Small Town America

[hawley]

I had 2 things last night that were not good.
a car full 6 0r 7 of teens 18 or so stopped in front of the house. 2 got out and walked with a woman that had about a 2 year old. They stayed at the sidewalk and sent the child to the door. I gave candy and they went on down the block, I think to the 24 unit. after a while a boy and girl got out of the car and came to my door - trick or treat. They are about 18, no costumes. I asked them where the little kids were, I only give candy to little kids. She said 'but I want candy'. No little kids, no candy. They left and got back in the car. I watched and later the 2 guys came back and got in the car and they left. Couldn't see the license but it was out of state.
I have guests so I leave the light on. 1015pm and the doorbell rings. 4 dressed up kids about 13 or 14 trick or treat. Tell them I am out of candy.
We leave the side light on to our house across the street. They pound on the door but husband doesn't answer as he was in kitchen looking for something I asked for.
Didn't think fast enough, but I should have asked them if their parents knew where they were and what they were doing. It is rude to go to someone's house after 9pm unless invited or were expected. Lucky my guests weren't asleep by then.

 

[Morticia]

I had 2 things last night that were not good.
a car full 6 0r 7 of teens 18 or so stopped in front of the house. 2 got out and walked with a woman that had about a 2 year old. They stayed at the sidewalk and sent the child to the door. I gave candy and they went on down the block, I think to the 24 unit. after a while a boy and girl got out of the car and came to my door - trick or treat. They are about 18, no costumes. I asked them where the little kids were, I only give candy to little kids. She said 'but I want candy'. No little kids, no candy. They left and got back in the car. I watched and later the 2 guys came back and got in the car and they left. Couldn't see the license but it was out of state.
I have guests so I leave the light on. 1015pm and the doorbell rings. 4 dressed up kids about 13 or 14 trick or treat. Tell them I am out of candy.
We leave the side light on to our house across the street. They pound on the door but husband doesn't answer as he was in kitchen looking for something I asked for.
Didn't think fast enough, but I should have asked them if their parents knew where they were and what they were doing. It is rude to go to someone's house after 9pm unless invited or were expected. Lucky my guests weren't asleep by then..

It was fairly cold here last night. Most of the kids were done by 7. We have a ton of candy left. I think they may skip this little section here anyway because there are a lot of B&B's and we're the only one that decorates.
I think a well-timed letter to the editor of the local paper next year encouraging parents to know where their kids are and expect them home by 9 PM will help alleviate the problems you had. Also in the letter should be 'guidelines' as to time of TOT and effort put in by kids to actually look like something other than their normal hooligan selves. I just saw the kids walking thru town yesterday and they were pretty well-decked out.
Of course, it won't help if teens pile in a car and drive around annoying the neighborhood. But it is the perfect night for parents to put a curfew on their teens as well as younger kids.
Hubs does the door because I'm like you...no costume, no candy. And don't be ringing the doorbell after 9! (Around here it's really 8 or so, but in VT it was 9.)

 

[Samster]

I had 2 things last night that were not good.
a car full 6 0r 7 of teens 18 or so stopped in front of the house. 2 got out and walked with a woman that had about a 2 year old. They stayed at the sidewalk and sent the child to the door. I gave candy and they went on down the block, I think to the 24 unit. after a while a boy and girl got out of the car and came to my door - trick or treat. They are about 18, no costumes. I asked them where the little kids were, I only give candy to little kids. She said 'but I want candy'. No little kids, no candy. They left and got back in the car. I watched and later the 2 guys came back and got in the car and they left. Couldn't see the license but it was out of state.
I have guests so I leave the light on. 1015pm and the doorbell rings. 4 dressed up kids about 13 or 14 trick or treat. Tell them I am out of candy.
We leave the side light on to our house across the street. They pound on the door but husband doesn't answer as he was in kitchen looking for something I asked for.
Didn't think fast enough, but I should have asked them if their parents knew where they were and what they were doing. It is rude to go to someone's house after 9pm unless invited or were expected. Lucky my guests weren't asleep by then..

Our guests were checked in by 8:30 & had eaten dinner on their way here so I asked if they were heading out again or needed anything else from their car & they said they were in for the night. I turned off the porch light around 9:30 and then turned it back on at 11pm.
My dh had to call the cops around 11:45PM (I was already dead asleep & didn't hear a thing) because there was a loud party at a nearby social fraternity house. They quieted down around midnight...I'm assuming the police showed up. Don't know if the other nearby B&B called also. That was a first for around here on Halloween.
We had about 1/3 the trick-or-treaters as last year. That held true for all our neighbors too. I was pretty nice last evening too. We did have that business Halloween event in our downtown area last weekend so maybe that affected the turnout. I noticed that about a third of those little kids really did not have a costume. What is up with that?? There were a few really cute costumes though...homemade, not store bought.