


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## Hauntcast (Oct 3, 2007)

As much as I want kids to get dressed up, I don't want kids coming back and egging my house or worse messing with my props. I start putting up my haunt weeks in advance and don't want to worry about kids breaking tombstones, smashing pumpkins etc... When it comes down to it, I would rather have more kids come to my house to see the haunt even if some don't have costumes. My neighborhood is limited on TOTs. If I got 200 plus kids that would change my position.


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## Baron Samedi (Jan 15, 2009)

A quick question about the Cider shacks...They look great by the way.
We don't have them over here, and our Cider is alchoholic..and normally it's pretty strong stuff
especially the old West Country "Scrumpy".

I'm taking it you guys are serving a non-alchoholic Cider to your TOT's?..like a warm apple juice or something. Is it home made or store bought?

....And before anybody asks, No... Im not contemplating putting battery acid in the Cider this year...


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## Terra (Sep 23, 2007)

Baron Samedi said:


> ....And before anybody asks, No... Im not contemplating putting battery acid in the Cider this year...


Baron, you are too funny! 

I give treats out to whoever shows but yeah, it is weird to hand a candy out to a kid who is as tall as I am who has no costume. But, I look at it differently. I love Halloween and I want others to as well. When I see no costume on a teen, I think that he's doing this because he was bored for a bit and thought he'd go trick-or-treating for a while. It's an opportunity for me to show them that Halloween is something they might want to get into at their own house. Plus, I'm busy as all get out so sometimes I don't even have time to see if they are wearing a costume or not _(300 ToTs)._ Half the time they are dressed up as rappers, rock stars or movie stars and to me it looks like they are not in costume but then they tell me they are a star I've never heard of. _(Sucks getting old)._  I have been thrilled to see the number of teenagers joining the forum here just starting into haunting. So, I'm hoping that those teenagers are a soon-to-be Calloween _(our 13 year-old member). _

For the younger ToTs with no costume: Our neighborhood is a drop-off point for many kids and I get the sense their parents _(or parent)_ doesn't buy _(or care to buy)_ them a costume. Could be from sucky parents or they are very poor. Either way, I don't see it as the kid's fault. 

Mr. Grimsly, excellent idea with the mirror!


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

well, as i stated i give a treat costume or not, but i respect if you choose not to. here though is a perspective on costumes. my daughter was nine and she was coming home with her 2 friends and they had scoured the neighborhood and had full bags of candy. a couple of houses down some teenage, just out of school boys had moved in and had a few friends there. some still in school age boys. as my daughter and friends passed their house one of the boys ran out and grabbed my daughters bag of candy from her. he turned and started walking away with raised bag calling to his friends, i got one. my daughter ran up to him and kicked him as hard as she could behind the knee where it bends, making him go to the ground. she jumped on his back and started hitting him. her two friends ran up and started swinging and hitting him with their bags of candy. he said, all right kid all right, have your bag of candy. too bad they felt there wasn't an easier way to get candy.


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## Frankie's Girl (Aug 27, 2007)

*drags out soapbox, and hops up on it*


One of the things I've noticed with kids today is that with the lack of imaginative play, the idea of a child actually building their own costume is pretty rare... they just don't have the skills or imagination to come up with anything. Video games, movies, television - NOTHING is left to the imagination anymore. 

If the parents either don't care or feel like their kid is "too old" to TOT, then the kid is stuck with no costume and little imagination to come up with something from stuff around their house...and may be so embarrassed about peer pressure that they don't make a huge effort. I remember what being a teen was like and the enormous amount of embarrassment that can go with doing something "uncool" - and I hate that FOR them. If they can't afford to buy the $$$ costume, it's sometimes better for them to come out without - at least they are having fun and still get to be kids for one more night.

I refuse to penalize a kid/teen that wanted to go TOT just because they have no costume. 

And really, the little kids are just as "greedy" as the older ones, they just have parents that still buy them costumes and approve of them technically begging from the neighbors.  


(this is said with the understanding that I've never had any vandalism, no really rude kids TOT... mostly great experiences)



*hops down, takes soapbox off to the garage to turn into a prop*


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## TK421 (Mar 27, 2009)

Baron Samedi said:


> A quick question about the Cider shacks...They look great by the way.
> We don't have them over here, and our Cider is alchoholic..and normally it's pretty strong stuff
> especially the old West Country "Scrumpy".
> 
> I'm taking it you guys are serving a non-alchoholic Cider to your TOT's?..like a warm apple juice or something. Is it home made or store bought?


I created the Cider Shack a few years ago because it was cold and rainy out and I wanted to attract more people to my haunt. I ripped up some old fence boards and cut some OSB board and "poof" I had myself a Cider Shack.

I make my own non-alcoholic cider. I start with an apple juice base, add real apples, cinnimon sticks, cloves, and an orange peel. I usually make about 5 gallons. I then take it out to the Cider Shack where I have a great 2 gallon coffee urn. It keeps the cider warm, until I can pour it into cups.

I have a great UK recipe for traditional cider, but I have to be honest -- it gives me a horse throat!!!


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## TK421 (Mar 27, 2009)

Here's my daughter, Elly, with some of the apple juice base I used last year for the Cider Shack.


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

tk, that picture is a scream, looks like she drank herself under the table. she is adorable.


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## TK421 (Mar 27, 2009)

Thanks! I love my girls.

This is a shot of my two youngest, Sammy and Elly, last Halloween.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

TK421 said:


> I created the Cider Shack a few years ago because it was cold and rainy out and I wanted to attract more people to my haunt. I ripped up some old fence boards and cut some OSB board and "poof" I had myself a Cider Shack.
> 
> I make my own non-alcoholic cider. I start with an apple juice base, add real apples, cinnimon sticks, cloves, and an orange peel. I usually make about 5 gallons. I then take it out to the Cider Shack where I have a great 2 gallon coffee urn. It keeps the cider warm, until I can pour it into cups.
> 
> I have a great UK recipe for traditional cider, but I have to be honest -- it gives me a horse throat!!!


Ah, a good traditional WASSAIL. That's what's needed.


