Woman wants the less fortunate kids to stay out of her 'hood on Halloween

[mikeford]

The basic fairness of Halloween is that you put of candy and your kids go collect about the same amount from other neighbors. Nobody is mooching, everybody with kids or who had kids puts out candy because their kids got candy.

The truck load moochers ruined this.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Meh. We get it all in my neighborhood. Neighborhood kids, neighborhood teens, vans of kids, vans of teens. Many drivers drop the kids off at one end of the block and troll behind them house-to-house to the other end. Others park and walk the neighborhood.

I don't give a shit. I hand out whatever candy I consider affordable until it's gone, and then I shut off my light. Done.

 

[Vdubchaos]

If this was happening in my neighborhood (dropping off kids thingy)....that would be a clear sign to MOVE.

Not because of parents/kids coming from other neighborhood, but because I don't want to live next to these spoiled/arrogant creatures.

:biggrin:

 

[MarkXIX]

Wah wah wah...I stated the obvious...you haven't changed one bit and I, for one, wonder if this wasn't just another cry out for attention with you being the textbook narcissist you are. I forsee you peppering your future posts about your mother the same way you pepper your posts at any given chance to mention your current living arrangements with another man's wife and kids.

By the way...multiple posters in the thread have validated that things play out just as I and many others have described with regards to Halloween and trick-or-treating. You got your panties in a wad because it contradicted what you claim is absolute reality in each and every neighborhood in America. You're not omniscient...no matter how awesome you think you are.

Remember, he's a 1%'er himself and his parents are disgustingly rich, so he's lost touch with reality some time ago thereby invalidating his opinion on a great many things.

But, I suppose we are just picking on him....

 

[Perknose]

Wow, reading all this back and forth makes me sad, but also nostalgic. I feel lucky that I grew up in a time and place where Halloween worked like a charm. The time was the height of the baby boom and the place was a dense, middle/working class neighborhood. Participation from folks was 99.99%, and there were literally TONS of kids going around, ALL walking, NO cars.

Only the very, very youngest of kids had adults with them. And these were the days of full size candy bars only. You could take an old school shopping bag and fill it inside of two blocks. Then, I would go back home, unload, and re-fill by ranging out a whole 'nother 2 blocks. We could have kept going all night long, but my parents (and everyone else's parents) would call a halt a that point.

We ended up with two HUGE, old school paper grocery bags chock full of candy. We pigged out for weeks. And, everyone knew everyone else, so the parents at the doors would guess who you were until they got it right.

It was festive as hell. The sidewalks were literally thronged with kids, and everyone's lights were on, many with lighted decorations.

There was ONE family, on the block behind mine, that didn't participate, and went dark on that day. One family, for blocks and blocks around, that was it, that was all.

I'm grateful for my childhood. I had a great one -- it seems Mayberry RFD in retrospect. I remained naive as hell for a long time, for which I'm also grateful. Once you lose your innocence, you never get it back.

 

[gorcorps]

I'm torn... on one hand I don't want a bunch of kids causing trouble in a neighborhood they don't belong in. However, these kids are from bad neighborhoods that probably don't participate much in Halloween. Is it really such a bad thing for parents to try and give their kids a decent Halloween if they know their own neighborhood isn't good? As long as the kids aren't causing trouble and they're really just there for candy I don't see the harm.

 

[MarkXIX]

I'm with Perknose on this one. Why does everyone seem to paint the picture that because some less fortunate kids might go across town that they're showing up in blacked out SUVs doing drive bys and assaulting people for candy.

Oh, I know why, because most of the people engaged in such talk have no real world experience, but think their opinions count on the internet....

Our neighborhoods in our town are generally pretty festive. We don't give a shit who comes to the door, they all get treated the same. If trouble comes up, we jump in and make an on the spot correction to the behavior or let the police deal with it.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Who's she saving her sugary goodness for?

 

[smackababy]

I'm with Perknose on this one. Why does everyone seem to paint the picture that because some less fortunate kids might go across town that they're showing up in blacked out SUVs doing drive bys and assaulting people for candy.

Oh, I know why, because most of the people engaged in such talk have no real world experience, but think their opinions count on the internet....

Our neighborhoods in our town are generally pretty festive. We don't give a shit who comes to the door, they all get treated the same. If trouble comes up, we jump in and make an on the spot correction to the behavior or let the police deal with it.

Or, perhaps, some of us were those less fortunate kids that went across town and wreaked havoc in a neighborhood we knew we'd only return to in one years times? Couldn't be that!

Some of us actually remember being a kid and know exactly the type of behavior kids do. If I am in a place where I am not a regular, would I be more or less likely to do something mischievous? For me (and the group of kids who all piled into a car to go to the nice neighborhoods across town), the answer was always more likely. Now that I own more than what my parents could afford to give me, I would prefer if other little shits don't fuck up my stuff.

