# How many trick-or-treaters did you get? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 1, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577 "2012-11-01T16:19:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577/1 "2012-11-01T16:19:40Z")
Was it more or less than usual this year? ---
**Author:** ![cncdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/958977/32.png) [@cncdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cncdad)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577/2 "2012-11-01T16:23:55Z")
We had around 250 kids which is pretty normal. The weather here was horrible so we didnt know what to expect but I guess the allure of free candy despite frozen toes and fingers wins out over staying home where its warm. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577/3 "2012-11-01T16:28:34Z")
We didn’t give out candy this year. Not that I dislike doing it, actually I really enjoy it, but we just finished moving Tuesday and didn’t have any decorations or a pumpkin or candy to give out. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577/4 "2012-11-01T16:33:41Z")
You have no option for zero. I’ll vote “less than a dozen” 12 less to be exact. ---
**Author:** ![DivineComedienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c67d28/32.png) [@DivineComedienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DivineComedienne)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577/5 "2012-11-01T16:37:42Z")
Here in southern NJ, we’re feeling the effects of Hurricane Sandy, but not too much where I live. Governor Christie ordered that all Trick or treat nights should be held on Monday, Nov. 5, but my town had it anyway last night. I think the word went out that we were giving out candy because we were SWAMPED with kids. I had bought 450 pieces of candy (we usuallly get around 400 kids) and I ran out of candy after an hour. I started giving out everything I could find (granola bars, fruit snacks, etc.) until that ran out. Then I spent the last hour sitting on the front steps apologizing to the rest of the kids for not having any more candy. ---
**Author:** ![Obeseus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbce88/32.png) [@Obeseus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obeseus)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577/6 "2012-11-01T16:46:32Z")
I get 400-500 every year. I live in an upper middle class neighborhood with a large circle with good lighting. Kids can walk one side of the circle, cross, and hit the other side of the circle. Lots of houses while crossing just once. People from all over town and across town lines come to my neighborhood. Vans pull up, kids get out and make the rounds. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577/7 "2012-11-01T16:52:03Z")
More. I blame global swarming. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577/8 "2012-11-01T17:20:19Z")
I have no idea. I worked 2-10. However in the past zero-three would be standard ( our house is apparently intimidating and the gate sticks ). We pretty much have stopped buying candy for that reason. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577/9 "2012-11-01T17:22:39Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > You have no option for zero. I’ll vote “less than a dozen” 12 less to be exact. Were you expecting to get any? Has it always been very low or has it been declining for a while? When I was growing up and of prime trick-or-treating age we lived in a just-built subdivision loaded with young families and there would be hundreds of kids out every year, but after about 10 years or so the numbers started to dwindle each year as the initial batch of kids grew up and fewer and fewer new children were added into the neighborhood. The last few years my parents top out at maybe a dozen. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577/10 "2012-11-01T17:34:09Z")
I had exactly 1. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577/11 "2012-11-01T18:36:40Z")
We were prepared for 60 kids, but only got nine or ten. Last year, were were in an area where it seemed like people were bringing kids in by the busload. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577/12 "2012-11-01T18:39:36Z")
I can’t remember if we got a dozen or slightly less. Our street doesn’t get many trick-or-treaters, and the cold drizzle wasn’t helping very much. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577/13 "2012-11-01T18:40:53Z")
We got none because our power is out due to Hurricane Sandy and the house was dark and creepy. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577/14 "2012-11-01T19:14:31Z")
Zero. It’s always zero though. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577/15 "2012-11-01T19:23:14Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > Zero. It’s always zero though. > [@Procrustus](#): > > You have no option for zero. I’ll vote “less than a dozen” 12 less to be exact. > [@Tamerlane](#): > > I have no idea. I worked 2-10. However in the past zero-three would be standard ( our house is apparently intimidating and the gate sticks ). We pretty much have stopped buying candy for that reason. Add me to the zero club - three years in a row, now. In fact, this is the 10th halloween since I moved to my current house, and I don’t think I have had 12 in the ten years combined. It helps that I am in a townhouse at the far end from the only access road, which itself requires a bit of a hill climb to get there. ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577/16 "2012-11-01T19:23:20Z")
Trick or Treat in Pittsburgh is postponed until Saturday afternoon because of the storm. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577/17 "2012-11-01T19:30:20Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > You have no option for zero. I’ll vote “less than a dozen” 12 less to be exact. Ditto. Absolutely nil. (My porch light was off, but that doesn’t always work.) ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577/18 "2012-11-01T19:34:46Z")
We have the absolutely stupidest system where I live. There is no citywide trick-or-treat. Every neighborhood has its own. Who determines what is a “neighborhood”? Who decides the date and time? I haven’t the foggiest idea. My son loved it when he was of trick-or-treating age, because he and his friends would hit several neighborhoods on successive nights. Anyhoo, our neighborhood’s trick-or-treat was the 26th. The doorbell rang exactly three times – maybe a total of 10 kids. Last year, we missed the notice stuck in our mailbox and were caught with our candy bars down. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577/19 "2012-11-01T19:39:46Z")
I’ve explained in other trick-or-treat threads we take our candy and go to the home of friends who live in a row-home neighborhood that’s quite popular. I don’t think the volume was particularly greater this year but what I did notice was that the groups of kids were less spread out. We were armed with the same amount of candy as in years past, but were wiped out by 8:00pm. Typically (and this has been my Halloween arrangement for seven years) there are a few Whoppers and Smarties left when we turn off the porch light and the party breaks up at 9:00. ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577/20 "2012-11-01T19:40:06Z")
Zero. I voted a dozen or less. It’s been zero most every year except a couple trick-or-treaters several years ago. I gave each of them only one candy out of the bowl, and they haven’t been back since. I guess I could have been more generous. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-trick-or-treaters-did-you-get/639577.md?page=2)