# My first sting operation **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 13, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028 "2010-10-13T18:43:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/21 "2010-10-14T20:06:53Z")
You do know that Halloween is over 2 weeks away yet, right? What the hell? Who wants to look at crappy plastic tombstones and other dollar store crap, for weeks leading up to it? My pet peeve used to be people not removing their Halloween crap in a timely fashion, but it’s rapidly switching to boobs who feel the need to decorate weeks early, then, get all bent when neighbourhood kids have a little fun. Don’t like it? Keep that crap in your house until October 30th and there won’t be a problem. It’s not a freaking season, it’s one night. If you must, simply must, decorate earlier, then stick to stuff in the windows and on the porch, leave the lawn things till the night before. Halloween is also about pranking people in harmless ways, for lots of people, not just decorating. Putting your plastic crap out on the lawn, in easy reach, days, weeks early is ridiculously foolish unless you enjoy having it messed with. Count your blessings it’s all still there in the morning. If you were my neighbour, I’d be sorely tempted to just disappear it for a couple of weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/22 "2010-10-14T20:12:08Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > You do know that Halloween is over 2 weeks away yet, right? > > What the hell? Who wants to look at crappy plastic tombstones and other dollar store crap, for weeks leading up to it? > > My pet peeve used to be people not removing their Halloween crap in a timely fashion, but it’s rapidly switching to boobs who feel the need to decorate weeks early, then, get all bent when neighbourhood kids have a little fun. > > Don’t like it? Keep that crap in your house until October 30th and there won’t be a problem. It’s not a freaking season, it’s one night. If you must, simply must, decorate earlier, then stick to stuff in the windows and on the porch, leave the lawn things till the night before. > > Halloween is also about pranking people in harmless ways, for lots of people, not just decorating. Putting your plastic crap out on the lawn, in easy reach, days, weeks early is ridiculously foolish unless you enjoy having it messed with. > > Count your blessings it’s all still there in the morning. If you were my neighbour, I’d be sorely tempted to just disappear it for a couple of weeks. Happy Halloween to you too. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/23 "2010-10-14T20:20:00Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > You do know that Halloween is over 2 weeks away yet, right? > > What the hell? Who wants to look at crappy plastic tombstones and other dollar store crap, for weeks leading up to it? > > My pet peeve used to be people not removing their Halloween crap in a timely fashion, but it’s rapidly switching to boobs who feel the need to decorate weeks early, then, get all bent when neighbourhood kids have a little fun. > > Don’t like it? Keep that crap in your house until October 30th and there won’t be a problem. It’s not a freaking season, it’s one night. If you must, simply must, decorate earlier, then stick to stuff in the windows and on the porch, leave the lawn things till the night before. > > Halloween is also about pranking people in harmless ways, for lots of people, not just decorating. Putting your plastic crap out on the lawn, in easy reach, days, weeks early is ridiculously foolish unless you enjoy having it messed with. > > Count your blessings it’s all still there in the morning. If you were my neighbour, I’d be sorely tempted to just disappear it for a couple of weeks. What is this all aboot? ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/24 "2010-10-14T20:24:44Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > You do know that Halloween is over 2 weeks away yet, right? > > What the hell? Who wants to look at crappy plastic tombstones and other dollar store crap, for weeks leading up to it? > > My pet peeve used to be people not removing their Halloween crap in a timely fashion, but it’s rapidly switching to boobs who feel the need to decorate weeks early, then, get all bent when neighbourhood kids have a little fun. > > Don’t like it? Keep that crap in your house until October 30th and there won’t be a problem. It’s not a freaking season, it’s one night. If you must, simply must, decorate earlier, then stick to stuff in the windows and on the porch, leave the lawn things till the night before. > > Halloween is also about pranking people in harmless ways, for lots of people, not just decorating. Putting your plastic crap out on the lawn, in easy reach, days, weeks early is ridiculously foolish unless you enjoy having it messed with. > > Count your blessings it’s all still there in the morning. If you were my neighbour, I’d be sorely tempted to just disappear it for a couple of weeks. Is this the start to a screenplay for _The Grinch Who Stole Halloween_? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/25 "2010-10-14T20:31:36Z")
I think he’s trying to put the Jesus back in it. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/26 "2010-10-14T20:45:58Z")
This reminds me of my Dad’s reminscinces of old-timey Halloweens. The kind with no store-bought costumes and burning witches in bonfires (in effigy) and bobbing for apples and making noise-makers out of wooden spools to run against the walls of people’s houses and pushing outhouses back a few feet. Personally, I’d rather have my decorations messed with than my outhouse pushed back. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/27 "2010-10-14T20:47:39Z")