 

[MarkXIX]

Or, perhaps, some of us were those less fortunate kids that went across town and wreaked havoc in a neighborhood we knew we'd only return to in one years times? Couldn't be that!

Some of us actually remember being a kid and know exactly the type of behavior kids do. If I am in a place where I am not a regular, would I be more or less likely to do something mischievous? For me (and the group of kids who all piled into a car to go to the nice neighborhoods across town), the answer was always more likely. Now that I own more than what my parents could afford to give me, I would prefer if other little shits don't fuck up my stuff.

You sound like someone fortunate enough to fix or replace whatever these less fortunate kids could possibly "fuck up" unless they're like torching the well-to-do people's neighborhood right after they get that bite sized Snickers bar you hand out to them. LOL!

Worst I've ever had happen was probably some teenagers decided to take our pumpkins off the front stoop and smash them in the street. Man, using the snow shovel to clean that mess up was simply unbelievable! Therefore, I have setup automated gun turrets with explosive incendiary rounds to deal with that problem now.... :awe:

 

[momeNt]

Alkemyst, arguably the most real person on this forum. Gets trolled by a Dear Prudence letter?

Ouch.

 

[KeithP]

Prudence if famous for her fake and/or trolltastic submissions

No no, I am sure this is 100% legit.

-KeithP

 

[massmedia]

Skip her house
don't worry about what she thinks
Enjoy halloween

/thread

 

[momeNt]

There was ONE family, on the block behind mine, that didn't participate, and went dark on that day. One family, for blocks and blocks around, that was it, that was all.

Most states prohibit child sex offenders from participating in Halloween. No passing out candy or dressing up.

 

[smackababy]

You sound like someone fortunate enough to fix or replace whatever these less fortunate kids could possibly "fuck up" unless they're like torching the well-to-do people's neighborhood right after they get that bite sized Snickers bar you hand out to them. LOL!

Worst I've ever had happen was probably some teenagers decided to take our pumpkins off the front stoop and smash them in the street. Man, using the snow shovel to clean that mess up was simply unbelievable! Therefore, I have setup automated gun turrets with explosive incendiary rounds to deal with that problem now.... :awe:

Ever had your car egged? Ever left it there overnight? Sure, I am fortunate enough to be able to afford to repaint my car, but because I can afford it should I have to endure some idiots destroying the paint of my car? There are plenty of small things that can be done with little recourse.

 

[RPD]

I don't care too much, I see it happening in the neighborhoods my little ones trick and treat in, but as a parent it sends a horrible, HORRIBLE message to your own kids if you transplant them to trick and treat.

 

[MarkXIX]

Ever had your car egged? Ever left it there overnight? Sure, I am fortunate enough to be able to afford to repaint my car, but because I can afford it should I have to endure some idiots destroying the paint of my car? There are plenty of small things that can be done with little recourse.

So, since you seem to have so much control over the situation, why don't you put a sign in your yard that says "We don't cater to your kind around here..." and leave it at that then.

Also, no, I keep my car in the garage where it belongs, so I've never dealt with getting it egged. I also like to keep a good coat of wax on it too, so no worries! I can afford shit like a garage and wax, eggs don't scare me. Oh, and I pay for full coverage insurance too.

PS - I grew up on government cheese and powdered milk, so I appreciate the people who are less privileged coming to see what's possible.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Ever had your car egged? Ever left it there overnight? Sure, I am fortunate enough to be able to afford to repaint my car, but because I can afford it should I have to endure some idiots destroying the paint of my car? There are plenty of small things that can be done with little recourse.

So the negligible chance of my house randomly falling victim to mischief and vandalism is negligibly higher among other-neighborhood kids. Meh.

 

[Perknose]

Most states prohibit child sex offenders from participating in Halloween. No passing out candy or dressing up.

Lol, that wasn't the case. I don't think there even was a sex offender registry back then. No, the family in this house were reclusive and . . . odd.

They had a son who never came out to play with the rest of us. Once, he somehow was in public and got in some sort of tiff with one of us, Bill Stull, who was a year older than I, as was this guy (he didn't go to our schools, no idea where or how he got his schooling.)

These two were just standing off, jawing a bit at each other, no punches thrown, while the rest of were loosely gathered around. This kid's Dad came out and over, and was actively encouraging his kid to begin an actual fight.*

Bill wasn't the toughest amongst us, being a bit slight of build (though still basically atheletic), but NONE of us were hot-house flower pussies. I have no doubt Bill would have won any fight that ensued, but none happened. I was shocked that this kid's asshole Dad was out there trying to provoke something. Weird, that was.

