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Dear Helena,
I recently read an article in my local paper about the "best neighborhoods for trick-or-treating" and was a little annoyed by the premise, which seemed to be that it's now de rigueur for families to drive around town trolling for the best loot. When I was a kid, my parents would never have driven me to the other side of town to trick-or-treat, and I think doing so is bad form. It means putting undue pressure on some houses to supply all the candy.
—Halloween Grinch
Dear Halloween Grinch,
Kids used to visit only houses within walking distance on Halloween. But it's increasingly common for parents to schlep their little ninjas and witches to another part of town, cherry-picking which houses to hit. Patrick Brennan, father of a two-year-old in Phoenix, Arizona, says: "There are parents who actually pull up and drop their kids off so they can knock on the door of one house and then pick them up and chauffeur them to the next place."
These are not necessarily underprivileged families turning to richer neighborhoods because their own neighbors can't afford candy. (For one thing, candy is cheap.) I suspect the explanation for this behavior is that many parents today don't know their neighbors, and at the same time, people are much more frightened of "stranger danger." Some neighborhoods feel safer than others, partly owing to the fact that there are more children there trick-or-treating. So it’s a chicken-and-egg phenomenon.
I wouldn't say it's "rude" to trick-or-treat in another neighborhood. But it is a little sad. Cheesy as this may sound, Halloween is not just about your kid getting the most candy or getting to see the best decorations. For some people, Halloween is perhaps the only day when we meet our neighbors face to face (or face to zombie mask).
So parents who are plotting how to target the "best" neighborhoods should consider starting a trick-or-treat tradition in their own. One way to organize this is to flier the blocks around you asking people to join an email group for local residents. You can pool resources, share tips, maybe even send one person out to buy all the fake cobwebs. The nice thing about delegating is there's always one person who's really, really, really into Halloween.
I'm not saying that trick-or-treating on your home turf is always more fun. I'll never forget the evil neighbor of mine who thought it was amusing to hand out chocolate cupcakes spiked with unbelievably hot chili powder (though we did get revenge by mailing the crusty bits back to him). But when knocking on neighboring doors, you at least have the possibility of making a connection. And chances are, the better your neighbors know you, the more candy they'll give you.
Trick or beer, love it. Around here there are some neighborhoods with lots of trick or treaters and some with hardly any. I would take my kids to a more populated neighborhood for trick or treating not for better candy from rich people, but because it's safer and more fun when there are other kids around and people home who are giving out candy, rather than a couple of lit-up houses in a sea of...+READ
Trick or beer, love it. Around here there are some neighborhoods with lots of trick or treaters and some with hardly any. I would take my kids to a more populated neighborhood for trick or treating not for better candy from rich people, but because it's safer and more fun when there are other kids around and people home who are giving out candy, rather than a couple of lit-up houses in a sea of darkness with no other kids in sight.-COLLAPSE
Have 2 candies on hand - nice chocolate and something cheap like jolly ranchers. Give the cheap stuff to the older kids that don't dress up.
