OK, which of you wrote this Dear Prudence question about Trick or Treat?

[Anonymous]

Who cares? The kids are not somehow less deserving of candy because they are from somewhere else. If you buy a finite amount, and you give it to kids not from your neighborhood and then run out, guess what -- the kids from your neighborhood will survive without getting candy from you. If you have enough money to buy a huge supply and give to everyone, great. If you don't, some kids will miss out. That's life.

When I was a kid, we went to other neighborhoods all the time -- not specifically to improve our haul, but because we liked to trick or treat with friends and then sleep over. Some years my parents would host, some years other parents would host. Usually it was our place because our neighborhood was, in fact, a bit better to go out in, since the houses were closer together. No one ever raised a stink.

For the pp who said her neighborhood can no longer do activities they used to do, I guess that's a shame, but in most places all you do is the simple trick or treating -- you don't have all the parties and activities for the parents. So for most people, having more or different kids should make no difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:does everything in America need to be about redistribution? Why can't Halloween just be a neighborhood event? That doesn't seem unreasonable to me.

this is classic. CLASSIC

[Anonymous]

have 2 bins for candy. Give the expensive stuff the kids in your neighborhood. This is what a halloween greeting consultant we are hiring to hand out candy told us. This is a good interview question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh, for God's sake! We live around Eastern Market and every year there are hordes of trick or treaters who are clearly not from the neighborhood but from the less affluent parts of the city. So what! Only a grinch would object to giving out candy to kids whose parents want them to have a safer experience or maybe to get better candy. If you can afford to live in a nice area, you can afford a few extra bags of sweets! These are kids!

Oh, and sometimes we even get homeless people 'trick or treating.' They are adults dressed in ratty clothes with a garbage bag. So? I give them a piece of candy. That's a small enough kindness to give someone who is not living the happiest life.

People are awful.

I also live near Eastern Market. What are you defining as "neighborhood"? Cause most of the 300+ people coming to my house are from the area surrounding the Potomac Ave metro stop. I wouldn't say that's not "the neighborhood."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:have 2 bins for candy. Give the expensive stuff the kids in your neighborhood. This is what a halloween greeting consultant we are hiring to hand out candy told us. This is a good interview question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:have 2 bins for candy. Give the expensive stuff the kids in your neighborhood. This is what a halloween greeting consultant we are hiring to hand out candy told us. This is a good interview question.

Lindt truffles for the rich kids, Tootsie Rolls for the poors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in a neighborhood that is a really close community and people go all out with the inflatable lawn decorations and so forth. We have watched Halloween change in our neighborhood over the past eight years or so. It went from being a local neighborhood party where you saw your friends' kids, caught up with old friends, and occasionally offered them a beer -- to being a big "free candy festival" for up to 300 people from outside the neighborhood. Things that we used to do in the neighborhood -- giving little kids a ride in a golf cart, the big kids setting up little tricks to scare the smaller kids, the big kids dressing up like zombies, the parents dressing up -- all of this has changed now that it's no longer a neighborhood event. We get massive amounts of traffic -- the lazy ass parents who trail the kids in a minivan and won't get out of the car, and most years I've been annoyed because if I have to drop one of my kids off at a Halloween party at a friend's house outside the neighborhood, I actually spend time in traffic in my neighborhood waiting to get back to my house.
And lately, we've had kids not only visiting at Halloween but showing up later soliciting funds for their school teams, trying to sell us stuff for their school fundraiser, etc. I concur with the poster who said that they chose a family-friendly neighborhood and chose to spend the money for that neighborhood. THe principle is called free-riding, folks. If you drop your kids off at my door, but there is no intention of reciprocity, then you're a user.
I buy your kid's stupid fundraisers, and you buy my kid's scout cookies, etc. It's a trade-off. Tit for tat. Just showing up and expecting things is not that. I think the original letter writer was correct when she said that it was actually a form of charity -- in which you take but don't give back. I agree with her. I pay taxes, I buy extra school supplies and backpacks for kids in September, I buy someone a turkey at Thanksgiving, Christmas, I buy extra Christmas gifts for someone else's child, I pack backpacks so kids have lunch on weekends if they get a free school lunch, I donate to Habitat for Humanity -- does everything in America need to be about redistribution? Why can't Halloween just be a neighborhood event? That doesn't seem unreasonable to me.

