Am I horrible?

[Achandler]

I had sweets, and a pumpkin and I live in a house with a front door that peopel can get to. I even had the light on, and not one kid came to my house! Last year we got 1 and this year I got none, I'm kinda disapointed.

 

Though I think kids upto about 10 is what it should be.

[MK-2]

I had to laugh when opening the door to a couple of girls. Both dressed up, in early teens....one on her mobile phone chatting away just holding out an Asda carrier bag. So I just held out a bucket of sweets and her friend had to get some for her saying "I'll get hers too, she's on the phone" (thanks for the clarification!)

[Pyroman]

I forgot to buy sweets for the kiddies so unfortunately i had to ignore the door. I do love halloween, good excuse to get dressed up and have a gig with my band. Also as kids we went trick or treating and i see no reason to spoil that for other kids, it's only a couple of quids worth of sweets so get a scary mask on and join in otherwise you'll be cheating kids of a childhood and the next thing you know, you'll be complaining about the anti-social kids that live in your area (wonder why they're so "anti-social"?!)

[plexer]

We took the girls out for the first time with some friends around one of the local estates and only went to houses that they knew or ones with pumpkins and that had made an effort allthough it was a bit disturbing with one group of local young people 14, 15+ just roaming the estate having made no effort just going for the sweets.

 

It was slightly marred by the fact that when we got home someone had stolen one of our pumpkins just the one mind you and it happened to be the youngests dora the explorer pumpkin that the missus had carved for her.

 

Due to the fact that we were out we had only had a few come round before that and when we got home that was the end of it pumpkins away batteries out of the doorbell.

 

Ben

[Domino]

Darn...you always find these things too late

 

How to Build Your Very Own Flamethrower Jack-O'-Lantern | Gizmodo UK

 

http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2011/10/medium_firepumpkinnnnnn.gif

[Iain.Faulkner]

Where I live unless you have a pumpkin in your window people don't bother you (at least in the main this is what happens). It allows those who want to be involved to do so, and those that don't want bothering can be left in peace.

 

Seems to work pretty well.

 

Having said that, last night we only had visits from kids whose parents we know (so only about 2/3 knocks at the door) although we do live at the end of the Close and our house is mainly obscured and we'd been out trick or treating ourselves :-)

 

I do agree that there should be an age cut off for it (I'd probably say when they go to secondary school), as it can be quite intimidating to have a group of teenagers turn up on your doorstep.

 

Is it really begging though? Or is it more like organised blackmail (If you don't give us something nice we'll do something nasty to you)?

[elsiegee40]

Much as I don't like Trick or Treat, it is better than Mischief Night (November 4th) that I grew up with in Yorkshire.

 

Mischief Night was supposed to be a night of pranks... I remember getting up one morning to find that some wag had taped every gate along our road shut with electrical tape. I believe its origins (and date) are something to with supporters of that notorious Yorkshireman burned the following day, Guy Fawkes.

 

By the time I left home, the pranks were becoming rather more malicious and that's where Trick or Treat is probably a safer option.

[korifugi]

Hmmm, all this gives me an idea for next year - I have a couple of airsoft 'landmines' that can be filled with talc for a little shock...

[localzuk]

I preferred 'Hop-tu-Naa' as a kid, singing songs and visiting the elderly villagers to say hi basically. We didn't do it for the sweets etc... We used turnips though, not pumpkins!

[witch]

I preferred 'Hop-tu-Naa' as a kid, singing songs and visiting the elderly villagers to say hi basically. We didn't do it for the sweets etc... We used turnips though, not pumpkins!

 

It was traditional to carve a turnip on All Hallow's Eve (goodness, more capitals, what am I like!). After all, the tradition started in this country (sorry, ROF) and we didn't have pumpkins then.

@bossman, my sweet, leave our little USA troll alone - she doesn't understand the concept of friendship and TBH if her reaction to a man she has never met is so bad, something awful must have happened to her.

[ButterflyMoon]

In Scotland we called it Guising and we were only allowed to go to houses in our own street and all the parents stood outside. Was great fun sadly now though it is not quite the same. You are right though Witch it did start here first. Blessings Witch on a Happy Samhain!!

[TechMonkey]

I got sick of the trick or treaters so I turned off the lights and pretended I wasn't in. Stuff the ships. My Lighthouse, my rules!

 

[MK-2]

I got sick of the trick or treaters so I turned off the lights and pretended I wasn't in. Stuff the ships. My Lighthouse, my rules!

 

 

You know the rules, credit the original poster or we'll all vote it down

[TechMonkey]

You know the rules, credit the original poster or we'll all vote it down

 

My mate on Facebook?

[Rydra]

I turned every light on the front of my house, then sat in my study with headphones on and listened to the occassional chirping of my doorbell downstairs while I blew peoples heads off in Battlefield 3

 

Can't find it now, but I came across a video a week or two ago for an epic prank.