My neighborhood is next to a poor one, so I used to get many non-neighborhood kids. I love the little ones but I really object to the teenage boys who show up, no mask or makeup or costume, and shove a bag into my face and say "Trick or treat lady." They're intimidating! I also object to the young mothers who bring their babies around, to whom I gladly gave treats, but then the young mothers also...+READ
My neighborhood is next to a poor one, so I used to get many non-neighborhood kids. I love the little ones but I really object to the teenage boys who show up, no mask or makeup or costume, and shove a bag into my face and say "Trick or treat lady." They're intimidating! I also object to the young mothers who bring their babies around, to whom I gladly gave treats, but then the young mothers also hold out bags wanting goodies. I've turned the lights out! I'm now officially a Halloween Scrooge.-COLLAPSE
I can see the annoyance with rude trick-or-treaters, but I don't understand why anyone would really care about whether or not kids are trucked into the neighborhood. 1. if you run out of candy, just turn the porch light off, and 2. I think it would be cool to be known as one of the good houses who gives out the best candy. If you've got the money, what's a few extra bags of candy to make the kids...+READ
I can see the annoyance with rude trick-or-treaters, but I don't understand why anyone would really care about whether or not kids are trucked into the neighborhood. 1. if you run out of candy, just turn the porch light off, and 2. I think it would be cool to be known as one of the good houses who gives out the best candy. If you've got the money, what's a few extra bags of candy to make the kids happy? When you run, out, see #1. I'm a student and don't get any trick-or-treaters because I live in a student-dense, somewhat sketchy area but I think it would be fun to live in a neighborhood that goes all out for Halloween. (oh yeah, and if Halloween isn't about costumes and candy, what the heck is it about then??)-COLLAPSE
ditto hollyd: if you live in the sticks, all the houses are a mile apart. My Mom drove me from house to house, only to people she knew.
I totally agree with the people who say that children should be taught to have better manners nowadays. Say 'trick or treat,' then say 'thank you,' whether you like the candy or not. Is that so hard?
I disagree that candy is cheap. For truly poor people who can't afford to feed their families, buying bags of even the cheapest candy is not something that they can afford to do.
Well, coming from one of those neighbourhoods seen as a trick or treat destination for kids (and their parents) from far and wide...it means I have to buy at least enough for 400 children....and I still run out. I love kids and I love Halloween, but even I don't really think this is fair or in the true spirit of Halloween...which is not about how much candy you get, but the spirit of community.
I live in a neighborhood that's known for good candy and well-decorated houses. I see tons of parents driving their kids in to take part, and I love it. The more kids, the better. We keep one big bowl of good candy for kids in costumes and a second bowl of lousy candy (Dum-Dum pops and such) for greedy teenagers in sweatshirts.
Honestly I don't see kids trick or treating anymore. Most of the time it is to the sad mall events or other community events. And its sad because I LOVE having kids come around and get loots. I always specially pick out candy I won't eat so I won't be tempted. Almond JOy and Mounds. GAG.
I could go either way on this dilemma...but this seems to be the perfect time to tell this story. I was walking my kids around with a very good friend when we hit a house where the folks appeared to be particularly festive. Without warning my friend yelled, "Trick or Beer!!" Before the Kit-Kats hit the bottom of my kids pumpkin I had an ice cold beer handed to me. Don't think I don't use that...+READ
I could go either way on this dilemma...but this seems to be the perfect time to tell this story. I was walking my kids around with a very good friend when we hit a house where the folks appeared to be particularly festive. Without warning my friend yelled, "Trick or Beer!!" Before the Kit-Kats hit the bottom of my kids pumpkin I had an ice cold beer handed to me. Don't think I don't use that line to this day.
Now, if we want to argue as to whether it is kosher to trick-or-beer in upscale neighborhoods in hopes of scoring a nice Pale Ale over a PBR, then I certainly have an opinion on that. Happy Halloween All!!-COLLAPSE
I grew up in the boondocks. our parents either had to drive us house to house, since the houses were 3 miles apart, or drop us off in a neighborhood with sidewalks and houses that were close together. It's not always about candy, some neighborhoods just don't work for trick-or-treating.
Trick or treating in richer neighborhoods is a way to get to know the neighbours??? Riiiight. I think it's about the kids & parents trying to get more candy. Way to encourage GREED in your children, parents.
Nothing wrong with going to where the good candy is ! I grew up in the Mar Vista area and my Mom ran us all over the place ! I remember being out til 9:00p.m. easy,but, that was in the 70's. I live in a little neighborhood between Hawthorne and El Segundo, School buses !! bring the kids into my neighborhood. We give out close to 40 lbs. of candy, I think its fun, and the kids are having fun !!!
