It’s that time of the year when we are plagued with that dreadful American import; trick or treating; followed by World War III in early November. Those of us who just want a quiet life are in for a pretty awful couple of weeks.
On the matter of the truly egregious trick or treat phenomenon, the Times asks the question; good fun or begging? Actually, it’s neither, it’s making demands with menaces dressed up as a children’s game. It is unethical, immoral and should be discouraged.
The article then goes on to talk about the fear factor – the fear that children will come to some harm:
Hallowe’en often coincides with half-term, and concerned middle-class parents can find themselves working out what worries them more: senior citizens being mugged on their doorsteps by knife-wielding trick-or-treat hooligans, or little old ladies getting their own back by doling out slabs of chocolate spiked with razor blades.
However, there are still pockets of the country where parents can relax and children enjoy levels of freedom that the angst-ridden suburbs can only dream of. In one Staffordshire village, children aged from 9 or 10 upwards go trick or treating unaccompanied and older residents welcome their arrival. “There’s no fear factor,” says Deborah Poole, a mother of three, who moved there last year.
Good grief! Look, the likelihood of the little brats coming to any harm is negligible. They might deserve a good kicking for demanding treats on pain of a trick, but it isn’t going to happen. People will acquiesce rather than make a fuss, say “no” politely, or simply not answer the door. There is not – nor has there ever been – some bogeyman waiting on every street corner to abduct them and do nasty things to them. Nor is there any justification in this “tradition” for demanding a curfew.
Still, parents could to the decent thing when their sprogs want to go about making others’ lives miserable for a few hours. They could tell them why this is a bad idea and that making demands with menaces is unethical and if they do it later in life, they will find that it is illegal – unless they enter a career in politics, that is.
Me? I don’t answer the door.
If I could be bothered, what I’d really like to do is open the door wearing a blood stained T-shirt and brandishing a sub-machine gun and, through clenched teeth, tell them that I pop a cap in their sorry asses if they ever, ever, so much as think about knocking on my door. With lots of swearing.
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Of course, that scenario is particularly hilarious if it’s the next door neighbour’s kids, and their mum or dad is hovering in the background.
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I am bemused by the article talking about the “social benefits” of this tradition. There are no social benefits to making a nuisance of oneself, knocking uninvited on strangers’ doors and making demands of the occupant – unless a well-deserved kicking being administered by an irate householder is a social benefit…
Some years ago my mother dressed up as a witch and answered the door with “Trick!” That gave the buggers something to think about.
“Look, the likelihood of the little brats coming to any harm is negligible. “
But…but….what am I going to do with all these apples with razor blades in them then….?!?
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I noticed a comment from a Canadian in the comments to the original article:
Maybe they do – but what about people who do not want to be disturbed by total strangers making demands backed up with menaces? The assumption is that because children LOVE it, we should put aside our own sense of ethics and tolerate the nuisance. Well, I’m sorry, but I don’t approve, I don’t want strangers knocking on my door and I don’t want to be press ganged into playing a game in which I did not choose to partake.
In short, there is a cultural gulf; adults it seems do not have the right to be left alone if it is for the chiiiiildreeen!!!!!! We adults are now second class citizens and everything must revolve around children – even if we choose not to have any of our own.
Well, fuck the children, quite frankly (not literally, I hasten to add). There’s a “No Trick or Treat” poster going on my door and I will not be answering.
Oh dear! You’re almost as bad as Theo on Bond.
Mind you, I favour water cannon.
Not really – Theo is complaining about something that he doesn’t like and that no one is making him watch. Trick or Treat is imposed whether we like it or not. We are expected to comply because it is “only kids having fun”. It is the imposition that grates. Complete strangers knocking uninvited on my door and making demands. Why should I tolerate such behaviour? Why should I smile sweetly and accept it? And, since when did making demands with menaces become ethical behaviour? My parents would never have allowed me to behave in such a manner – we were taught to respect peoples’ privacy and personal space.
That said, irrespective of ethics, if it was strictly confined to consenting people – such as family and friends, you wouldn’t hear a peep out of me.
Bah, humbug.
There’s no need to feel threatened by a few eight-year-old ghouls. They’re not really interested in spraying silly string over your front door. All they want is enough chocolate to make them sick. And as long as you don’t put a pumpkin lantern on your doorstep, they’ll probably just look for it elsewhere.
I find carol singers more disturbing. There’s always a slight worry they won’t shut up and go away!
Then they can go to the shop and buy some.
I’m not threatened and nothing I have said here implies anything of the sort. I object to unethical behaviour – there is a difference. I object to anyone press-ganging others into their “fun” activities. I object to carol singers too for much the same reasons. Indeed, I object to anyone disturbing my peace and privacy who has not been specifically invited or has legitimate business. Demanding chocolate is not legitimate business. Not putting up a pumpkin doesn’t stop them trying, though.