It’s about people putting lots of cheap plastic crap out on their yards, not for one night, no, no, that will never do, for freaking weeks ahead of time. Keep that crap in your garage until the night before and then remove it the next day. It’s not a freaking season people, it’s one night. Your neighbours don’t like it and it looks like crap. This person is begging to be pranked, crap it’s not even October 15th yet! And the Great Pumpkin weeps at your lameness, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/28 "2010-10-14T21:02:01Z")
Before the thread gets closed, Hampshire, please describe your decorations for us. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/29 "2010-10-14T21:03:17Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > It’s about people putting lots of cheap plastic crap out on their yards, not for one night, no, no, that will never do, for freaking weeks ahead of time. > > Keep that crap in your garage until the night before and then remove it the next day. It’s not a freaking season people, it’s one night. > > Your neighbours don’t like it and it looks like crap. > > This person is begging to be pranked, crap it’s not even October 15th yet! > > And the Great Pumpkin weeps at your lameness, by the way. You kidding me? I’m already seeing CHRISTMAS stuff. I’m glad the Halloween people have taken as long as they did. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/30 "2010-10-14T21:13:51Z")
Is it too early to start decorating for Groundhog day? Is it too early to start decorating for Groundhog day? ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/31 "2010-10-14T21:28:05Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Before the thread gets closed, Hampshire, please describe your decorations for us. 🙂 Well, my wife talked me into making [these](http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/outdoor-decorations-for-halloween#slide_37) this year which turned out nice. Most of the other stuff is regulated to the planters around the front door. To the left of the door a nice poseable skeleton sitting on a pile of rocks and skulls amongst headstones. To the right is a mini pumpkin patch with jack-o-lanterns and mini trees with eyes. The front door has a string of orange pumpkin lights hanging from the overhang, some spiders around the doorbell, and some “BEWARE! GO AWAY! GET OUT!” signs stuck to the front door. It all has some nice green and orange floodlights so you can see it at night. We get about 100 trick-or-treaters and they seem to like it. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/32 "2010-10-14T21:46:23Z")
Um, why would the thread be closed? Because we disagreed? I’m not seeing it, please explain. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/33 "2010-10-14T22:05:00Z")
Every Doper down in Doperville liked Halloween a lot, but **elbows** , who lived just north of Doperville - did not. **elbows** hated Halloween - the whole Halloween season. Now, please don’t ask why; no one quite knows the reason. It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight. Or it could be that his head wasn’t screwed on just right. But I think that the most likely reason of all may have been that his heart was two sizes too small. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/34 "2010-10-14T22:13:15Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Every Doper down in Doperville liked Halloween a lot, but **elbows** , who lived just north of Doperville - did not. > > **elbows** hated Halloween - the whole Halloween season. Now, please don’t ask why; no one quite knows the reason. > > It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight. Or it could be that his head wasn’t screwed on just right. > > But I think that the most likely reason of all may have been that his heart was two sizes too small. You can plant your young in my chest to explode out later if you’d like. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/35 "2010-10-14T22:50:12Z")
Halloween as a night and NOT a season?! Never! I think Halloween’s the one holiday we need more of, frankly. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/36 "2010-10-14T22:54:09Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Um, why would the thread be closed? > > Because we disagreed? > > I’m not seeing it, please explain. Humor-it is a difficult concept. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/37 "2010-10-14T23:03:24Z")
Man I LOVE Halloween! The neighborhood kids (well, now they’re all college students and working) when I was growing up adored how much my dad got into it - multiple lit plastic ghosts, pumpkins, etc. Smaller lights lining the whole driveway. And my dad in a Vader costume! I hope you catch the kids. No doubt they’re assholes in high school; I can’t imagine a younger group of kids being such assholes. Wasn’t there a piece in Slate recently about someone wanting to shame the family on Youtube? How it’s not a good idea because they’re minors, etc? I wouldn’t put it on youtube, I’d just tell the parents what happened. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/38 "2010-10-14T23:09:19Z")
Hey, don’t get me wrong. I love Halloween. Put out my shrunken head, and human skull, it’s all good. Enjoy the kiddies, the candy, love it. What I do not love is having to look at your cheap crap decorations for weeks leading up to a one night event. And when you get your cheap crap rearranged by the neighbourhood kids it seems right in keeping with what Halloween is all about, to me. Don’t want people messing with it? Don’t put it out two weeks freaking early! Why not just make a recording that sounds every few minutes, “Hey you kids, get off my lawn!” ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/39 "2010-10-14T23:10:12Z")
Would you say that about Christmas, though? It also lasts a day and people go even more out for that holiday. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028/40 "2010-10-14T23:14:24Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Don’t want people messing with it? Don’t put it out two weeks freaking early! Blaming the victim. Don’t worry, OP, you’ll catch the bastards. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-sting-operation/557028.md?page=3)