I kept reading this article thinking it would eventually show itself relevant to something. Seems like nit-picking at it's worst. So the parents are shallow. What's new about that today? As long as the kids stay safe, that's what counts. But then, that doesn't even seem to be the focus of this pointless article.
Part of the fun of sticking to your neighborhood is letting the neighbors see your costume and comment on it. It's a COMMUNITY thing.
I totally agree with invinotheresverde, i always find the rich to be more stingy when it comes to giving out stuff..including gifts.
For example, when i had a daughter, my mother in law's friends who are all mostly multi millionaires sent the cheapest items from fancy stores they shop at. The best and most expensive gifts were from regular middle class people.
Now that my daughter is old enough...+READ
I totally agree with invinotheresverde, i always find the rich to be more stingy when it comes to giving out stuff..including gifts.
For example, when i had a daughter, my mother in law's friends who are all mostly multi millionaires sent the cheapest items from fancy stores they shop at. The best and most expensive gifts were from regular middle class people.
Now that my daughter is old enough to go to trick or treating, I also noticed that it's not the big houses on the block who give out good candies. Usually grandmas in tiny houses give away the best stuff in my experience!-COLLAPSE
While my mom & I hang out passing out candy, my two boys will go trick-or-treating on their own in the neighborhood. They're pretty stoked about the whole thing. It's our first year here and I've been surveying the neighbors about the amount of kids to expect. It's sad, apparently the numbers drop every year, so I'm expecting less than 50 kids in a neighborhood that 30 years ago would have gotten...+READ
While my mom & I hang out passing out candy, my two boys will go trick-or-treating on their own in the neighborhood. They're pretty stoked about the whole thing. It's our first year here and I've been surveying the neighbors about the amount of kids to expect. It's sad, apparently the numbers drop every year, so I'm expecting less than 50 kids in a neighborhood that 30 years ago would have gotten 200 or more.-COLLAPSE
I read this article with amusement. My first reaction was what gluttony! I can see it if the house is all decked out. There are some amazing houses out there where the owners went wild with imagination and must really dig the whole Halloween thing. Just check You Tube. But to drive your children to another neighborhood just to get bigger/better candy is sending the wrong message to our kids. For...+READ
I read this article with amusement. My first reaction was what gluttony! I can see it if the house is all decked out. There are some amazing houses out there where the owners went wild with imagination and must really dig the whole Halloween thing. Just check You Tube. But to drive your children to another neighborhood just to get bigger/better candy is sending the wrong message to our kids. For one who says the more affluent give out better candy? I have some pensioners on my street that love the seeing the kids all dressed up and are more than happy to fill their bags. I know some really affluent people who are as frugal as the single mom who has 4 kids to feed. I also know some that have the huge house, big brand new car, etc. etc. but are so far in debt it makes me shiver. Our kids never eat all their candy anyway. It ends up going stale and gets thrown out before Christmas. All I can say go ahead and teach your kids to overindulge, assume rich people are generous and think the middle classes are a bunch of poor people. You are teaching your children that you and your neighborhood are not good enough. Quite frankly buy them a huge chocolate bar and save the gas money for a coffee.-COLLAPSE
Thank you for the article! My parents still live in the neighborhood I grew up in. It's an adorable neighborhood with small houses tucked one next to the other with most participating in Trick-or-Treat. The kind of neighborhood that always had a lot of kids so it was great. It's in a large village NW of Milwaukee. Unfortunately, in the last few years it has become a target for those looking for...+READ
Thank you for the article! My parents still live in the neighborhood I grew up in. It's an adorable neighborhood with small houses tucked one next to the other with most participating in Trick-or-Treat. The kind of neighborhood that always had a lot of kids so it was great. It's in a large village NW of Milwaukee. Unfortunately, in the last few years it has become a target for those looking for "the loot" of candy. It started as strange cars driving up and down the streets following kids (which alarmed people in itself). It has grown to an actual school bus dropping off hoards of kids from who knows where. Last year I got a call from my Mom who was quite shaken by some older teens driving up to the house, jumping out, going up to the candy/toy bowl, taking fists full of goodies right in front of her (she's getting older so she didn't try to get up from her chair on the porch), running back to the car and taking off at dangerous speeds. She said they were clearly not from the village. My Mom has always loved Halloween and made it so fun for Trick-or-Treat even long after we grew up. Now, she's considering closing it down and not participating because as she said "who knows what they're going to try next year - I may get hurt". I think there's someone in each neighborhood that can spark an interest in keeping Trick-or-Treating locally fun.-COLLAPSE
We live on a one block street (low end middle class) that has 24 houses & 48 kids so we get a lot of traffic. As all the houses do give treats, we've acquired a reputation as kids can go to each house and be welcomed, no dark houses. So now, we get over 100 kids.
