Halloween ettiquite: Am I becoming a grumpy person?

[pRICE cUBE]

Participated in a recent Trunk or Treat (decorated cars in a parking lot line up and give away candy) and came away with a bad taste in my mouth after some perceived etiquette issues. Several children demanded specific candy, pulled my bowl down to see what choices there were, and reached in to grab as much as they could while my hand was in the bowl. I don't recall this happening before. Am I just becoming a grump or are some kids just not parented at all anymore?

[SteveG]

Slapping the kids around may arouse their parents. Be sure to have a weighed baton ready to deal with the aggressive kid-spoilers.

[rgG]

I would be disappointed in that behavior, too,

[mattkime]

Sounds to me like the bowl was too close to the trick or treaters.

[pRICE cUBE]

mattkime wrote:
Sounds to me like the bowl was too close to the trick or treaters.

I am 5'9" and held the bowl just below my shoulder. All the misbehaving kids were much shorter than me and elementary aged kids from grade 3-5. My operating procedures were similar to past Trunk or Treat at this location.

[Ombligo]

I would have expected nothing less from the current generation of children. It isn't their fault, it is the parent's lack of judgment, skills, discipline, and common sense.

The only reason I even give out candy is to avoid damage to my house and cars.

So, am I a grumpy old man? No, I'm a realist.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

I would give a small consideration to children not being herded around by their parents the previous two years and being reminded to 'say please and thank you' at every house. Or do parents not do that any more?

[SteveG]

Ombligo wrote:
I would have expected nothing less from the current generation of children.

Sounds like every generation of children.

[DP]

Steve G. wrote:
Slapping the kids around may arouse their parents. Be sure to have a weighed baton ready to deal with the aggressive kid-spoilers.

This. Don't do it next year.

That said, we did a trunk or treat in my town three years ago and ran out of candy. Couldn't believe the number in line. There were plenty of adults in line, too, wearing s••t-eating grins but still took candy.

It also happen to be a warm evening with a thunderstorm! But they still kept coming. No adults called it off! My main memory was of a young teen girl crying her eyes out so I asked what was wrong and she said she was so afraid of thunderstorms-yet she was still going down the line getting candy...

We don't do it anymore.

[Tiangou]

pRICE cUBE wrote: Several children demanded specific candy, pulled my bowl down to see what choices there were, and reached in to grab as much as they could while my hand was in the bowl.

Did some of your candies have nuts?

Might have been looking for something they could eat without suffering anaphylaxis.