National paranoia? Goddamn.

So here it is, 8:30 p.m. Central time. How many little gremlins, pirates and fairy princesses have been knocking at Max’s door, wanting a handful of that sinful chocolately goodness that’s just aching to be thrown into little plastic pumkins?

Zero. Nada. Zilch.

It’s entirely unprecedented. There are kids in this neighborhood; the doorbell should be ringing incessantly just like all those other years. I go outside to take a look, and see no one out at all.

I wanna find the waste of skin that started those hoax e-mails about the anthrax candy and sodomize them with this big stack of Milky Way bars. Really, people, why can’t we have a rational assessment of threats? Let your kids have some fun tonight; don’t make them afraid of ghosts that aren’t Halloween types. I don’t know if I’m more pissed or sad.

Please, Dopers, tell me it’s not like this everywhere? And if so, bitch away.

It certainly isn’t in Canada. Or, Montreal at least. Our candy was all gone by 7:00.

We saw other groups of kids out tonight (in suburban Boston) and there seemed to be the usual number of dark houses. All in all, it seemed to be a pretty good turnout, given that it was sprinkling rain most of them time and was damn cold, to boot.

I’m in Portland, OR – and at least 20-30 kids have stopped at my door for candy. I’m almost out - so am happy that the kids weren’t deterred here. Sorry to hear about it on your end

Northern Virginia - a distinct drop in the usual number of trick-or-treaters here. Usually I have upwards of fifty kids; tonight, less than ten.

  • Rick

And I’ll help you cram those Milky Way bars with walnuts MM!

Got lots’a kids coming by over here. Lit up pumpkins on the doorsteps and the delighted screams of children with bags’o candy.

It’s going to take a lot more than this to keep the American people down and Halloween from happening.

None here (New Jersey) except for my neighbor who came to borrow salt. I gave him candy too.

:frowning:

No one here on this block in Brooklyn. Not even an egg throw.

<Sigh>. 10 p.m. and still not a trick-or-treater in sight. Past this point we’re out of the cute-little-tyke phase of the evening in any event.

This whole fiasco makes me want to become sort of a Candy Avenger. Y’know, go door to door and GIVE candy to the little children. But since no one would probably accept it, I would have to force them at gunpoint or something, and a jail cell is just not the place to spend Halloween.

I’m going to sulk here and eat these Snickers bars, and brood about FUCKING OVERREACTIONS.

At least we got some kids out some places. Let’s keep hearing the good and the bad.

I’m in Stillwater and there seemed to be a pretty good turn out in the neighborhood I took my son to for trick or treating.

But the OKC news said there was a 50-75% drop in trick or treaters in the Metro area. Several malls canceled their planned events.

Dumbasses.

I’m sure terrorists were sitting around looking for a good mall in the middle of nowhere to hit. :rolleyes:

I bought my candy, and had my lights on.

Nothing. Not a trick-or-treater. Not a one.

Now I’m a type 1 diabetic with tons of candy.

Maybe I should have bought beer to hand out instead.

Well, not any here, in 'Bama, either. Or at least my edge of the woods.

I knew I wasn’t going to be here, due to taking my own kids out (we went to a church thing up the street) but my oldest son and his merry mayhemers were here, and they said that not so much as one kid showed up.

Quite a far cry from last year, when my door nearly had to be repainted from all the knocking.

:frowning:

Western Maryland here. We had a pretty good turnout. I had to refill the candy bowl once, so I was pleased.

My husband took our little one around and said there were more dark house than usual, though.

Sheri

I live too far out of town to get any trick-or-treaters, but I went to town to get some food and pop and along the way, I saw some cute little demons and ghouls and ghosts in the residential areas of Havre, Montana.

It’s interesting seeing American flags mingled with the traditional Halloween decor. We haven’t forgotten the events, we’re just not letting them get us down.

Damn, I hope Thanksgiving isn’t too much changed by this. I need a good, traditional holiday to get me back into the swing of the season.

Little town in Iowa. Big old guy dressed up in a gorilla suit. Sitting in a tree in his front yard. Giving away bananas. Went through 60 lbs of bananas between 5:00 and 7:00.

There seemed to be a distinct drop in trick-or-treating activity in my parents’ neighborhood this year. I also noticed that the trick-or-treaters that were out tended to be skewed towards the older end.

My daughter ended up with two cans of soda. I don’t think that’s ever happened before. She also received one religious tract (non-Jack Chick).

My mother gave out little “Mad Libs” books and stickers along with candy. The Mad Libs and stickers were very well received, but there’s still enough stuff (especially candy) left for next year, I’m afraid.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Elsewhere in Northern Virginia - a slight increase over last year. This is our second Halloween in our new place. Still had a few teens who appeared to not have bothered with a costume, or they were doing Wednesday Addams’ “homicidal maniac;” I bet they were the same ones as last year. One teen did have an “FBI” sweatshirt. Last year, I had bought two bags of fun-size candies and gave away about half. Two bags again this year and was in danger of giving it all away. Like last year, I was giving two per costume. No apparent costume? Sorry, just one candy from me. Might need a third bag next year just in case.

I usually sit out on my porch to give out candy (I’m in Jamaica Plain, a Boston neighborhood). But last night I had to leave at 5:15. Still, by that time there are usually at least a few kids ringing doorbells. And a handful on the streets. But last night, not a one.

In fact, on my long trip via public transportation, I only saw one person in costume, and she was an adult.

What the fuck? Do you really think that Osama bi Laden is really going to target your precious little Snotleigh via a bite-sized Snickers bar?