Here in New York there are so few trick or treaters that go to houses (as opposed to stores) that honestly I would be THRILLED to have somebody drive their kids to our block to get candy. It seems we don't get home early enough to give it out (since few kids seem to do it after dark these days. As another product of the 1960's LA suburbs and their glorious Halloweens, where we'd roam for MILES in...+READ
Here in New York there are so few trick or treaters that go to houses (as opposed to stores) that honestly I would be THRILLED to have somebody drive their kids to our block to get candy. It seems we don't get home early enough to give it out (since few kids seem to do it after dark these days. As another product of the 1960's LA suburbs and their glorious Halloweens, where we'd roam for MILES in huge groups with the older teenagers as guardians, and where the BEST houses weren't the ones that gave out candy, but the ones that gave out homemade hot cider and homemade pumpkin cake - man, I just feel so bad for these kids. They have no idea how awesome a holiday it actually can be.-COLLAPSE
When I was a kid, I would never miss Diana Ross' house. She gave out her CDs and full-sized bars.
If the article was about the most festive and fun neighborhoods, than that is great. However if it was about where to get the best haul (who gives out the full sized bars) then I think that is a bit inappropriate. For me, Halloween has always been more about the neighborhood fun then about getting the most/best candy -- not that I don't LOVE candy!
Growing up I lived in one of the nicer/safer...+READ
If the article was about the most festive and fun neighborhoods, than that is great. However if it was about where to get the best haul (who gives out the full sized bars) then I think that is a bit inappropriate. For me, Halloween has always been more about the neighborhood fun then about getting the most/best candy -- not that I don't LOVE candy!
Growing up I lived in one of the nicer/safer neighborhoods in a small town surrounded by rural farmland. To say we got inundated is an understatement. Every year, my mom would buy more hoping it would be enough this time, and every year she'd still run out in the first hour. However, most of these kids were being brought in from farms where they really didn't have neighbors. We never begrudged them coming into our neighborhood.
There is, IMO, good Trick-or-Treating etiquette. I give candy to kids, and even teens if they are in costume, but I do resent parents with infants that are clearly using a kid that can't eat candy to get it for themselves. If you want to dress up your baby, fine - show him/her off to good friends, but don't come to my house if I don't know you and your baby. Say "trick-or-treat!" Really, this should be a no-brainer, but so many don't do this any more - I actually make them do it before they get candy, no matter how old they are. Don't repeat visit houses - that's just greedy. Be happy with what is being given out - trading with your friends is part of the fun, and getting stuff nobody wants is part of the risk. WALK!. Say thank you.-COLLAPSE
My partner and I seem to be the ONLY residents of our development without children...so of course, we get hit up for candy before the parents drive them off to the next development or party locale. There's really no other choice unless you want kids walking a mile or so in the dark along rural South Jersey roads!
I don't mind so long as it's not kids being driven up to the front door to ask...+READ
My partner and I seem to be the ONLY residents of our development without children...so of course, we get hit up for candy before the parents drive them off to the next development or party locale. There's really no other choice unless you want kids walking a mile or so in the dark along rural South Jersey roads!