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## Baron Samedi (Jan 15, 2009)

hallorenescene said:


> tk, that picture is a scream, looks like she drank herself under the table. she is adorable.


LOL!! Hallo beat me to it..
I have personally been in that self same position a few times after drinking cider.

tk..
I dont know about it giving you a sore throat, but I have heard that some of the home-brewed "scrumpy" can cause one to go blind...So go carefull with that recipe .

The cider shacks certainly seem a good way of giving a treat to the older TOT's or accompanying parents. If you'd care to share your recipe (the Halloween one) I'd love to give it a try.


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## Ween12amEternal (Apr 15, 2006)

Aw, these kids are sooo sweet, I've got a toothache...but mmmm, that warm cider sounds great right about now (cool, damp and blustery day here.) 

As far as TOTs who don't come in costume, I'm a little torn. Since they're literally begging (and not trying to participate in the cultural convention of merry making jester for a reward), maybe I should hand out some Van De Kamp's Pork n' Beans or chili so they get some nurishment.


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## Scatterbrains (Nov 16, 2008)

Ween12amEternal said:


> Aw, these kids are sooo sweet, I've got a toothache...but mmmm, that warm cider sounds great right about now (cool, damp and blustery day here.)
> 
> As far as TOTs who don't come in costume, I'm a little torn. Since they're literally begging (and not trying to participate in the cultural convention of merry making jester for a reward), maybe I should hand out some Van De Kamp's Pork n' Beans or chili so they get some nurishment.


What a great idea....just have one of them stirring witches making up a batch of pork n beans in her caldron...then take a big ole ladel and dump it in the bags of the "beggars"


I'm just kidding...


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## Junit (Sep 1, 2008)

yardhauntjunkie said:


> I am not sure about a beer shack for Halloween in Western Washington, but what a great idea for my back yard during the summer.  At least it would be dual purpose.


If you find a way to get the parents there you will have more TOTers.. Hmmm...


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## Junit (Sep 1, 2008)

hallorenescene said:


> well, as i stated i give a treat costume or not, but i respect if you choose not to. here though is a perspective on costumes. my daughter was nine and she was coming home with her 2 friends and they had scoured the neighborhood and had full bags of candy. a couple of houses down some teenage, just out of school boys had moved in and had a few friends there. some still in school age boys. as my daughter and friends passed their house one of the boys ran out and grabbed my daughters bag of candy from her. he turned and started walking away with raised bag calling to his friends, i got one. my daughter ran up to him and kicked him as hard as she could behind the knee where it bends, making him go to the ground. she jumped on his back and started hitting him. her two friends ran up and started swinging and hitting him with their bags of candy. he said, all right kid all right, have your bag of candy. too bad they felt there wasn't an easier way to get candy.



Good job for your daughter!


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## larry (Apr 5, 2002)

I had to remove yet another post from this thread. 

This subject apparently hits home for some. For this subject, I think that we should probably be careful about sarcasim as it may not come across well with this subject.

Remember, be nice. Anyone caught trolling (posting for the sole purpose of getting a negative reaction) will be dealt with.


Thanks.


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## Haunted Ship (Nov 8, 2008)

I make every trick or treater explain their costume to me. . .Those teenagers who don't dress up can come up with some pretty creative ideas of what they are too!


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

love it haunted ship, and you're right, the kids can be creative. i have the kids do a trick to get their treat, but no costume means two tricks. the three funniest ones were one kid grabbed the other kid and dragged him across the street behind a tree. the kid with costume took of his t-shirt under the costume and shoved it up the back of the other kid. then they came back across and said now i'm in costume. i said whatever are you? the kid said, "the hunchback of notre dame." A for effort. another time two of the kids went out and the one in costume gave the one out of costume his costume. they came back in. i just said, okay i'm keeping one eye shut and gave the treats. the best one was a young lady who stood there and just kept smiling. i said who are you supposed to be. she said, why you of coarse, can't you see we have the same smile. that one cracked me up.
and tk, your kids are both delightful. i love the costumes. i've seen the unicorn one before and it is pretty, but i've never seen the piglet before. i love it. i buy up costumes after halloween cheap, and hang them in a closet. the grandkids can come over and pull them out of the closet and play dress up. i also have a trunk of fancy play clothes, shoes, hats, purses and jewelry. the kids love dressing up.


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## Bilbo (Mar 8, 2007)

Calloween said:


> I think I am going to make one like a lemonade stand and charge 25 cents
> or 25 cents for a refill and give them a free one first.



I give away the first glass for free and charge $10 for the second glass. The second glass contains the antidote....

~Emo Phillips


Sorry to resurrect such an old thread, but isn't bringing things back from the dead part of what Halloween is all about?



Been reading this thread all the way through and may try something new this year. Instead of getting all pissy (the way I usually do) about older-than-should-be tots showing up with no costumes I am going to head to the discount store and pick up a number of those cheap eye patches or vampire fangs they sell in bulk and hand those out to the no-costume culprits. 

Heck, I have burned enough failed dvd/cds I could give those out on string "necklaces" along with the eye patches so they could be software pirates.


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

love it bilbo. soft wear pirates, that is good. i see someone has started this topic up anew in general halloween, but there hasn't been the anger that abounded in this one. that's more like it. everyone to their ideas.


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## texasjanedoe (Oct 3, 2009)

My neighborhood is full of kids of all ages...the high schoolers even TOT in this neighborhood...they do it every year...some of them wear costumes (mostly the girls) and some of them don't (mostly the boys). I have a 14 yr old son, a 16 yr old daughter and a 5 yr old son. My 14 yr old son does not wear a costume. He wants to look cool for the girls. My 16 year old daughter likes to wear pretty costumes so she can look nice for the guys. My 5 year old son just want to be Megatron with an awesome weapon. They take him TOTing around the neighborhood. NOW...God forbid one of my neighbors put a foiled toothpick or some freak item in my 14 yr old son's bag over a 1 cent piece of candy because he is NOT wearing a costume (and let me find out about it and find out which neighbor did it....then we have problems)....Isn't that why we so insanely have to go thru our kids candy now because of people putting stuff in it in the first place??

