...just a couple of doors down from where I live.
A group of young kids, attired in their Halloween clothes, got the 'fright' of their lives.
Racing away screaming in fear and terror, the parents quickly called the Police.
Cops everywhere arrived, Police Helicopter above, the road cordened off, Ambos, etc.

...drunken idiot had pulled a 'Gun', possibly a 'toy' Gun, upon the Trick or Treating kiddies.

I'm a 'new' Father ...so I'm enjoying such things through my child now.
Through myself, I couldn't have cared less for an American Halloween or some Finnish fat man in a red suit getting 'high' upon a magical sleigh that is reined in by Deers upon the same wild mushrooms.
...along with the 'Retail' SALE that has decorations up in October already.

Sure, the kids got the fright of their lives ...but there are better ways to scare kiddies.

...he was again buzzed by Police, when someone called them, because he was seen with alcohol walking to my neighbours upon my right who have already been busted for 1000 Ecstacy Pills, other drugs, stolen goods for Ebay and 'real' Guns.

I live south of Campbelltown which also celebrates Halloween ...which kickstarts the Fisher's Ghost Festival period.

I with you there Equitist (70s & 80s) with all that and I did that in Mt Druitt, one of the roughest areas around (still is I guess).
A lot of people say the same these days - how you hardly see kids out and about.
- is it the indoor Computer Game sets?
- is it the growth of 'weapon' violence which results in 'Death'?
- is it the growth of 'gang' violence which results in 'Death'?
- is it the growth of Vehicles killing kids on the streets?
- is it the growth of Multi-Cultures and their tightly controlling parents that prevents the kids from sharing/adapting 'with' one another?

...whatever the cause, since the 90's, there has been a major social change in Australia.

I didn't mind driving to work and seeing all the different little groups of Ghoulees around ...even saw one kid dressed up like an Orc which got a lot of attention from the other kids.

Agree on those points.

Would you also say there has been a 'cultural' change away from the Rural or Backyard environment 'back' towards the City-culture and all these 'suburban' Houses that are like huge blocks that leave little room for a backyard at all?

Equalist, as much as I too loath girls dressing in the manner you describe above, and wont allow my own daughter to wear tarty clothing, I really don't like the way they described someone's 13 year old child looking like a 'slut'...disgusting, remember it's the parents who should be raked over the coals for what their kids wear, what sort of parent lets their child go out looking like this to begin with?

What's wrong with these people?

My daughter dressed up as Medusa, was hard finding an abundance of rubber snakes last week, normally you find them everywhere in junk shops, but over the last couple of months, they have been sparse.

I attached them all to a black swimming cap with a needle and thread.  

Our area is a safe and 'nice' neighbourhood also, though there's no way in hell I would be leaving a group of 12 or 13 year olds to their own devices, without adult supervision.

1) There are some wierdos out there.

2) Given the true nature of "trick or treat"... some kids get carried away with the pranks, the girl who lives next door to us has a couple of bratty friends who I wouldn't let my daughter trick or treat with last night, in fear they would get up to mischief. ...last year, the two girls in question were believed to have taken eggs with them.

Kids will be kids. Parental supervision is your best defence against anything untoward occurring, safe community or not...kids will be kids.


_______________

You will find that these incidents usually occur when there's a lack of parental supervision.

My sons a bit over trick or treating, (he's 16), so hasn't gone for the last couple of years, though agreed to attend the party the night before, so long as he didn't have to dress up...this and could take a friend.

He calls trick or treating and getting dressed -up  'gay' these days.

Everything is "Gay" to 16 year old boys!

... But when he saw what his sister had netted last night, this and wanted half of what she had scooped up...2 full green-bags full, you know those recyclable supermarket bags....

I think he wished he had have gone too.

We had no incidents, we live in a nice quiet neighbourhood.

Yeah - ironic that.
We drum into our kids not to accept lollies from (the dirty *P*aedophile that hangs around playgrounds and schools) "strangers"
...and yet, on Halloween we contradict and support that action.


Even Doctor Who offered JellyBabies to take youngsters for a ride in his Tardis.

Quote:


You can't tell a normal 13 year old girl what to wear if she wants to wear something else that she believes is attractive. You can only try to persuade her why she shouldn't wear it.  

Personally I think allowing kids to celebrate Halloween is a great imposition on the neighbours who don't want noisy, teenage brats banging on their door demanding lollies.

Also there's a thing called Halloween etiquette, if the porch light is on, it means the people in the house are up for Trick or treating, if it's off, you don't knock.

...I left a plastic pumpkin battery operated hollow pumpkin lantern  of lollies on my veranda last night, all individually bagged in Halloween lolly bags, and placed a sign on the basket, "Be kind take one bag only"...because we were out ourselves last night so knew we wouldn't be home to answer the door for two or so hours, and to my surprise, none were missing when we got back.  However, as soon as we got back, we had a few come round....mind you, we left when it was still light, so....

Only a few dropped by though because we live in a tiny cul-de-sac.