Trick 'r' Treaters - Count dropping

[Joe Pelonio]

Anyone else notice a big dropoff in the number of kids coming to the door last night? I'm not complaining, mind, you, more candy for me.

I remember back in the early '90s when my kids were still going, we'd take them out for an hour and still have 75-100 come to the door before and after
we got back.

Last night we had a total of 12, the doorbell rang only 7 times.

Our neighborhood has turned over some, 4-5 years ago I would attribute this to many of the kids getting older, but now many homes have been sold by empty nesters and replaced by people with kids, so it's not that. Maybe a tradition that's on the way out?

[GERALD HARGROVE]

I had "0" last night. Typically we would get about 20 to 30, maybe it was the day of the week.

[Scott Coffelt]

There were tons in our neighbor hood when I was out with my son. We had 30 to our house, which is low. Many of the neighbors turned their lights off early. Kids get smart and decide to walk down the streets with lights on. That's where all the kids were. I saw at 30 at one house alone, many houses ran out of candy in about an hour or less.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Joe.....It fluctuates wildly here from year to year......2 years ago we had about 6........Last year 20 or so........this year including our great granddaughter and a friends's daughter 6..........

[Matt Meiser]

Since we are in the country we headed over to a nearby small town where my BIL lives--it was pretty busy over there. In the past month my daughter has gone three times--twice while camping and then again last night. Plus they had a "hobo walk" at school on Tuesday where they got candy, she went to an event at the library where they got candy and it seems like there was one other event too, but I can't think of it right now. By last night, she wasn't that into it anymore and we only went to about 20-25 houses before she was ready to be done.

Safety concerns, the price of candy ($7-something per bag?), and all the other events all probably contribute.

One good thing--all of the school districts in our county didn't have school today because of a teacher in-service. I wonder why they planned it for today?

[Jim Becker]

We don't get any...simply because we live on a very busy road with no other children nearby. Professor Dr. SWMBO took the girls to the same new development around the corner that we took them last year to parade around in their new Indian outfits to gather sweets. There were apparently quite a few kids out there, however. (I did see a pretty clown behind a check-in counter at Chicago O'Hare last night and the dude boarding us was dressed up in 1950s "slick"...but neither was soliciting for candy...)

[Chris Damm]

We haven't had any since the grandkids moved away. Of course they are the only ones we've had in 35 years!

[Craig D Peltier]

Anyone else notice a big dropoff in the number of kids coming to the door last night? I'm not complaining, mind, you, more candy for me.

I remember back in the early '90s when my kids were still going, we'd take them out for an hour and still have 75-100 come to the door before and after
we got back.

Last night we had a total of 12, the doorbell rang only 7 times.

Our neighborhood has turned over some, 4-5 years ago I would attribute this to many of the kids getting older, but now many homes have been sold by empty nesters and replaced by people with kids, so it's not that. Maybe a tradition that's on the way out?

Joe we had about 30 here in Duvall.Downtown was packed with trick or treaters around 530.Doorbell rung at 815 for last one.I heard it fluctuates alot.Dont forget alot more housing now too, so more neighborhoods to treat in, I guess its hit or miss type thing.

[Nancy Laird]

I have to admit that I got home, closed the blinds, and spent the entire evening in the workshop running laser jobs. I'm not a "Halloween person" anyway, and with so many jobs pending, LOML and I didn't find it to be time-effective to be answering the door for beggers. I guess we are turning into old fogies.

Nancy (50 days)

[Gary Keedwell]

Nancy...You might have given them a startle if you answered your door wearing your face protection and your big gouge in your hand.
Gary

[Nancy Laird]

Gary!!

You just gave me my biggest laugh of the day, thus far.

Never thought about that---I'll file that idea away for next year!!

Nancy (50 days)

[Randal Stevenson]

I can't say what my neighborhood is like, I have had only one off since I lived there. But all over the areas I know, parents, work (we used to get them there), siblings, etc. it is down.

The news always comes up with scare tactics, and talks up the safe Halloween events. Then people visit the grandparents, and that tends to be it.

I asked my folks, and they had a few (neighbors grandkids), but most of them start shutting off the lights, when you see teenagers pulling up in vehicles and vans.
This used to be more of a holiday where people got to see how the neighborhood kids are growing up, now there are a lot of people who don't even talk with the neighbors.

[Mike Dauphinee]

Our numbers seemed down this year. We had rain forecast for days, so I am guessing that many planned other venues like the many church gatherings around here.

One trend I do notice is the number of teenagers doing the candy runs. Seems like some of them are just in it for the candy. Oh well, at my house big kids get one each. For the little ones I just hold the bucket at eye level and let them pick to their hearts content. It gives me joy and apparently them too.

[Art Mulder]

Anyone else notice a big dropoff in the number of kids coming to the door last night? I'm not complaining, mind, you, more candy for me.

Yes.

Despite my best efforts at handing out candy, my kids once again came home with more than we gave away. I feel the sugar vultures circling...

Seriously, we always keep count, just for fun. We've lived in this neighbourhood for 9 years now. Previously we would usually get a number around 60-70.

Last year, the forecast was bad, but then it turned into a lovely night... but by then we suspect people had made other plans, and we only got 30 kids. This year, the forecast was fine, and it was a nice mild fall evening. But we still only got 30 kids. My wife took our four out, and she said it was much quieter on the street than previous years.

I've never gone myself, but I've heard from more and more people that they take their kids to the mall for trick or treat. Our lives are ruled by malls enough... I can't imagine going trick or treating there.

[David Weaver]

We had exactly 70 last night in suburban Pittsburgh. Last year it was raining (this year it was not) and we had more. I don't know why we had fewer this year. Fortunately, we didn't have anyone who looked like they were about 25, and last year we had several of those. All of the kids this year were very polite.