I give candy to all the kids who come to my house. If they walk up and say trick or treat -God bless their little 5 yr old hearts and their big 16, 17, 18 yr old hearts and I will give them that piece of candy! What is the harm in it? To prove a point? Please. Its hard enough being a teenager any how. They just want candy.

Sorry if I am stepping on anyones toes. Everyone has their own house rules....

And yes...my 14 yr old son did man up and buy a costume this year...he is a bloody butcher....but they both think they are not to old for TOTing....not in this neighborhood....its the NORM here....

NOW that being said...these are normal highschool kids....they are not walking around causing problems pushing down little kids and stealing candy...these are our neighborhood kids...they are not walking around with attitude...


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## hannibal (Oct 19, 2008)

I actually don't worry about a costume. When they come to my door I want a song or joke. Something. Most of the time I get a joke . No matter the age they seem to not mind doing a little something. For the younger kids I settle for a simple trick or treat. My daughter would hate going trick or treating with us because people would open their door and just hand over candy and I would say "Hon, don't you have a song or a joke"...lol. She hated that but every single time it earned her extra candy because none of the other kids would do anything.


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## WeirdRob (Aug 22, 2009)

Haunted Ship said:


> I make every trick or treater explain their costume to me. . .Those teenagers who don't dress up can come up with some pretty creative ideas of what they are too!


I hear a lot of stuff in this thread about teenagers. I thought you were supposed to stop TOTing after a certain age. Or at least that's what I was told.


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## texasjanedoe (Oct 3, 2009)

WeirdRob said:


> I hear a lot of stuff in this thread about teenagers. I thought you were supposed to stop TOTing after a certain age. Or at least that's what I was told.


I am 43 yrs old (as you can tell by my avatar, I'm still looking pretty darn good for my age)........I think our cut off was what like 5th or 6th grade? Not that I didn't want the candy and want to TOT it was just to aKwArD..I think I gave it one last shot in 8th grade and felt really odd.....

Not now...not in my neighborhood...we have alot of teenage high schoolers...I don't mind..most of them are my kid's friends...They just want some candy....My neighbors don't complain about them either...its the norm here...of course we are friendly Texans so pretty much anything goes...unless you try to steal our candy...then we have the right to shoot you.


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## halloween_sucks_in_the_uk (Sep 28, 2008)

I think kids are getting too old to be trick or treating when they're about 15.

saw this video on youtube, all of the people who took candy are too old if you ask me!

YouTube - The Bowl Of Honesty


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

my grandson hasn't trick or treated for the last 3 years. he's 13 now. he and 3 friends are going this year. they just decided if they knock and get turned away they'll just polightly say thanks anyway and move on to the next. no biggy. they are dressing up. my grandson is going as a mobster from the dick tracy flick. he wants to wear a purple suit and carry a machine gun. i have kids now and then say they quit because they got weird looks, i always think what a shame. and besides, what is to old? it's just a fun night.


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## Spats (Sep 21, 2006)

That there are still people in the world who accept a premise like "too old for a holiday custom" saddens me.

That there are some on this forum blows my mind.

One person says 12 is too old, another says 14. One house shuts the door on a child, declaring him or her too old, and completely ruins the holiday for that child with their arbitrary choice of age limit, while another further down the street did the same thing to a child three years younger.

Read the phrase "Trick or treat". 
Now, where in that phrase do you see the clarification, "but only if you think I'm young enough," or "If I look young enough to you," or even " If I'm wearing a costume that meets your expectations."
It isn't there. 
Trick, treat. That's it.
Give a treat or get a trick.
You have no other option.
Being given this ultimatum is a big part of what Halloween is, when the norm is thrown out the window and behavior is topsy-turvy.

The holiday has enough trouble, we don't need everyone expecting their personal requirements to be met.

The majority of people with costume standards and age limits should be wiping egg and rotted cabbage from their houses the next morning, and if they aren't, that is a real tragedy.


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## texasjanedoe (Oct 3, 2009)

hallorenescene said:


> my grandson hasn't trick or treated for the last 3 years. he's 13 now. he and 3 friends are going this year. they just decided if they knock and get turned away they'll just polightly say thanks anyway and move on to the next. no biggy. they are dressing up. my grandson is going as a mobster from the dick tracy flick. he wants to wear a purple suit and carry a machine gun. i have kids now and then say they quit because they got weird looks, i always think what a shame. and besides, what is to old? it's just a fun night.


Good for your grandson...I wish him the best of luck and I hope he and his friends have a great night and a happy halloween...I hope he doesn't get a hard time from anyone...because we have to remember at 13 he is still JUST A KID!


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## halloween_sucks_in_the_uk (Sep 28, 2008)

Spats said:


> That there are still people in the world who accept a premise like "too old for a holiday custom" saddens me.
> 
> That there are some on this forum blows my mind.
> 
> ...




I don't think you're ever too old to enjoy Halloween, what I meant is taking candy from houses and bowls left out as an adult is a little bit cheeky. It should really be for the kids.


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## Spats (Sep 21, 2006)

halloween_sucks_in_the_uk said:


> I don't think you're ever too old to enjoy Halloween, what I meant is taking candy from houses and bowls left out as an adult is a little bit cheeky. It should really be for the kids.


Okay. Why?


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## Bilbo (Mar 8, 2007)

I will give out candy to anyone who trick or treat's to my door... key phrase there is "trick or treat". I don't mind older kids or those without a costume, but if you're old enough to say the phrase, say the phrase. 

I can't stand it when they come up to the door and just hold out their bags, wanting the goods. You have to say the words for me to cough it up. Otherwise I just stare at them as if to say, "Yeeeeeeeeees?"


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## Bilbo (Mar 8, 2007)

Spats said:


> Okay. Why?


And I agree with Spats on this one.... I've taken out kids of all ages trick or treating and it can be a thankless job. The chaperones deserve a treat too.

