# What is it about October 31 that makes people act like buttholes? (Mild) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 30, 2008, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-october-31-that-makes-people-act-like-buttholes-mild/470201 "2008-10-30T03:06:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Unsquare\_Dance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b3f665/32.png) [@Unsquare\_Dance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unsquare_Dance)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-october-31-that-makes-people-act-like-buttholes-mild/470201/41 "2008-10-31T00:18:01Z")
> [@overlyverbose](#): > > What drives me nuts is that there are religious drama queens who think that Halloween is a night for Satan worshipping and make a huge production out of not letting their kids trick-or-treat. Jeez - like anyone gives a crap. I wish to God they’d stop putting those stupid stories on the news. It drives me nuts, too, but I like to stay positive. I’ve made a tradition out of listening to a local pastor’s Halloween rant/sermon every year. It gets more ridiculous and hilarious as time goes on. This year, he actually said, “This is back when civilizations were mostly demonic!” I live in the town that closed down Halloween celebrations due to _rioting_, so… I guess I just don’t see the fake feet and effigies as being all that terrible. My Halloween is very simple, sort of like Christmas: I make a big dinner, bake pan de muertos for November 1st, watch horror movies all month, and carve pumpkins. Good, wholesome fun, folks. ---
**Author:** ![Rack-a-Bones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rack-a-Bones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rack-a-Bones)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-october-31-that-makes-people-act-like-buttholes-mild/470201/42 "2008-10-31T00:21:13Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > As I type, there’s a gaggle of little girls across the street who are alternating screaming as loud as they possibly can (and I don’t mean normal play screams - they’re seeing if they can shriek up a lung), and then lying in the street pretending to be dead every time a car passes by. I see some discarded Halloween costumes on the lawn, so presumably they’re practicing up on their buttholery for tomorrow night. Call me an old fogey (fogie?) but I’d be calling the police for this one. Those girls will give some old lady a heart attack, or actually winding up dead when some scared person backs up to see what the commotion is all about. Or alternatively, you could run across the street screaming “Oh my god, oh my god are you OK? Don’t worry I called the police and the ambulance and they will be here soon!” ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-october-31-that-makes-people-act-like-buttholes-mild/470201/43 "2008-10-31T00:32:07Z")
I came into this thread expecting to see rants about kids chucking eggs and TPing everything, to which I would have said “Yeah, those kids are damn annoying. I don’t know why people have to vandalize stuff. Etc.” (and I would definitely say “E-T-C,” like some of my ESL students for whom “et cetera” is too difficult) But to walk into a rant like that? **Hippy Hollow** is annoyed that people put up Halloween props. ZOMGz! That’s lamer than a soccer player who had reconstructive ACL surgery 6 months ago, but is now just about recovered. You want some cheese to go with that dinner? Why don’t you make like a tree, and get outta here. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-october-31-that-makes-people-act-like-buttholes-mild/470201/44 "2008-10-31T02:04:02Z")
> [@EpicNonsense](#): > > Why can’t us (I wanted to say “Halloweener’s” but that wouldn’t fit right)… people who love Halloween just throw out a few gags, pranks, _bloody_ feet, and decorations a few days beforehand… Is it really oh-so bad? The whole point of it is to scare you. Anything on the day of Halloween is all but expected. I think being scared is fun, too … but I would rather not be scared while I’m driving a car, which is when the fake foot always gets me. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-october-31-that-makes-people-act-like-buttholes-mild/470201/45 "2008-10-31T02:58:42Z")
People… the title says “mild.” I still think hanging realistic effigies is in poor taste. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-october-31-that-makes-people-act-like-buttholes-mild/470201/46 "2008-10-31T02:59:07Z")
