to wonder where people who are too scared to answer the door to trick or treaters have got the idea that they are going to be mugged on their own doorstep?

[GoreRenewed]

I live in a quite gentle little town. It's not perfect and entirely crime-free, but it's not exactly Murder Central either. But I have spoken to several people this weekend who tell me that they won't open their door to trick or treaters because it's too risky. Asking for trouble. But none of them have been assaulted or robbed, and neither did they know people who had been.

DS2 and I walked up our road to see whether there were any potential trick or treatees. We have just moved in and we don't know the drill round here. No pumpkins and lots of 'bugger off TorTer' signs. And shadowy figures hovering in darkened rooms peering out at us presumably to see if we were dangerous It was like the eve of some terrible battle, not some silly festival for kids.

I have no problem with people not wanting to give to trick or treaters, it's entirely up to them and I can see it could be a pita. ANd yes, if you are elderly and frail and living alone, it could seem alarming.

But where did this automatic suspicion of strangers come from? When the evidence of most people's own experience is that strangers aren't scary and dangerous. Particularly when they are 3 ft tall and dressed as a pumpkin .

blimey, that sounds awful. i blame the dm.

i am v tempted to put my candy out with a sign saying 'take one and leave the rest for the next witch' though - am feeling particularly anti-social normally i take the dcs but i think this is the year to get dh to have a turn and trek the village for hours. everyone here takes it v seriously - the adults dress up as well and sit on their doorsteps/ in coffins/ lurk under trees to jump out and shout 'boo!' to make small children wet themselves...

The last 15 years or so has had the Government and the Daily Mail making a concerted effort to convince everyone that everyone else is a feral menace, so that they can justify bringing in more and more social control.

That's a shame :(
Around here loads of houses have pumpkins, balloons and other decorations out. The trick or treaters have nearly cleared me out of funsized choccy already. Some of them are very cute :)

I have a sign up. I'm not scared (I work in the criminal justice system) but I don't like being disturbed.

the brits are so shit at this.

i like halloween. however we get no trick or treaters where i live. NONE.

my kids are 17 and this year i haven't even hollowed out a pumpkin

this is why grandchildren were invented surely?

i haven't got anyof them either.

Although, as I said before, I was harassed two years ago, which was unpleasant.

In our village about 70% of the houses have a pumpkin out, which means welcome to t or t's.

Anyone who doesn't have a pumpkin out is left alone.

I think it's really sad that people don't enter into the spirit of it - its only a couple of hours, once a year, and the children who've been round this evening have all been lovely and polite, said thank you, made a big effort with their costumes etc.

I don't like trick or treating and it wouldn't occur to me to get stuff in for it, nor to take my boys knocking on others doors.

BUT, "Particularly when they are 3 ft tall and dressed as a pumpkin" made me snort!

No one has ever done the trick thing here.

When I used to take a crowd of littlies out, if the householder didn't have a treat, the kids would tell them a joke instead.

In the past I have lived on two of the local housing estates. You were lucky not to get mugged in broad daylight, never mind on Halloween! And it wasn't the kids you needed to watch out for, it was their parents!

sooty - no problem with people putting up a sign for any reason whatsoever. I just don't know why o many people are convinced everyone is out to hurt them.

custy - I hope I shall have a pumpkin every year regardless of kids. I like people knocking on my door.

Well in that case I am extraordinarily lucky then. No 'tricks' round here.

Oh I don't 'expect' anything from anyone, as I said in my OP it's up to individuals to do what they wish. I just find it hard to beleive that they really think it's such a dangerous old world.

I took my DC out guising (I don't do trick or treating [hwink]) and about half the houses didn't answer the door (some had pumpkins sitting on their doorstep too [hhmm]. The ones who did were lovely and I made my DC sing a song for them to get their money/sweets

I don't really agree with the whole 'I'm not going to do anything other than say trick or treat' thing, but that's just me being old-fashioned They are just about to go dooking for apples now!

I find the whole event unsettling therefore do not bother opening my door.

I'm irritated by people who think I should participate.

I insisted on doing a pumpkin with my grandchildren ....sorry DD

it's sad, son has gone out with dp, he's so excited! i think it's a bit weird sitting in the dark though

and, have just had some round - for 1st time in years of living here.
Thought it was my boys home 10 mins early after 5 days with their dad :(

Considering you've already started on people who pretend not to be in, now you're starting with people who have signs requesting not to be disturbed too... basically you just think the entire planet has some obligation to provide sweets on demand for anyone who knocks on their door.

No - sorry, you want your kids to have sweets - buy them yourselves. You can live in your idealized world of cute little 5 year olds, the rest of us live in the real world of kids similar sized to the petite ones among us braying on your door with a carrier bag to store all the ket in. Of course - if you live somewhere sweet and idyllic - feel free to tell the rest of the world, where older kids aren't always little angels that they're talking rubbish because obviously you know it all.

I always always always resent being disturbed uninvited at home - it's the one place I have set up to be my sanctuary where I feel safe (especially at the moment when I'm barely out the other side of a massive bout of agoraphobia, anxiety and panic attacks). I resent chuggers, I resent door to door salesmen who think my front step is an extension of their showroom, I resent religious evangelists knocking on my door too - it's my home and I invite in and answer the door to who I feel and that's not every kid in the vicinity tonight. More than anything else - it lets all the bloody heat out of the house and I hate being cold!

Anyone tries to do the trick crap on me for not opening the door and I'll be on the phone to the police as well.

Im sad cos Ive got the sweet bowl waiting and have only had a witch and a skeleton [hsad]

I want to see little pumpkins and teens trying to be scary in screech masks.

Perhaps they are scared of me {hsmile]

Try again too much baileys tonight ! [hsmile]

emptyshell ... are you not a fan of halloween then? or children?

Fuck me emptyshell you seem to have an issue with me I just asked why people are scared when evidence that they should be is in truth so thin on the ground. I also said quite clearly that I expected no-one to answer the door if they don't want to - for whatever reasons. And that includes you.

But hey, overreact if you wish...