You guys get older teenagers as trick or treaters? Around here, if you look older than 12, the cops run you off and tell you that you aren’t allowed to trick or treat after age 12. Also, adults cannot walk around outside with masks on. You are allowed to wear one to private parties and things but you cannot travel that way–even if you are riding in a car. Anyone else live in a place where they have these types of restrictions?
I don’t want to say I told ya so about the sign scaring away real trick or treater- but I told ya so.
Of course I also said don’t give anyone candy without a costume and when it came down to it…well, it was rain and no-one was coming, and we has so much candy…
but i made them feel really bad about it.
Brief hijack
Back in the 70’s, Olympia beer marketed these itty bitty cans of beer, maybe two or three ounces in a can. The cans were perfect little replicas of the full-sized ones. My friends and I bought up several dozen of them, put 'em on ice next to the bowls of candy, and when parents came with their kids, the kids got candy and we offered tiny beers to the parents. Only a few passed on the offer but every one of them was tickled by the idea. Even the most footsore, beleagered parents went away grinning.
And you can just guess how wide-eyed–and pushy–the costumeless teens got when they saw the mini-beers on ice.
I had 2 17 year old (about) guys without costumes this year. I’m 23, so I just looked at them puzzled. I gave them candy, but only because we had very few people this year, and I figured if you swallow your pride and go begging, at least you deserve something. Next year, though, i’m making my own candy for them:
Chocolate eggs.
That is, hardboiled eggs covered in chocolate. I’d just love to see their faces when they bite into it. 
Jman
What the hell…tis the season and all that (nevermind it being a year after the fact.)
And Bill–I haven’t been 15 in a loooooonnnnggg time.
Still pretty handy with a can of shaving cream, though.
-David
Gee, and here I thought Satan was back. Don’t do that to me. I’m seeing my cardiologist in a week!
My suggestion: Set aside some not-so-nice candy and give it to the kids who are rude. Many children (though not all of them) dislike lime, lemon, sour apple, and licorice. You could buy lollipops and jawbreakers, and take out all of the green and yellow ones to give to the rude kids. You could also invest in some nasty cheap bubble gum for the rude kids. The nice kids get miniature chocolate bars, and the better flavors of hard candy. For several years I lived in a neighborhood where some of the younger kids were rude. I gave the rude little kids the less desirable candy, and saved the better candy for the polite ones. I practiced the “two-tier” system for years, and I never had any trouble. The kids are much more polite in the neighborhood where I live now, so now I don’t play favorites.
I went trick or treating right up until senior year of high school. All my friends did too. It’s not so much about the candy (Mom and my little brother usually ate most of that when I got back), as it is that it’s fun to dress up and to have a reason to wander around town together.
I think the Halloween costume contest at school encouraged older students to dress up. We did put a lot of effort into our costumes though. My best friend and I stayed up all night sewing our costumes each year. I don’t know why a teen would trick or treat without a costume, that seems too close to begging. Still, why not give them candy, in the spirit of the holiday?
I must have missed this thread last year. Manda Jo’s contribution about the little kids (6 and 8!) whose parents couldn’t be bothered to make them a costume just broke my heart – I suppose recent events have made my heart more fragile than usual, but geez! I damn near cried!
I give candy to all comers, but I admit I really hate the sullen uncostumed teenagers… I have no problem with cheerful, polite teenagers with costumes and a proper spirit-of-the-holiday demeaner. That said, I probably won’t let my son go out this year. My daughter (now 14) hasn’t gone trick-or-treating since she was 11. She walks with crutches and the walking in the dark, dodging all the other revelers and going up and down all the porch steps was just more trouble than she felt it was worth – especially given that she doesn’t care all that much for candy. My boy, on the other hand, is a real candy-hound and he loves trick-or-treating. Last year he was 14 and still shorter than I am (5’1") and I never thought twice about letting him go. He wore a costume, of course, and obeyed all the usual rules – say “trick-or-treat” before and “thank you” after, be careful of the littler kids, etc. He’ll probably want to go again this year, but he’s now 5’8" and starting a mustache, and I just don’t know… I know he’s just a big kid at heart, and I also know he’d be polite and responsible, but it just doesn’t seem right. Sad really – I didn’t think about it last year, but I guess that was my last Halloween until I take my grandbabies… Sheesh! I am more fragile than usual – I’m tearing up! <sniff> I think I’ll go look through the photos at pictures of my sweet babies in their Halloween costumes of years past – maybe I should bring pictures to the Dope-a-Ween party on 10/27 and bore fellow Dopers with them…
Jess ("Look! Here’s the year Nick was Superman. Isn’t he cute? And, here’s Dori as a Little Red Devil… Look at those eyes! Wait! Come back! I have 15 or 20 more here!)
This takes a couple years to sink in, which doesn’t help much. You could put up a sign ahead of time. My method:
Yell “Trick or Treat!” = 1 piece of candy.
Wearing a costume = 2 pieces.
Cool costume = 3 pieces.
It’s fun to see the looks on the faces of the older kids in street clothes getting 1 piece, when the 3-year-old in the Ewok costume gets 3 pieces. Wah wah wah wahhhhhh…
I wouldn’t be surprised if some goofy teenager comes around dressed like Bin Laden.
Ah, yes. Halloween. Back when I first moved into my last apartment (when I was single), I was eagerly anticipating Halloween. My front door opened to the outside, and there were lots of kids in the neighborhood.
My hopes were dashed. That year, being on a diet, I had laid in a supply of colorful stickers and bookmarks instead of candy. The doorbell rang twice. The first time, there were two lovely little girls of about age 7. They were dressed up in princess costumes, with their mothers shepherding them around. BUT: The girls didn’t come to my door – the mothers did. Each mother grabbed a couple bookmarks, then went on.
The second time the doorbell rang, it was a surly male teenager of about 14, who hadn’t bothered to dress. He was not impressed with the bookmarks.
From then on, it’s been my habit to keep the outside (and inside) lights off and play “I’m not at home tonight”.
I miss giving out candy to the little ones, but it just isn’t what it used to be anymore. Most times now, the kids go to malls or store neighborhood “trick or treats” during the day.
Has no one in this thread seen It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown?
“I got a rock…” I can’t think of a better punishment for costumeless trick-or-treaters.
And no, there’s no age limit as long as you’re willing to put some effort into a cool costume and get into the spirit of things. Heck, I’m 18 and I’m going this year - although I wouldn’t do it if I wasn’t in a very small college town where it’s traditional. (Anybody got a cool costume idea?)
If you get a little carried away with the scissors, you could go as a potato.
-David
If anyone in my neighborhood pulls that insensitive stunt, they’re getting lemon, lime, and green apple lollipops! (see my previous post)
Well? How did it go last Halloween?
-David
Didn’t read every post so I don’t know if this is a repeat but we do the following. If a kid is dressed up and under 11 or 12 then they get the candy. If they are not dressed up and/or older than that we make them perform. They get to choose what they do, sing, dance, etc. If they don’t give it their all then, “sorry, no goodies”
No, we didn’t have any Osama bin Ladens this year. I’m going to do Halloween again this year, but I haven’t decided what kind of candy to get.
Oops- that should have been “last year.” I hope we don’t have any Osama bin Ladens this year, either. I’m trying to find some kind of candy that I can buy in bulk, and that I’d be willing to eat myself if it doesn’t all get given away.
cher- I would love to get some nice horehound candy. I’ve been looking for some for years!