 

Dress up as a zombie guy fawkes, with a pumkin mask/head, and sit outside your door with a bowl of sweets in your lap. When the little darlings come to collect the sweets, it's time for the zombie to come alive! Need to be careful though, one parent beat up the guy for doing it out of shock

[Flatpackhamster]

We didn't have any trick-or-treaters, which was a shame, because I'd baked some chocolate brownies earlier in the day. Never mind, they won't go to waste.

 

This thread got a bit angsty yesterday, didn't it?

[witch]

 

This thread got a bit angsty yesterday, didn't it?

Yeah, but then RoF pitched in and made us all laugh, so the tension went and now we are all happy again

[featured_spectre]

I turned every light on the front of my house, then sat in my study with headphones on and listened to the occassional chirping of my doorbell downstairs while I blew peoples heads off in Battlefield 3

PC, PS3 or Xbox?

@bossman, my sweet, leave our little USA troll alone - she doesn't understand the concept of friendship and TBH if her reaction to a man she has never met is so bad, something awful must have happened to her.

Ouch!

 

On the side note, nice to know others feel like me when it comes to All Hallows Eve

 

*Edit*

 

PS

 

Who neg repped me saying "Ha Ha! They do the trick! Blimey - even kids get the concept!"

 

Excuse me for not knowing this having not done trick or treating since I was 7 years old! Besides the kids ask trick or treat, by this notion, if I said trick, they do a trick, but if I said treat I give them a treat? Where is the logic?

Edited November 1, 2011 by featured_spectre

[JJonas]

Ive got a three year old and a six year old so we went out trick or treating but we only do the houses with pumpkins. I also had a pocket full of sweets to hand out to other trick or treaters who hadn't been to our house yet. Overall the atmosphere was good natured and one of fun we certainly didn't have any trouble.

There was a story on the radio this morning about a lady who took the time to cover Brussels sprouts in chocolate and then had no trick or treaters come to her door. Think I might borrow this one for next year, its one way of making sure the kids get their greens.

[Earthling]

I gotta say that I have nothing to do with 'Trick or Treat' or Halloween, or All Hallow's Eve.......it falls just after my birthday and I wasn't having the kids distracted from that while they wound themselves up for Halloween, and if that's being 'Horrible', then yeah, I am and I was probably an evil parent, too........but..............

 

I have to say that although I've never seen her/him/it (never do trust avatar pics) posting on here before, RoF's first comment had me rolling on the floor.....Let's face it, if the OP didn't want to appear or be deemed 'Horrible' then give in and hand over the treats and be deemed 'Not Horrible' and probably labelled as 'We'll go back there next year'.

 

Don't choose a course of action then whine over the effect/consequences of that action, and ask for confirmation from your peer-group (on here) that you're not Horrible, really......that's just insecure.

 

And while I'm enhancing my rep no end, I'll wager, what's the deal with keeping a gun by the front door, inert or not? Only cleaning it? Yeah, sure. Best light to do it by is in the entrance-hall by the front door? Get brighter lightbulbs or a reading-lamp. If you don't have an entrance-hall and the front door opens directly into your living-room, well.......sorry, and continue to clean your weapons by the front door.

 

Befordshire, @nephilim, would that be Luton?

[JoeBloggs]

I just got called horrible by a parent who is out with their children because I did a trick for them rather than give them a treat (Trick or Treat...all in the saying)

 

The kids say to you, trick or treat - not the other way round!!

 

They say trick or treat, and if you say no, then they are supposed to trick you! So depending on the trick you did to the kids, then possible you were horrible!

 

I think trick or treating is supposed to be enjoyable for kids to get dressed up and get sweets. Go see people in their neighborhood / communities and get treats, and when they come to your house they get the same in return. I think it's fine for people to opt-out, simply don't display pumpkins etc

[JoeBloggs]

And while I'm enhancing my rep no end, I'll wager, what's the deal with keeping a gun by the front door, inert or not? Only cleaning it? Yeah, sure. Best light to do it by is in the entrance-hall by the front door? Get brighter lightbulbs or a reading-lamp. If you don't have an entrance-hall and the front door opens directly into your living-room, well.......sorry, and continue to clean your weapons by the front door.

 

I have to agree here. If someone had alerted the authorities that there was a firearm on display, your door would of been taken clean off. Those guys don't mess about.

[bloxy]

Around my other halfs area if there is a pumpkin in the window they knock and get treats - if not they don't knock....seems to work here

[featured_spectre]

And while I'm enhancing my rep no end, I'll wager, what's the deal with keeping a gun by the front door, inert or not? Only cleaning it? Yeah, sure. Best light to do it by is in the entrance-hall by the front door? Get brighter lightbulbs or a reading-lamp. If you don't have an entrance-hall and the front door opens directly into your living-room, well.......sorry, and continue to clean your weapons by the front door.

Yes it does open straight into the front room...the porch door is being put up on Friday afternoon when my daughter is at her nanny's for the day

 

Bedfordshire, @nephilim, would that be Luton?

I used to live in Luton, now I live in Dunstable

[pshuttle]

Mate, as a fully qualified Skill At Arms Instructor I would not recommend you to display your firearms to anyone at home, under any circumstances. The fact that you own a Firearms License should mean that you know better.