It can be, just don't give to children you don't know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, for God's sake! We live around Eastern Market and every year there are hordes of trick or treaters who are clearly not from the neighborhood but from the less affluent parts of the city. So what! Only a grinch would object to giving out candy to kids whose parents want them to have a safer experience or maybe to get better candy. If you can afford to live in a nice area, you can afford a few extra bags of sweets! These are kids!

Oh, and sometimes we even get homeless people 'trick or treating.' They are adults dressed in ratty clothes with a garbage bag. So? I give them a piece of candy. That's a small enough kindness to give someone who is not living the happiest life.

People are awful.

I also live near Eastern Market. What are you defining as "neighborhood"? Cause most of the 300+ people coming to my house are from the area surrounding the Potomac Ave metro stop. I wouldn't say that's not "the neighborhood."

I'm not that PP but I live near EM too and every year I see cars with Maryland tags dropping children off. It doesn't bother me any, I think it is nice that our neighborhood is known as a fun one for the occasion.

[Anonymous]

Suck it up one percenters-er I mean DCUMers!!!

[Anonymous]

I thought everyone based their ToT'ing on which houses were closest together, walkable, reasonably safe, lots of children, etc.

There is no law that says you have to stick to your neighborhood. If you choose your neighborhood based on one holiday per year, that the children enjoy for only a few years, that is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

If you have a block party you can always block entry at the check point to verify the papers of the car or person seeking entry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh, for God's sake! We live around Eastern Market and every year there are hordes of trick or treaters who are clearly not from the neighborhood but from the less affluent parts of the city. So what! Only a grinch would object to giving out candy to kids whose parents want them to have a safer experience or maybe to get better candy. If you can afford to live in a nice area, you can afford a few extra bags of sweets! These are kids!

Oh, and sometimes we even get homeless people 'trick or treating.' They are adults dressed in ratty clothes with a garbage bag. So? I give them a piece of candy. That's a small enough kindness to give someone who is not living the happiest life.

People are awful.

You know, rare is the new fact I learn that makes me want to cry, but here's one. Either they're doing it because they're so hungry that even candy will help fill the void or they're so mentally ill that this seems like a good idea. Either way - that is incredibly depressing. Good on you for treating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in a neighborhood that is a really close community and people go all out with the inflatable lawn decorations and so forth. We have watched Halloween change in our neighborhood over the past eight years or so. It went from being a local neighborhood party where you saw your friends' kids, caught up with old friends, and occasionally offered them a beer -- to being a big "free candy festival" for up to 300 people from outside the neighborhood. Things that we used to do in the neighborhood -- giving little kids a ride in a golf cart, the big kids setting up little tricks to scare the smaller kids, the big kids dressing up like zombies, the parents dressing up -- all of this has changed now that it's no longer a neighborhood event. We get massive amounts of traffic -- the lazy ass parents who trail the kids in a minivan and won't get out of the car, and most years I've been annoyed because if I have to drop one of my kids off at a Halloween party at a friend's house outside the neighborhood, I actually spend time in traffic in my neighborhood waiting to get back to my house.
And lately, we've had kids not only visiting at Halloween but showing up later soliciting funds for their school teams, trying to sell us stuff for their school fundraiser, etc. I concur with the poster who said that they chose a family-friendly neighborhood and chose to spend the money for that neighborhood. THe principle is called free-riding, folks. If you drop your kids off at my door, but there is no intention of reciprocity, then you're a user.
I buy your kid's stupid fundraisers, and you buy my kid's scout cookies, etc. It's a trade-off. Tit for tat. Just showing up and expecting things is not that. I think the original letter writer was correct when she said that it was actually a form of charity -- in which you take but don't give back. I agree with her. I pay taxes, I buy extra school supplies and backpacks for kids in September, I buy someone a turkey at Thanksgiving, Christmas, I buy extra Christmas gifts for someone else's child, I pack backpacks so kids have lunch on weekends if they get a free school lunch, I donate to Habitat for Humanity -- does everything in America need to be about redistribution? Why can't Halloween just be a neighborhood event? That doesn't seem unreasonable to me.

You are awful. I am very happy I don't live in your neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:does everything in America need to be about redistribution? Why can't Halloween just be a neighborhood event? That doesn't seem unreasonable to me.

"Unreasonable" is looking at trick or treating as "redistribution."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:have 2 bins for candy. Give the expensive stuff the kids in your neighborhood. This is what a halloween greeting consultant we are hiring to hand out candy told us. This is a good interview question.

LOL!