In fact I make sure to give the parents a treat if they are dragging little ones in tow. If they are carrying them around, they get the "good stuff"


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## texasjanedoe (Oct 3, 2009)

Oh MAN....I am totally into Halloween....I am a Halloween FREAK! I think I love it more than my kids....You should see me race around the Halloween stores here...screaming at my kids..."look at this!"...."Hey! Look at this!" ...and they are like"Mom!"..."Hey, mom, calm down"..."you're embarrassing us"....and I'm like..."yah...but did YOU SEE THAT??? IT'S HEAD CAME OFF?"


So yes...I am 43 and I LOVE HALLOWEEN 



Would I TOT? Yes if my husband would let me.


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## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

I've replied to many of these threads and I still don't get what the big deal is or why so many seem to set their own rules for who can and who can't receive candy on Halloween! Too old, too young, no costume, didn't say trick or treat, didn't say thank you - it's just candy, for pete's sake! It's not like you're giving out $20 bills! One simple rule for me: everybody gets candy! It's all in good fun!


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## coffee4106 (Sep 19, 2009)

i refuse to give candy to no costumers.... they know better here... even I dress up to take my kids around... LOL... i stand back but yet i still get candy LOL...


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## Bilbo (Mar 8, 2007)

Don't get me wrong, Madame, I always give them the candy, but trick or treat has a couple hard fast rules. 

1) they knock at the door, I answer
2) they say "trick or treat" (if able... I wouldn't force a baby/toddler or developmentally disabled child to do this)
3) I either give them a treat, or they are allowed to play a trick on me, which I would like to avoid.

It's when they have the bad attitudes and won't say the words that I will make them wait until I hear them...


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## coffee4106 (Sep 19, 2009)

Heres what i plan to do if someone doesnt have a costume..... bring them in and paint their faces! HAHA...

2 years ago.. i had kids coming the day of halloween to go through my costume boxes.. it was GREAT.. amazingly... i got all but 1 back! LOL


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## Spats (Sep 21, 2006)

Just a general suggestion, feel free to disregard;

If costumes get you that bent out of shape, by a couple dozen simple eye-masks, the cheap, flat black kind, and hand them out WITH candy to the people you personally feel are underdressed.

Be part of the solution, not the problem.


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## halloween_sucks_in_the_uk (Sep 28, 2008)

Spats said:


> Okay. Why?


It's just the way we do things here, I've never had an adult ask for or take sweets. I give out Halloween cello bags pre filled with sweets. Must be a Brit thing we tend to be reserved and don't like to ask. Is giving candy to adults common place in the U.S?


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## Muffy (Sep 25, 2006)

Everyone gets candy at my place......costume or no costume & this year I have a special treat for all the adults>>>>and they don't wear costumes. Its easy to say how ridiculous it is when teenagers tot but then look what people say about us & the way we decorate.......we all know what it feels like to be judged like that.

So....you ring my bell, have a smile on your face.......I'm sending you home with popcorn & a bag of treats!!


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## texasjanedoe (Oct 3, 2009)

Muffy said:


> So....you ring my bell, have a smile on your face.......I'm sending you home with popcorn & a bag of treats!!


I'm going to Muffy's.

Trick or Treat!


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## Guest (Oct 21, 2009)

*My .02 cents*

I am a halloween freak, as we all are here. 
When I was growing up- I am in my early 40s now- my parents both had substance abuse issues. I went trick or treating one time as kid. I made my costume out of old clothes.
My parents never handed out candy one time. Ever. 
When a kid comes to my house on Halloween, he gets candy. I don't like the older snarky costumeless teenagers, but they get candy.
Teens in costumes get candy. Adults in costume get candy. Dogs in costume get candy. (Not chocolate tho. And yes, I had trick or treating dogs one year.) 
I love Halloween, and any age person who has enough spirit to don a costume or walk around and participate adds to my fun. 
Although I am old now, I remember not having the traditional fun of All Hollow's Eve. 
I do buy a cheaper candy -not the gorgeous chocs I give to costumed kids- for snarky teens. I give them a bunch of cheap candy with a smile...they can't cry foul or revenge themselves upon my beloved props. I also keep Saf-T-Pops-suckers with curved handles- for babies who come with mom and dad. (I do think they keep the babies candy for themselves, and most older babies can, with supervision, gnaw a Saf-T-Pop.)
Happy Halloween!


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## halloween_sucks_in_the_uk (Sep 28, 2008)

Muffy said:


> Everyone gets candy at my place......costume or no costume & this year I have a special treat for all the adults>>>>and they don't wear costumes. Its easy to say how ridiculous it is when teenagers tot but then look what people say about us & the way we decorate.......we all know what it feels like to be judged like that.
> 
> So....you ring my bell, have a smile on your face.......I'm sending you home with popcorn & a bag of treats!!


what do you give adults?


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## texasjanedoe (Oct 3, 2009)

hollow said:


> I do think they keep the babies candy for themselves,
> Happy Halloween!


Honestly, as we are checking our child's candy for safety or the poisoned ones, who has not taken that giant Baby Ruth bar from their child's pile of goodies and said "this one looks a bit tainted or it may have been opened...better to be safe than sorry honey...mommy is going to have to take this one away"....


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## Dous (Aug 18, 2007)

I think its absurd that some of you say there should be an age limit on Halloween trick or treating! If you come in a costume then you get candy. Its all about having fun, and if you are a senior in high school and trick or treating is fun, then right on! You can't put an age limit on having fun.


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## halloween_sucks_in_the_uk (Sep 28, 2008)

Dous said:


> I think its absurd that some of you say there should be an age limit on Halloween trick or treating! If you come in a costume then you get candy. Its all about having fun, and if you are a senior in high school and trick or treating is fun, then right on! You can't put an age limit on having fun.


I'd be kind of worried if a middle ages man turned up on my doorstep dressed as a baby, with his pillowcase open expecting sweets. I think once you hit 18 Halloween trick or treating might be more suitable for the younger kids. Over 18 I imagine you'd be more interested in attending Halloween parties anyway.