> [@overlyverbose](#): > > Only second to that are the teenagers who go around in regular clothes, then pound on your door when we don’t answer (the light is off - that means go away) demanding candy and yelling, “I know you’re in there!” Jackasses. I’d take the butthole pranksters mentioned in the OP any day. These kids really piss me off. The ones who show up in our neighborhood don’t pound on the door and yell, or even come to the door after the light is turned off. There are too many other houses still giving out candy to be bothered with that. No, they’re charging across yards, trampling the remains of people’s flowers, shoving little kids out of their way in their rush to shove a bag into your face past the bags of a group of preschoolers. There is no yell of “Trick or treat!” or “Happy Halloween” or even “Kiss my ass, bitch.” Just a sullen stare while you finish taking care of the ones who were there first, an incredulous look at the amount of candy you deposit in the out-thrust bag, and frequently a shaking of the bag, like a bellboy coughing to gently remind you of the tip. Sometimes, when the bag jiggle doesn’t work, they’ll actually stand there and argue with you about giving them more candy. (I’m stingy with the candy, and quite firm about the stinginess, because we get over 300 kids come through every year. Though on the bright side, after a few years of stinginess, the rude twerps tend to stop bothering with your house.) The people who _really_ piss me off, though, are the parents who drag tiny infants out in crappy weather to collect candy and then tell you that really there’s no need for you to give them something the toothless baby can gum on. A Snickers bar is fine, really. Seriously, are you people that fucking hard up, that you have to take a six-month-old out when it’s 40 degrees and raining to beg for candy? Get in the goddamn car and I will drive you to the store and buy you a whole fucking bag of the shit if you will just take that child someplace warm and dry and keep it there. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-october-31-that-makes-people-act-like-buttholes-mild/470201/47 "2008-10-31T03:34:46Z")
> [@EpicNonsense](#): > > I can’t wait until I have my own house. My Halloween decor will stay up until Christmas. I will simply add lights to everything. During the day, you see Halloween. At night, nothing but Christmas lights. This will confuse the hell out of people. > > So it seems you have the same passion I do for scaring people. I worked at an attraction Dueling Dragons at Universal Orlando in 06. The queue line was through a dark, creepy castle. This is where I spent my breaks. These people never saw it coming, and I wouldn’t move a muscle. Similar to your yard. My peasant uniform blended in just right so it was very difficult to distinguish between me and the other props. I plan to get a 6 foot grimm repear then put it in a santa suit and beard for christmas and leave it setting on the couch with it’s feet up on the coffee table till new years. The double takes will be priceless. The joys of not having kids to worry about scarring for life. ---
**Author:** ![EpicNonsense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c37758/32.png) [@EpicNonsense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EpicNonsense)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-october-31-that-makes-people-act-like-buttholes-mild/470201/48 "2008-10-31T03:54:38Z")
> [@delphica](#): > > I think being scared is fun, too … but I would rather not be scared while I’m driving a car, which is when the fake foot always gets me. Very understandable, very unexpected, and I agree, it is a little over the top, being that other people driving might get overly frightened and cause harm to themselves or someone else. This type of activity _should_ not be allowed, but until something happens they won’t bother. ---
**Author:** ![St.Urho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@St.Urho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Urho)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-october-31-that-makes-people-act-like-buttholes-mild/470201/49 "2008-10-31T05:54:36Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > It ain’t me. I have a hand sticking out of the trunk, and I live in North Carolina. > > The icing on the cake is that it’s right above a license plate that clearly identifies me as a fireman and EMT. > > (i’ll be taking it down after ToT tomorrow night.) You weren’t down in [Florida](http://www.emsresponder.com/web/online/Top-EMS-News/Florida-Rescuer-in-Stolen-Leg-Allegation-Resigns/1$8317) recently, were you? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-october-31-that-makes-people-act-like-buttholes-mild/470201/50 "2008-10-31T11:42:58Z")
> [@St.Urho](#): > > You weren’t down in [Florida](http://www.emsresponder.com/web/online/Top-EMS-News/Florida-Rescuer-in-Stolen-Leg-Allegation-Resigns/1$8317) recently, were you? :eek: Unless you can buy dismembered body parts at WallyWorld, no. VWife is threatening to make a red sleeve with a white faux fur cuff for my arm so I can use it in December, too. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-october-31-that-makes-people-act-like-buttholes-mild/470201/51 "2008-10-31T12:23:36Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > I plan to get a 6 foot grimm repear then put it in a santa suit and beard for christmas and leave it setting on the couch with it’s feet up on the coffee table till new years. The double takes will be priceless. > > The joys of not having kids to worry about scarring for life. I’m very tempted to sting some garland and lights around the zombies and put santa hats on their heads. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-october-31-that-makes-people-act-like-buttholes-mild/470201/52 "2008-10-31T13:59:11Z")