I don't mind so long as it's not kids being driven up to the front door to ask for candy while handing out political pamphlets and voting propaganda by their parents. I think this year I need some "trick" bags for those kids...-COLLAPSE
Where we lived, it wasn't about rich v poor but safe v unsafe. I applaud the families that are willing to take their kids to a safer neighborhood to enjoy this all-american holiday.
BTW - I also lived in one of the safer neighborhoods in Oakland when my kids were younger and had hundreds of kids come to the door.
Oh goodness, I grew up in a poor neighborhood and went door to door. 99.9% of your neighbors are not crazy and are not going to kill a trick or treater. We live in an age of overkill, overmedicated, overtriclosaned, overprotected, overstimulated and underexercised kids. Parents who think they are doing the right thing by being neurotic are not helping their kids. More parents need to make sure...+READ
Oh goodness, I grew up in a poor neighborhood and went door to door. 99.9% of your neighbors are not crazy and are not going to kill a trick or treater. We live in an age of overkill, overmedicated, overtriclosaned, overprotected, overstimulated and underexercised kids. Parents who think they are doing the right thing by being neurotic are not helping their kids. More parents need to make sure their fat kids are getting exercise than whether they are going to get snatched up or choke on rusty nails in a jolly rancher.-COLLAPSE
Rubenhan, my neighborhood is part $250,000 homes and part $800,000 homes and it's the more modest houses that give out the full sized bars.
I wish people would give the yes-I'll-give-candy-but-you-can't-have-it-without-the-attitude thing a rest.
I live in one of those affluent neighborhoods. Every year we get lots of Trick or Treaters I've never seen before. I don't know if the kids are bussed to the neighborhood school every day and look around and think it looks like a prime candy zone, the parents work as...+READ
I wish people would give the yes-I'll-give-candy-but-you-can't-have-it-without-the-attitude thing a rest.
I live in one of those affluent neighborhoods. Every year we get lots of Trick or Treaters I've never seen before. I don't know if the kids are bussed to the neighborhood school every day and look around and think it looks like a prime candy zone, the parents work as gardeners/housekeepers/nannies in the neighborhood and think it would do right by their kids or if they're simply on a mission to get the most and the best candy they can one day a year. I've got candy. I bought it for the express purpose of giving it away. I've got people knocking on my door. Here! Have a wonderful, safe night and a little fun on me!
I give candy to the adults who accompany kids. I give candy to older kids who don't have much in the way of costumes. Hell's bells. The teens get full sized candy bars. They've got bigger bodies and probably have had a lot of attitude by the time they get to my door.
I had a *ball* on Halloween as a kid. I loved it then and I love it now. And if I can give some pleasure and, for one tiny moment, redistribute a little bounty then good for them and good for me!
And everyone who is turning Halloween into a drudgery with their suspicion and resentment and sanitized Trunk or Treat things can go scratch! There may be a reason they find their pumpkins smashed...-COLLAPSE
Now we live in Germany for the past 23 years. Halloween is only been around for the past 10 or 15 years here. But when I was a kid, born and raised my first 18 years in Southern California's Eastern San Gabrial Valley (1960s - early 1970s); we lived in a blue collared, splattered farms (mostly citrus still then). We all would go up and down our street which was about 36 small ranch homes. Then...+READ
Now we live in Germany for the past 23 years. Halloween is only been around for the past 10 or 15 years here. But when I was a kid, born and raised my first 18 years in Southern California's Eastern San Gabrial Valley (1960s - early 1970s); we lived in a blue collared, splattered farms (mostly citrus still then). We all would go up and down our street which was about 36 small ranch homes. Then one of the kids mothers would all pack about 12 of us in a six passenger sadan with bench seats and drive the 20 miles, Foothill Blvd (old route 66) over to one of the many affluent neighborhoods of Pasadena. She would do the same type of thing I had read above, by parking at the end of a street in the dark. There was not as much people on the streets here as in our own little town. The homes were just massive in size (4600 - 12,000 sq feet) on acre or more of property. It seemed we must have gone to 30 or 40 homes in a night, walking and walking as some of the driveways at these large homes were or seems longer then the street we all lived on. But these people did give out the good stuff! Every house was well decorated with the Halloween spirit, with very elaborate decorations, even in today's standards! All of the homes gave out a full regular sized candy bars and never the mainstream Halloween candy of the day. We did this from about 6 years of age to about 11 or 12. In those days, kids did trick-o-treat well in their teenage years. We also, did not start until it was dark (7:00 PM) up till and after midnight. In fact, I remember in high school years later we dressed up and went back to the simalar neighborhoods in Pasadena and had no problems. Great memories!-COLLAPSE
I am in a modest Cape Cod neighborhood, and if people think they can do better in the affluent neighborhoods, then Hasta La Vista, Bambini! More kit-kats and peanut butter cups for me to stuff in my gob at the end of the night.