At 18 I was at my local nightclub on Halloween drinking various crazy cocktails


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

when we moved to cheyanne, our neighbors thought it would be fun to go around and tot to get to know people. it got hectic around halloween so we never did it. i have heard of lots of adults tot before. never knew it would be received badly. parents that come to my door with kids are rarely dressed up, but i think it is awesome they are taking the kids around, they get a treat. since i started my haunt others pass out candy for me, so they are told everyone gets a treat. since i'm not there they get by without having to do a trick, costumeless 2 tricks. my haunt is for all kids all ages and has nothing to do with costumes or tot. it is about halloween and what i enjoy doing. in the haunt i do like them to paticipate, if they play a game they get a prize. i had some get upset at me one year because they didn't want to play but wanted the prize. this years game someone told about on here. it's called rat splat.


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## mrhamilton234 (Sep 7, 2008)

I normally escort my younger brother when he trick or treats (with a small fee of course), and I give the non costume wearers a bigger fright than anyone else I see.


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## MarkOf13 (Sep 25, 2009)

When I take my kids ToTing, I always wear a costume. I send the kids to the door while I wait at the sidewalk but there have been many times where I have had the candy givers insist I take a treat. There have also been quite a few times where people have gone so far as to come to me to give me a treat. I have moved a lot but it has been the same in California, Wisconsin, Illinois and Nevada. This will be the first year ToTing in Texas so we'll se how it goes.

When we give out candy, we have a "Men at Work" looking sign that says that costumes and/or masks are required. We give candy to anyone that has anything that looks like a costume. A little effort gets a treat. Most cases the person has to explain why they are ToTing without a costume and get turned away anyway. My wife is especially a pitbull when it comes to that. It's more of a "for shame" thing. Little ones always get something; its the teenagers that get the business.


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## Qweniden (Sep 13, 2007)

Anyone who stops by my place gets candy. I want everyone to have a good time.


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

*tot*



texasjanedoe said:


> Oh MAN....I am totally into Halloween....I am a Halloween FREAK! I think I love it more than my kids....You should see me race around the Halloween stores here...screaming at my kids..."look at this!"...."Hey! Look at this!" ...and they are like"Mom!"..."Hey, mom, calm down"..."you're embarrassing us"....and I'm like..."yah...but did YOU SEE THAT??? IT'S HEAD CAME OFF?"
> 
> 
> So yes...I am 43 and I LOVE HALLOWEEN
> ...


omgoodness, i found my twin. lol. you rock


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## Ween12amEternal (Apr 15, 2006)

I'm with those that give a treat no matter whether they come in costume or not. Call it TOT'g, or just simple begging, I'm all for celebrating the tradition with anyone who cares to partake, in whatever manner they choose.


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## Muffy (Sep 25, 2006)

I think hallorenescene said it all>>>>>"it is about halloween & what I enjoy doing.", right on girl!!! I'm so excited on halloween that I don't let anything ruin it for me. I ....in my whole life of 51....soon to be 52 yrs.old have never thought about what a person was wearing on halloween. I mean if folks are having a good time its that much better for me. 

At my house I want EVERYONE to enjoy the spirit of halloween & I ensure that by creating a festive atmosphere that is like a walk thru party. Believe me kids when I started inviting people to come in the house with their kids that 1st yr. I was able to really see how hesitant people were about coming in. But I was like a hostess that greats you in a restaurant & we gave brownies to the parents to eat in the kitchen while the kids talked to Jerry & got their bags of popcorn & bags of treats.

IT WAS A BLAST to finally experience halloween in a different way. I mean we all hand candy out at the door but this took on a whole new way of doing things & I was excited as hell to enjoy myself watching these adults not know what to do. They were afraid to let the kids come in the house alone & some of the kids were afraid to come in alone. The parents stood down in front of the house while the kids came up 4 steps on the porch, so I'd open the door & tell the parents please come in. Then when they saw that the decorations in the house were way better than anything I had outside & I had goodies for the parents....thats when it all started. Now they bring the aunts & grand parents thru the house too & we get a family picture for them. They love it. 

For me.... I love how much they enjoy themselves, how much fun they have here. So when we all have a conversation about..."costume or no costume", or age factors....well thats not even in my thoughts.......I just want to see happy people & I do everything I can to try and make them happy.......cause ya know what......most importantly....its make me happy.

ooppsss....I think I said my 2 cents worth twice for this thread!

the Muffster

ps....halloween sucks in the UK>>>>its a surprise!!so you have to wait till after halloween to see a picture of what I have for the parents of my tot's!!lol


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## Shadow Mistress (Oct 26, 2007)

As long as they have a costume, I don't mind giving them candy; the age doesn't bug me. I get a kick, actually, out of some of the costumes the older kids come up with. In fact, considering everything they _could_ be doing, I'm glad to see them get all excited because I happen to have their favorite candy! Sometimes the older ones are more like little kids than the little ones themselves! The jackasses that come to our neighborhood are actually some of the parents....


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## SapphyreMoon (Oct 19, 2004)

I give candy to everyone BUT I have bags with less for those who gave zero effort and have 'tude and bags with awesome stuff for those who put effort in. I also have beer, coolers and treats on hand for the grown ups who are dressed up (and I know). 

My issue is what to do with the town bully who relentlessly bullies kids all year, including mine and then comes to the door with her hand out and demands "the good stuff" and then says "is that all?" I want 6 bags...." ect... I want to throw rocks at her but of course I can't, we just can't believe she has the nerve to come to our door at all and her mother lets her and her mother KNOWS we hate her for allowing her child to be this way. I think for her this year, I'll get trail mixes and real fruit snacks instead of giving her the "good" stuff. (she's 12 but weighs 250lbs).


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## MarkOf13 (Sep 25, 2009)

SapphyreMoon said:


> I give candy to everyone BUT I have bags with less for those who gave zero effort and have 'tude and bags with awesome stuff for those who put effort in. I also have beer, coolers and treats on hand for the grown ups who are dressed up (and I know).
> 
> My issue is what to do with the town bully who relentlessly bullies kids all year, including mine and then comes to the door with her hand out and demands "the good stuff" and then says "is that all?" I want 6 bags...." ect... I want to throw rocks at her but of course I can't, we just can't believe she has the nerve to come to our door at all and her mother lets her and her mother KNOWS we hate her for allowing her child to be this way. I think for her this year, I'll get trail mixes and real fruit snacks instead of giving her the "good" stuff. (she's 12 but weighs 250lbs).