> [@CrazyCatLady](#): > > These kids really piss me off. This is why I hope to never again live in town. Some of these ‘kids’ were still coming around at 11 pm on a school night. I turned off all the lights and went to bed. Thankfully now we live far off of a road which is not conducive to walking, and no longer get ‘trick-or-treaters’. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-october-31-that-makes-people-act-like-buttholes-mild/470201/53 "2008-10-31T14:53:39Z")
Oh, I enjoy the trick or treating, even if it is more like a swarm of locusts than anything else. We live in one of the few really walkable neighborhoods in the area, but it’s not terribly accessible–there are only a handful of houses within about half a mile once you cross the one-lane bridge into the neighborhood. So all the kids we get imported are driven in by their parents, who generally want to hurry up and get this over with and hustle them back home as early as possible. And the vast majority of the kids we get are pretty polite, even the bulk of the teenagers. ---
**Author:** ![St.Urho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@St.Urho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Urho)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-october-31-that-makes-people-act-like-buttholes-mild/470201/54 "2008-11-01T02:35:00Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > VWife is threatening to make a red sleeve with a white faux fur cuff for my arm so I can use it in December, too. Nice! ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-october-31-that-makes-people-act-like-buttholes-mild/470201/55 "2008-11-01T03:03:51Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > So I’m walking in the garage and **I see a foot sticking out of a trunk**. Holy shit, I think, **and run over** to see if someone passed out or something. I get there, and it’s a fake foot. Ha ha. bold added **Hippy Hollow** , I agree with you in spirit. I hate Halloween with a vengeance. I hate other people trying to scare people like it makes them powerful or something. Yeah, scaring people with your fake blood and all. . . really scary. But try telling them their stock portfolio just dropped 40% and where is all their tough guy bravery then, huh? So I’m with you in the whole concept of hating the annoyance of someone trying to scare someone else for kicks, but here’s where you went wrong in the scenario above. When you see a foot sticking out of someone’s trunk, you do not run over towards the car. . . you move slowly and then quicker in the _other_ direction. Unless it’s a car you own, a dead body in someone else’s car is not something you want to run towards. 😉 It’s like when you see haunted house movies. The owners of the house see a litany of weird things happening and then become convinced their house is haunted. Why do they stay there? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![paffinity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@paffinity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paffinity)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-october-31-that-makes-people-act-like-buttholes-mild/470201/56 "2008-11-02T03:18:39Z")
This being a thread about people acting like buttholes on Halloween, I’ve got a couple stories to share: ``` First, I have to admit that my friends and I are all 17, so we may be a bit old to go around trick or treating. I figured some people may have problems with that, but to my surprise we didn't get a single "aren't you a little old...?" comment. However, I decided to bring one of those little UNICEF charity boxes around while trick or treating. I asked the lady at the first house whether she wanted to donate. Her response: "Are you kidding me!?" She grumbled and handed me a corner. After several similar responses I gave up, with maybe $1.25 in donations. I guess I'm the asshole for trying to help some people out on Halloween. Later on, my group of friends showed up to one house covered in Halloween decorations, only to be told they were out of candy. That would have been OK, but we noticed coming back that this guy had a pickup truck with two giant confederate flags attached. Because one of my friends is black, we're thinking that house may not have been telling the truth. ``` ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-october-31-that-makes-people-act-like-buttholes-mild/470201/57 "2008-11-02T04:23:38Z")
You people just don’t know how to have fun. In Detroit starting 2 days before Halloween ,we burn down houses. In the 1980s we had as many as 800 . Then dwindling slowly. In the 80s we had only a couple hundred. This year about 100. Devils night has always been an exciting time in Detroit. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-october-31-that-makes-people-act-like-buttholes-mild/470201/58 "2008-11-02T04:29:53Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > You people just don’t know how to have fun. In Detroit starting 2 days before Halloween ,we burn down houses. In the 1980s we had as many as 800 . Then dwindling slowly. In the 80s we had only a couple hundred. This year about 100. Devils night has always been an exciting time in Detroit. That’s urban improvement when it’s Detriot. The thing I remember most about Detroit was the smell. You don’t forget that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-about-october-31-that-makes-people-act-like-buttholes-mild/470201.md?page=2)