It's just one of those scenes that sticks in your mind for its singularity -- I can see it all from 4-5 feet away down unto today.

Their house was on the corner, a corner where, in season, we'd play a version of hand baseball which involved a 10 cent rubber ball and using the four corners as bases. The pitcher would serve up the ball on one bounce. The batter would take as many pitches as he wished (or, more specifically, as peer pressure would allow him to take.) Your bat was your hand, and one strike (our version of epic fail) and you were out.

Anyway, this asshole Dad would race out and try to confiscate any ball that landed on his lawn. Iirc, they had a daughter, too. Neither went to either our local Catholic school or to our local public school, and no one from the family mixed with anyone else.

They were just . . . inexplicably weird. And, yes, on Mishchief Night, which preceded Halloween, their house was singled out for special attention. :biggrin:

Btw, Mishchief Night was a Borough wide affair, and all in good fun. A number of adult men were deputized by the PD for the night, and played an active cat and mouse game with us kids, but, like I said, all in good fun, so no one was actually arrested or anything. They'd just chase us around with flashlights or roar up in cars 'n stuff.

And we kids were out all over the damn borough of Ridley Park, Pa. -- tp'ing trees and houses, ringing doorbells (and sometimes leaving the flaming bag of dog poop), and soaping car windows like nobody's business -- that sort of thing.

Corn ball to all you latter-day sophisticates, I know, but I LOVED my childhood.

* NOW I remember how this confrontation ended. Someone else's Dad came out and gave that kid's Dad a raft of shit and basically told him to GTFO and take his punk son with him. It was cool!

 

[smackababy]

So the negligible chance of my house randomly falling victim to mischief and vandalism is negligibly higher among other-neighborhood kids. Meh.

Negligible? Taking a group of kids with a higher chance of being exposed to routine crime and putting them in a position of anonymity in a neighborhood with more privileged people and having little chance for consequences on a holiday known for mischief isn't a recipe for a higher chance of it happening?


There are posters here who advocate taking of the wealth, and they aren't even poor children! You expect someone who has known very little not to resent those with more than they need? And, you expect none of them (or a negligible number of them) to lash out?


I'm sure you think the platform afforded to us with the internet doesn't turn people into dickwads either...

 

[Perknose]

Negligible? Taking a group of kids with a higher chance of being exposed to routine crime and putting them in a position of anonymity in a neighborhood with more privileged people and having little chance for consequences on a holiday known for mischief isn't a recipe for a higher chance of it happening?


There are posters here who advocate taking of the wealth, and they aren't even poor children! You expect someone who has known very little not to resent those with more than they need? And, you expect none of them (or a negligible number of them) to lash out?


I'm sure you think the platform afforded to us with the internet doesn't turn people into dickwads either...

You sound like the neurasthenically fearful type. Here 'ya go, four common mistakes to avoid. :awe:

 

[smackababy]

You sound like the neurasthenically fearful type. Here 'ya go, four common mistakes to avoid. :awe:

Not in the least bit. I personally don't care if poor kids (or any other kids) trick or treat in neighborhoods not their own. I also don't pretend there isn't in increased risk of some of them being assholes.

The women in the OP's argument against having poor people in her neighborhood completely unfounded, even if her reasoning is likely due to prejudice or even racism.

 

[alkemyst]

Remember, he's a 1%'er himself and his parents are disgustingly rich, so he's lost touch with reality some time ago thereby invalidating his opinion on a great many things.

But, I suppose we are just picking on him....

I have never said I was a 1%er.

While I have seen people drop kids off, I have never seen a train of vehicles following them down the street except for rare occasions. I doubt most complaining even have a home where kids go since they live in apartments or the like.

Then in the end, why does it matter so much?

...because they are mad.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Negligible? Taking a group of kids with a higher chance of being exposed to routine crime and putting them in a position of anonymity in a neighborhood with more privileged people and having little chance for consequences on a holiday known for mischief isn't a recipe for a higher chance of it happening?

Sure it is, but compared to the entire trick-or-treating population it's still negligible...especially when people are at home, handing out treats, watching their and their neighbor's properties.

Okay, you were part of a trouble-making group. But what proportion of all trick-or-treaters, even of those visiting other neighborhoods, did groups like yours represent? In my experience, people vanning in from other neighborhoods has been a complete non-issue. There is negligibly higher risk that my house will be vandalized relative to some equally anonymous local kid in costume.

 

[alkemyst]

Alkemyst, arguably the most real person on this forum. Gets trolled by a Dear Prudence letter?

Ouch.

Not saying the letter is necessary a real one, but read your fellow members opinions above Sparky and they are saying the same thing.

...and now you know.