Wow. Is she tall?


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## Spats (Sep 21, 2006)

SapphyreMoon said:


> ... we just can't believe she has the nerve to come to our door at all and her mother lets her and her mother KNOWS we hate her for allowing her child to be this way.
> 
> (she's 12 but weighs 250lbs).


"Hey, gang, I think Scooby found somethin'! What is it, Scoob, a clue?"

I think you have the answer right there as to why this girl is a bully. Sounds like combination of a spoiled upbringing and self-loathing.

And instead of snack foods or bad candy, give her a glow bracelet. Calorie-free and it will be like belling a cat.


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## MarkOf13 (Sep 25, 2009)

Shadow Mistress said:


> As long as they have a costume, I don't mind giving them candy; the age doesn't bug me. I get a kick, actually, out of some of the costumes the older kids come up with. In fact, considering everything they _could_ be doing, I'm glad to see them get all excited because I happen to have their favorite candy! Sometimes the older ones are more like little kids than the little ones themselves! The jackasses that come to our neighborhood are actually some of the parents....



One of the best costumes I have seen was a teenager that came to my door as a super hero. He called himself "Drug Free Boy" and had a blue spandex outfit complete with a cape and a symbol on his chest. He had matching boots, too. It was homemade but it looked totally professional. I didn't know him but one of my kids knew him from school (a couple of grades higher) and I think he graduated with honors that same year.


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## Don of the Dead (Jan 20, 2005)

I trick or Treated until I was 16, and I ALWAYS wore a costume.
Kids and teens in costumes get Snickers, Reese etc. No costumes? that what Dum-Dum lollipops are for.


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## Don of the Dead (Jan 20, 2005)

SapphyreMoon said:


> I give candy to everyone BUT I have bags with less for those who gave zero effort and have 'tude and bags with awesome stuff for those who put effort in. I also have beer, coolers and treats on hand for the grown ups who are dressed up (and I know).
> 
> My issue is what to do with the town bully who relentlessly bullies kids all year, including mine and then comes to the door with her hand out and demands "the good stuff" and then says "is that all?" I want 6 bags...." ect... I want to throw rocks at her but of course I can't, we just can't believe she has the nerve to come to our door at all and her mother lets her and her mother KNOWS we hate her for allowing her child to be this way. I think for her this year, I'll get trail mixes and real fruit snacks instead of giving her the "good" stuff. (she's 12 but weighs 250lbs).



I'd scoop a couple "kitty tootsie rolls" out of the litter box just for her. "You want 6? Here's 10!"


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## CaliforniaMelanie (Sep 8, 2008)

How funny, I had started typing this without reading the post just above about "being cool"...but I feel that is SO SO true.

I give no matter what. I don't believe there's any such thing as "too old", because frankly, if there IS, then I'm sure in trouble (by a few decades)! LOL. 

I want to give all kids...even the "I reeeeeeeeeeally want to go out, but my friends would never let me hear the end of it so I won't dress up...but deep down I kinda wish I were still 7 and could still do it" half-grownups...wonderful, fabulous memories of Halloween. I want them to realize it IS okay to have fun and they DO deserve to get candy and that next year...maybe they'll tell the friends in their little clique to go to h*ll, they're gonna dress up in something, anything just so Mrs. Melanie can get her jollies for a second or two.

And so that that same kid will, in 15 more years, be the one beefing up his own haunt, trying to make the memories that he so wished he could have indulged in 100%.

I understand why teens don't dress up. They act cool, or try to...but deep down they so wish they could just go crazy like they used to, without having to impress anybody. Without, say, having to impress "the girls". Growing up can be so cruel even though it doesn't mean to. They still want to take part in it but they can't lose face in school for the next year or so over it. So they try to do an "in your face!" with no costume and meanwhile, you see them peek in their bag right away as they leave your door with that same old excitement that they just can't hide.

I give to anyone...if an adult comes up to the door with the children, I'll hand him or her a candy bar too. Or a whole trick or treat bag, whatever I'm giving out. If I see a parent at the top of the driveway, waiting, I'll hand another bag to one of the kids and say, "Give this to Mom/Dad" and I'll watch as they walk away...they always do give the bag to the parent rather than stashing it for themselves. Always! I love that.

I will keep giving. If I'm not too old at 42, then a 16-year-old isn't too old.  That's my philosophy. They may not be creative and may not have any costume on at all. But if they're encouraged to keep going out, maybe they'll learn some creativity. Maybe they'll be the next generation's "town haunters".


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## Bilbo (Mar 8, 2007)

MarkOf13 said:


> One of the best costumes I have seen was a teenager that came to my door as a super hero. He called himself "Drug Free Boy" and had a blue spandex outfit complete with a cape and a symbol on his chest. He had matching boots, too. It was homemade but it looked totally professional. I didn't know him but one of my kids knew him from school (a couple of grades higher) and I think he graduated with honors that same year.


Wonder if he was the same one from the Stephen Lynch song??

"If I could be a superhero
I would be Drug-Free boy
Telling the world of the evils of drugs
And all of the lives they destroy
Well I would take all the junkies
Getting so high
With their needles and bongs
And their sticks of thai
As I burn them alive I would squeal with joy
Because I would be drug-free boy"


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

*costumes*



MarkOf13 said:


> One of the best costumes I have seen was a teenager that came to my door as a super hero. He called himself "Drug Free Boy" and had a blue spandex outfit complete with a cape and a symbol on his chest. He had matching boots, too. It was homemade but it looked totally professional. I didn't know him but one of my kids knew him from school (a couple of grades higher) and I think he graduated with honors that same year.


he's my hero too!


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## creepingdth (Sep 10, 2009)

i'm afraid my two year old daughter is going to fall into this category of not wearing an outfit. she refuses to try on her witch dress. she LOVES halloween but won't dress up. not sure what to do with her. she rubs her face to much so i won't put make up on her and she won't keep anything on her head. well hopefully i'll save the day cause i always dress up.