Going to the "affluent neighborhoods" is a rookie mistake, kids. I live in the old part of very modest Cape Cods and ranches that are close together on small lots. I used to take my kids to the next block where the houses and yards are bigger. Both neighborhoods gave the same stupid fun/snack size candy, but the other required twice as much work to get the same amount as our block. For the...+READ
Going to the "affluent neighborhoods" is a rookie mistake, kids. I live in the old part of very modest Cape Cods and ranches that are close together on small lots. I used to take my kids to the next block where the houses and yards are bigger. Both neighborhoods gave the same stupid fun/snack size candy, but the other required twice as much work to get the same amount as our block. For the record, the only houses that gave full size bars were in the working class section.-COLLAPSE
In my rural area the houses are few and far between, and it means driving the kids to one of two neighborhoods in town so that they can Trick or Treat AT ALL.
"Kids used to visit only houses within walking distance on Halloween." Uh, no. When I was a kid (late 70s, suburban New Jersey) we did trick-or-treat in our own neighborhood, then someone's mom would pile us in the car and take us to other neighborhoods, although she'd park at the end of the street and we'd go in on foot. This was a common practice in my town. I'm interested to see how Halloween...+READ
"Kids used to visit only houses within walking distance on Halloween." Uh, no. When I was a kid (late 70s, suburban New Jersey) we did trick-or-treat in our own neighborhood, then someone's mom would pile us in the car and take us to other neighborhoods, although she'd park at the end of the street and we'd go in on foot. This was a common practice in my town. I'm interested to see how Halloween is handled in our new (urban, demographics all over the place) neighborhood. I've got mini bags of M&Ms at the ready!-COLLAPSE
I really dislike all the extra car traffic in my neighborhood, and I suspect it's caused by people driving in from other neighborhoods. I would like to respectfully request that if you are going to drive your kids into my (merely middle class but all decked out for Halloween) neighborhood, park your dang car and get out and WALK with your kids. It's not safe to have 10x the usual traffic at a...+READ
I really dislike all the extra car traffic in my neighborhood, and I suspect it's caused by people driving in from other neighborhoods. I would like to respectfully request that if you are going to drive your kids into my (merely middle class but all decked out for Halloween) neighborhood, park your dang car and get out and WALK with your kids. It's not safe to have 10x the usual traffic at a time where sugared-up kids are running wild in the streets.-COLLAPSE
Requesting a "trick" usually puts the little urchins in their place.
I lived in a good neighborhood that was not-so good neighborhood adjacent. Parents from the adjacent neighborhood always brought their kids over and it didn't bother me one bit. Every kid deserves a good, fun, safe Halloween. If I was a parent, I'd do the same thing.
When I was a kid we used to always cover about 5 square blocks. Included with that was the Rich neighborhood, with the big houses. Always got out of there with Full sized chocolate bars. Once we realized this .. we just started there 1st :-)
Is it really targeting the rich areas, or just the ones that seem to have more involvement in celebrating Halloween?
