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 .

Look the OP ssaid she couldnt understand why people who be afraid to open the door. There has been a lot of reasons given for not opening the door. Now those of us you have suffered from attacks as a result of not supporting trick or treaters are being accused of hating all teenagers and tarring all kids with the same brush.

It is not fucking about that. the police dont do fuck all. Although they did recently investigate the theft of the number plate so I am hopeful with we have the same problems as in previous year we might see a community officer tomorrow. they dont do fuck all on new years eve either when cars are being vanadlised. but that is a comment on the state of policing.

If people dont want to open the door They dont have to justify it. Just because you live in an area with low crime rate now doesnt mean to say that they haventy suffer on previous halloweens. Also some people dont believe in halloween.

What is completely unfair the fact that You do seem to expect that they open the doors to trick or treaters. the fact that you think it is a great shame that your kids dont have anywhere to trick or treat. If you are that concerned instead of trick or treating why dont you have a halloween party with party games.

I think it is scary for the elderly-they don't want callers when it is dark.
I also find it weird that parents tell DCs not to talk to strangers and take sweets off them and then on 31st October it is OK!

wrong
it is, that is how the police dealt with it , well if you saw our house, every window has been egged(bar dd's) and every wall, you can't get it off the walls.
so yeah lovely

I agree, I find the whole bah humbug thing really depressing and a sad representation of our country, especially all the anti Americanism. The people I am aware of that are like this have such ridiculous double standards, using words like "fashionista" - errr, where do they think this word came from?

DH is bah humbug about most things, especially Christmas, but for some reason, he really enters into the spirit at Halloween ( no pun intended [hgrin] ), and I love him for it, eating his dinner with his witches hat on.

I echo your sentiment of anyone at the door being welcome, op, however, I do appreciate that this is very different for those who have a history of harrassment.

ooh too much wine

witch's not witches

Sorry but knocking on strangers doors (and those that have knocked here have been strangers to us) and expecting/asking for treats are begging.

If it is arranged among friends and family that you will visit each other and exchange gifts then that's a whole different matter.

Sorry if I wasn't clear, I only see it as encouraging begging if it is to strangers.

I live on a council estate and its been lovely today. A little halloween party on the green for the kids, and then trick or treaters. They stopped about 6.30pm after 2 hours of knocking. I was cleaned out of 4 bags of sweets, but everyone was lovely. When we ran out we blew out the pumpkins on the front step - one teenager knocked after this and I opened the door and said sorry, we've run out, hence the pumpkins not there and he was very apologetic for knocking and polite.

Tbf, I was worried before tonight - last year I went out, so this is my first year in the house on halloween and being on my own I was worried as the estate has a bad name. But I'm glad I did put the pumpkins out and get into the spirit of it as it has really cheered me up.

YANBU, I can see that they may have been scared in the past but its sad that they feel that way

'And really it's not so bad having an egg thrown on your car or window. It's not exactly criminal damage'

Have you ever tried scrubbing dried egg off your door, HeadlessLadyBiscuit?
Takes ages.
Best Halloween scare ever?
Some children threw eggs at my door, I flung it open to yell and recognised them.
Cue screams of 'Oh Fuck, it's Mrs Goblinchild'
and mass running away.
Run away from a teacher? Fat chance.
I'll see you in the morning. my little poppets.
Muahahaha

and on the begging comment I knew probably 4/50 callers and I dont see any of those kids who I didnt know who had made a big effort in dressing up and were polite and lovely as beggers.

We have never had any "tricks" played on us. I don't know anyone else who has either.

I faithfully gave treats when my kids were small, and for a few years after they were too old to trick or treat. Now sometimes I do decorate and give out treats, and sometimes I turn off the outside light, and close the drapes in the living room.

Most of the trick or treaters around here are well under the age of 12, mostly aged 10 and under.
By 8 pm it is only a few teenagers, and I have already turned off the light by then.
My theory is, if your children are out trick or treating, you should give out treats. Otherwise, you are off the hook.

I can understand if someone's living with vile neighbours or if they've been harassed by youths, but luckily most people aren't in this position. I do really feel for those who are.

But for those who aren't intimidated by local children, I do think it's really miserable to have this attitude to Halloween. It's lovely to see the children all dressed up.

I'm going to stand up for the younger teenagers here - they are still children, they still want to do trick or treating, but so many adults are scared of them just because they are teenagers. I might be lucky where I live, but I will always answer the door to both children and teenagers and find if you're polite and friendly, everything's OK.

It's fine early on, it's when it's 9:30pm and you're in the house on your own, and you've forgotten it's halloween, and you open the door and 4 lads who are 6 foot tall in fucking scary masks are at the door demanding money (true story).

They hung about my house for ages afterward too

Doesn't help that there is NO light outside our house either

[wuss]

I should backcomb my hair and answer the door wearing nothing but sparkly grey tights... that'll learn'em

Egg is very difficult to remove the next day-I know well from experience. (they threw it because we didn't answer the door-as we were 200 miles away at the time I think we could be excused without eggs!)

and rofl @ goblinchild

Rough estate a stones throw away? Check.
History of harrassment? Check.
Full of cold and feeling like cr*p? Check.
Bowl of sweets at the ready and a pumpkin outside? Too right! [hgrin]

I must just be lucky, we've only had polite TorTers in full costume, who took one sweet each. Can't count as begging, as I offered the sweets freely. [hsmile]

herbietea oh I understand, the sound an egg makes as it hits really makes you jump.
and you can't get it off the walls, it just stains, looks horrid as well. I hope the person who thinks it is ok doesn't find out how shit it is.

I don't want to be disturbed.
I don't want to be verbally abused on my own door step. (was last year)
I don't want to take part
nor do I want to be forced to take part.

I also do not want my house egged, car scratched or trees toilet papered.

It has nothing to do with being mugged or assaulted and has everything to do with wanting a quite night in.

BTW I have signs out that say no clod selling etc.

shou;d I also have one that says no extorting sweets by menace?

Oh my God my boys have just come in and said a lad was beaten up by a man for egging his house

should say no cold selling

spikeycow I can understand that mans anger(although calling the police as it is criminal damage would have been better)