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## Forever Haunting (Jan 1, 2009)

Come one come all! Everyone gets a treat at our haunt. 

You see, I love Halloween and enjoy decorating our home, BUT my wife and I really don't get into the costume thing. Not sure why...but it has never really appealed to us. Don't get me wrong, we thoroughly enjoy and appreciate the costumes worn by kids and adults. 

For us though, we enjoy decorating our haunt for the hundreds of ToTers. We always sit on our front porch in our street clothes so we can see the parents and kids in costumes as they come down our street, talk with them as they approach, and pass out treats. We even let the kids choose their treats from the bowl. Most kids only take one piece, and we encourage them to get more. 

We do what gives us the most joy and hope others do the same as long as it isn't harmful or hurtful. Halloween is a wonderful time, and we enjoy fostering it.


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## Rooey (Aug 14, 2007)

Just wanted to chime in on this as well.

I've enjoyed reading all of the responses, and found it very interesting reading all of your different perspectives.

The only time I've witnessed much of a Halloween travesty was when I was much younger we had a middle-aged homeless man come to the door and not ask for candy, but CIGARETTES!! HAHAHA!! No smokers in the house so he went away empty-handed.

After sorting through all of the points made here, I've decided that everyone gets candy from me on Halloween. In fact, since we live out in the country, we're actually going to a friend's house this year to help give out candy there, since we don't have our own "neighborhood"... We'll be bringing additional candy with us to hand out, and I'm setting up my "monster in the box" prop for added interest! 

I'm also going to get decked out in some sort of costume, or may switch between some funky monster teeth and a ghoul mask. I might even climb inside the monster crate and do some "manual" scares!!

When I started reading this thread, I was leaning more toward the "no costume, no candy" crowd, but I've been swayed to the side of not sweating the small stuff.

Hope you ALL have a wonderful Halloween this weekend!

Regards,
Rooey


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## Halloween Night (Oct 13, 2009)

im 36 and i still dress up for Halloween ,mind you i have kids now so it makes it that much better these days hehheheeeehhehehahhahaaaa watch out kiddiees


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## StanFam3 (Oct 5, 2009)

Here in rural S. GA. there are families with NO money for a costume. Seriously. Some of my son's school friends are in the group -- they barely have electricity in their homes right now, much less $$ to spend on a costume. So, we encourage them to do something simple.... like rip their shirt up, put some of their Mom's makeup on to look dead, maybe ketchup as blood... and VIOLA, a zombie emerges.


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## frizzen (Sep 9, 2004)

I started reading this in the "No costume no candy." camp, but the more I read it turned more toward "Wow, some people are total assbags. WTF? Dropping turds in their bags?" If you wanted to prove a point about costumes but too afraid to come out and actually say it to their face, then I could see giving out things like Pinecones or blocks of wood, or worse yet those orange or brown wrapped 'candy' things, or "bit o' honey". If you want to be a slightly more Classy jerk, wooden nickles or poker chips with some cool picture or thing about your haunt. 

Since you're already being that much of a jerk, why not go the whole 9 yards and drop a load of the ultimates: Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, Dental Floss, Apples, Rasins... and ofcourse the absolute supreme ruler of cr*p that kids have no use for in the TOT bag: Religious Pamphlets. 


I'm going to have to go pick up some cheap Eye-Patches and Vampire Fangs. No costume? Pick one!

I was never that big on TOT-ing to begin with, my parents ran the best haunt in the neighborhood, taking all the effort for getting dressed up in beautiful handmade costumes to walk a couple miles in the cold with my dad and sister to learn that only a couple of the other neighbors decorate and almost all have bad taste in candy. When I finally *DID* start to get into the whole deal and go with friends and have it seem fun, it didn't last more than a couple years... I gave up on TOT after getting sick of the "Aren't you too old to still be doing this?" 
I dunno, aren't you a little old to still be living?


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## Fortune Bubble (Oct 20, 2008)

I'm gonna give them candy, but not anything good. I've got that candy Mary Jane on hand for the non-festive ones out there, which I think tastes terrible. They'll probably end up liking it.....

Sure, some people are poor and can't afford spiffy costumes, but anybody is creative enough to make up something out of household items. Anybody!


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## Kruella (Nov 3, 2006)

Qweniden said:


> Anyone who stops by my place gets candy. I want everyone to have a good time.



That's how I feel. I have several teens stop by to view my display. They do not ask for candy, but I offer it. Heck, I give them glow bracelets if they are willing to take them. I work very hard on my display so I appreciate the audience! No costume required, but I do expect polite manners.


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## SeaHoCaptain (Oct 10, 2009)

Halloween is for EVERYONE .. No Age limit .. No one thinks of Halloween without ToTing. Sure I'd like all to dress up but if you dont want to or can't thats cool. At least your out enjoying the festivities. 

The 16 to 20 yr olds are hosed anyway. Too old by most standards to ToT. To young to hit the clubs the older crowd hit. No wonder they have attitudes. 

David


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## stuarts1031 (May 16, 2003)

I don't like TOTrs without costume, but I try to make it fun to go out on Halloween so I got finger traps - you know those woven things that you stick your fingers in and then can't pull them out unless you push them together. I gave them to the no costume people and envisioned them walking around for hours with their hands stuck together. One year I gave out defective clickers so that the non costume people could try to make them click without success. I have a big graveyard out front, so we get about 125 TOTrs. I don't want any angry teenagers coming to damage my graveyard, so I don't piss them off, just confuse them. So far, So good.


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## halloweenbarb (Jun 9, 2008)

as long as some one says 'trick or treat' to me they get candy. Most forget to say it anyways, they are just intrested in bringing us can goods and going thru the haunt!