If you go to a neighborhood that's known for it's decorations and there are plenty of trick or treaters, you know that you won't be walking around a neighborhood where half the people keep the lights off to avoid the doorbell ringing. Seems obvious to try and go to the more...+READ
Is it really targeting the rich areas, or just the ones that seem to have more involvement in celebrating Halloween?
If you go to a neighborhood that's known for it's decorations and there are plenty of trick or treaters, you know that you won't be walking around a neighborhood where half the people keep the lights off to avoid the doorbell ringing. Seems obvious to try and go to the more festive areas.-COLLAPSE
@TheClambelly- yup.
"Halloween is not just about your kid getting the most candy or getting to see the best decorations."
Actually, that's exactly what it's all about.
Not all kids do this.
Excuse me...the who gives a _________ box is full. Could you please start another one? Thanks.
I actually love my neighborhood during Halloween. We always have a ton of kids & luckily we do know our neighbors. It's a pretty big holiday for us & one of the reasons I love it so much. I don't see many parents "trucking" their kids, but I do see lots of them walking with or pulling a wagon along etc. We are a very, very middle class neighborhood & I have not noticed any apprciable difference...+READ
I actually love my neighborhood during Halloween. We always have a ton of kids & luckily we do know our neighbors. It's a pretty big holiday for us & one of the reasons I love it so much. I don't see many parents "trucking" their kids, but I do see lots of them walking with or pulling a wagon along etc. We are a very, very middle class neighborhood & I have not noticed any apprciable difference in the amount of people I see (we usually go through around $100 worth of candy). When I was a kid, I lived in a condo association so we would go to an aunt/uncles house with all of my cousins meeting there & going out together...yes it was a different neighborhood, where my aunt/uncle have been for 20+ yrs & know there neighbors so maybe our parents felt safer with us there. I just feel lucky that I live in a place where it's still fun to be a kid (at least between the hours of 3pm & 7pm).-COLLAPSE
I can't remember the last time that I saw kids trick or treating. In both my parents affluent neighborhood in Va, my semi rural childhood town in NJ or the city that I live in. I guess they are all busy "trunk or treating". Where parent meet in a parking lot and the kids go from car to car. We have gotten so concerned about strangers that we don't know our neighbors anymore and don't let kids...+READ
I can't remember the last time that I saw kids trick or treating. In both my parents affluent neighborhood in Va, my semi rural childhood town in NJ or the city that I live in. I guess they are all busy "trunk or treating". Where parent meet in a parking lot and the kids go from car to car. We have gotten so concerned about strangers that we don't know our neighbors anymore and don't let kids have fun anymore. So I would rather see kids trucked in than no kids at all.-COLLAPSE
This happens in my neighborhood. It's disheartening to see truckloads of kids dropped off on the corners. Children "trucked" in do not have the best manners either. For example: not saying thank you (really? you would think that is a basic manner) or saying something along the lines of "is that what you are giving out? are you kidding me? Give me two then." I live in a neighborhood with lots of...+READ
This happens in my neighborhood. It's disheartening to see truckloads of kids dropped off on the corners. Children "trucked" in do not have the best manners either. For example: not saying thank you (really? you would think that is a basic manner) or saying something along the lines of "is that what you are giving out? are you kidding me? Give me two then." I live in a neighborhood with lots of smaller children. My neighbors and I sit out (some of us in costume) together. We even have treats for the dogs. It's a townhouse community so not exactly a "rich" neighborhood. Really, I wouldn't even mind if the children had manners. I love greeting the kids and seeing all the costumes but not if they are rude! the parents don't even get out of the truck - they just wait on the corner for the kids to jump back in.-COLLAPSE
You cannot ignore the fact that the more opulent neighborhood will provide better and more expensive candies whereas less well-off neighborhood will provide some generic candies, which sometimes can taste pretty bad.