Trick or Treat… By Appointment?
Oct 31st, 2008 | By Just Sayin... | Category: Observations, Obsessions and Opinions | Visited 706 times, 2 so far today
Ok… I’ve noticed a disturbing trend the last couple of years. I think it became popularized in the Suburbs several years ago, with the children of the “Stepford Wives”, mall walkers and the like, but since has grown in popularity and is occurring quite regularly in even the most Urban areas…
That’s right I’m talking about “Trick or Treat” by appointment… For example, today is Halloween, and I will be inundated with an assortment of ghosts, goblins and witches… Between the hours of 3PM and 7PM only… Begging for my hard earned “Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups” (The greatest candy known to mankind) because that is the designated time pre-established by “The Man” for such activities…
WHAT THE HELL IS THAT???
I hate to sound like a crabby old man here… But when I was a kid… Way back in the late 70’s and early 80’s, we went “Trick or Treating” on Halloween… When you’re supposed to… All freaking day and all night! You didn’t get to pick a convenient time on or around the 31st!
We marched ourselves down the street hitting every house… In costumes made of some of the most flammable substances known to mankind, in masks with literally two slits approximately 3mm wide in which to see out of… the kind with the elastic bands that would cut into your skin, leaving a raw welt by the time the night was over… We crossed the street at our own peril… And let’s be honest not all of us made it back, but hey… It made that candy taste all the sweeter
photo credit: Harris Graber
We collected our due and proper… Hell we earned our due and proper on those Halloween nights. Half of the candy collected seemed to be those inedible pieces of crap that were wrapped in orange and black wax paper wrappers… What the Hell were those things anyway??? 1 in 5 houses actually gave away something good, and be honest if any of your “Reeses Peanut Butter Cups” were half opened you ate those bad boys before you got home… Cuz you knew damn well that your parents were gonna pull them out when they sorted your candy…Hell that was half the fun!
Kids today are spoiled… What with their weekend only temperature controlled mall walking “Trick or Treating”, their flame retardent non-sight obstructing mask free costumes and their razor blade free treats! The whole point of Halloween… What made it fun was the rebellious dangerous side… It’s supposed to be extortion… I’ll egg your house… Unless you give me a candy bar… “Trick?… or Treat???”, it’s supposed to be a question. You just don’t get that feeling when it’s by appointment… It just doesn’t seem fun…
“The Man” has succeeded yet again, in taking the fun out of the little things…
I’m just sayin’…
Your post brings back great memories of me trick or treating in San Mateo, CA as a little boy. We little kids went out by ourselves with no parents along. We carried big paper bags from the supermarket and hoped to fill those suckers by curfew. We walked for many blocks. When someone didn’t give us an appropriate treat, we etched their car windows with a bar of soap. It was so safe back in those days that some people would give us freshly baked cookies, unwrapped. Yes, we wore masks, and no, we didn’t carry lights.
That was great ! We used to trick or treat until everyone in the neighborhood ran out of candy and turned off their outside lights. When I lived in Maryland, they actually change the date. We were told trick or treating will take place on the 28th due to the town’s parade on the 31st. Can you believe that shit.
Preach it brutha! Although I was extremely excited to take our toddler out last night and find that those folks in the huge houses with jumbo subprime mortgages were giving out King Size Hershey bars and Reese’s to 15 month old kids.
I’ve already “sorted” her candy for her. She got the Pop Rocks and I got everything else.
Mother… That was “Trick or Treating”, before they removed all the fun!
The Girl With The Great Legs… Changing the date is truly Trick or Treat by appointment and I refuse to give out candy if it’s not the 31st! I mean you gotta’ draw the line somewhere right?
sadcox… It’s good to see that 700 billion dollar stimulus package is being put to good use! Oh… And great job sorting! Ya gotta’ make sure nothing contaminated gets through, ya know… Which generally means anything good! LOL
Just Sayin: That’s alright, I let my kids trick or treat on the 28th and then when the 31st rolled around when drove home to Philly and trick or treated on the right day. Bum-fuck Rednecks - you can’t just up and change Halloween, ya know?
This reminds me of a story. My brother and his rather heavy set friend decided to be a couple of smart asses and go trick or treating the day after Halloween. (Mid 90’s and they were about 13) They knocked on a door and waited for the middle aged man to greet them. Rather confused the man looked at the both of them and without hesitation said to my brothers chubby friend, “You trick or treating? Hell, you’re big enough to eat a bale of hay and pull a buggy.”