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

*tot*



The 16 to 20 yr olds are hosed anyway. Too old by most standards to ToT. To young to hit the clubs the older crowd hit. No wonder they have attitudes.=quote said:


> that's one of the reasons why i have my haunt, something for the kids to do that are uncomfortable about tot at their age, but can't hit the clubs. in the past for 2 years my grandsons friends were my haunters, but last year a classmate had a party they all went to. so i did my haunt solo. this year he wants to go tot so i"m solo again. maybe next year
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## creepingdth (Sep 10, 2009)

i'm having a hard time understanding the dressing up and toting thing. two things. first, why do kids have to be to old? when you're a teen to say 21 what is there for you to do? you don't have your own home to start a haunt, you're not old enough to go to the bar. but you still want to be in the festivities. what are you to do? if kids that age get candy dressed up or not, they still have spirit and down the road maybe they'll turn into "us". (haunters). but if they're turned away maybe they're going to loose the spirit. and there will be less of us down the road. my second thing is is i work for a school and me and two other coworkers just got moved to a new school where everyone is a little stiff shall we say. i am a halloween nut and i have a different t shirt for every day of the week. everyone was in shock of me at first but i thought they were getting used to it and chillig out a bit. but i just found out today we've been asked not to dress up tomorrow. WTH? we have had it cleared by our principal he thinks its great. he loves our new spirit to the school. so the other coworker i work with has decided she doesn't want to step on anybodys toes and isn't dressing up. i am. i am going to be spaghetti. i'm not scary, i'm not going against any religious beliefs, i'm just spaghetti. at our old school we would have parties for every holiday and we told the parents prior to all of this so those that didn't believe in holidays took the kids out of school early in the afternoon. this new school just simply does nothing. there's no homemade pumpkins on paper plates, no bats made out of the kids hands and feet. nothing. it urks me. am i wrong to dress up at school? sorry for my spelling by the way, i think i'm coming down with the flu. i sure hope not, i so badly want to take my daughter toting.


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

creep, what the heck, no halloween in schools? pumpkins aren't really halloween, they are the symblem of fall. so what is your costume going to look like? this reminds me of that movie where they didn't allow kids to dance. wasn't it called footloose. or look at the movie pleasantville. even though it might be lacking at first, someone has to turn the page somewhere. do the 3 g's---guts, glory, and go for it
ps, on who's authority were you told not to dress up? at no time lose your temper, through it all be polite so they look like the bad guys.











/


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## creepingdth (Sep 10, 2009)

hallorenescene said:


> creep, what the heck, no halloween in schools? pumpkins aren't really halloween, they are the symblem of fall. so what is your costume going to look like? this reminds me of that movie where they didn't allow kids to dance. wasn't it called footloose. or look at the movie pleasantville. even though it might be lacking at first, someone has to turn the page somewhere. do the 3 g's---guts, glory, and go for it
> ps, on who's authority were you told not to dress up? at no time lose your temper, through it all be polite so they look like the bad guys.
> 
> 
> ...



the principal has said i may dress up, it's some of the other teachers that think they run the school that don't want us dressing up. i won't loose my temper, i've got the principal backing me and he's the one that rules the roost, he already said he thinks we've made a tremendous change around there and he enjoys it. and he loves my spirit. i was the only one that dressed up for homecoming too and he loved it. the younger teachers are all cool with everything it's the older ones that well they think they own the joint. not sure what they're problem is. when i first started there i had such a culture shock i didn't know if i was going to last. the poor kids walked around like zombies. literally. there was so much screaming and yelling at the kids and rules up the ying yang. i work with the special ed kids we have our own little room with our own little kids that are well defiant, add, adhd, and violent. and we get to make a lot of our own rules due to sensory stimulation for the kids. like we allow our kids to play in the sand, to swing on their tummies, to jump and yell and play with sticks. ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh shouldn't do any of those things. so we're slowly taking on/saving more than our actual caseload just trying to help some of these kids from the boot camp setting they're in. but thanks for the support. my costume is just a red tshirt with the yarn strings from a mop pinned on and i took a plastic collander and put another mop head under it for a hat. it's supposed to have brown poof ball things on it for meat balls too but i can't find any in this town so i'm just spaghetti not spaghetti and meatballs.


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## hallorenescene (Dec 28, 2007)

creeps, i love your costume. so original. we went out with some neighbors one time, and she put a nylon on her head so it looked like she didn't have a face. she put on a hat and a tan trench coat. her husband dressed in pink sweats, put on pink mittens and a pink stocking cap. then they pulled up some on both sides of the cap tying it off to make ears. then they took a pink scarf and pinned it to his rear end to make a tail. they were the pink panther and the inspector. i loved it.


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## Jaba (Oct 27, 2009)

I remember a few times when I was a kid where I would go to my aunt and uncles for trick or treating and forget my costume and had to go without a costume. If they came to my house I wouldn't make much of a deal about it. Unless they annoyed me. 

on another note. I don't mind older kids. I think they have just as much right if they enjoy Halloween as much as one of us. The only problem about older kids in my opinion is when they point everything out and act like they aren't scared just to be cool in front of their friends and such.


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## frizzen (Sep 9, 2004)

*What's his post count and join date?*

hallorenescene, yeah I lurk, looking at post count I've read a couple threads... I *know* they're joking about it. My point was that even knowing that it was in jest, it was enough to push ME over to a different perspective. 

Yeah, they're costume-less scum of the earth [email protected] who shouldn't get any candy! Wait, some of this is extreme enough even I don't like that. REALLY hope we don't get any anti-halloween zellots reading this to take away even more haunting and TOT for stuff like that "pedophile trunk treat" thing... 
No candy is mean, bad candy they might actually like, junk might get my props broken. Gotta be a way to spin this... Kept reading, "give accessory costumes instead" Hmm, I already throw little toys in with the candy, why not? They still get something, and will have a costume now, everybody wins. 

Now to figure out where I can get a dozen or so accessory costumes the week of h-ween... Thinking stuff like Eye patch, fangs, horn headbands, animal noses.

I like the older kids. I've created a few haunters out of their ranks. There's the attitude with a lot, but punch through that with something over the top cool, and you find they're ok and many will ask questions about how you make stuff work. The ones that keep the attitude, just match it, give them something and they'll be on their way soon enough. Scorn them, and you'll get vandals or worse, adults who hate halloween. 

Yes it still annoys me that I dump all this time, effort, money into a haunt, and give them stuff; yet they don't even bother to put on a costume of any kind and look at my stuff. Makes me feel too much like a Christmas decorator *(shudder)*.


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