“He was at least six feet tall. A baby bonnet hugged his bushy blonde hair and he weighed in at 180 pounds. He was naked except for a huge diaper and running shoes and the bonnet. In his right hand was a baby bottle half full of amber liquid.
“I had responded to the doorbell ringing and expected I would be greeted by young goblins and Star Wars characters. I never expected to see a senior from high school holding a goody bag saying, ‘Goo, goo, twik ow tweet’.”
Although this gag was quite funny, according to the Rural Crime Watch (RCW) member’s memory, the presence of teens on the trick-or-treat circuit can be somewhat disturbing to youngsters, particularly those unaccompanied by an adult.
The teens’ presence can often lead to property crimes and personal assaults by those taking advantage of the event.
Halloween shouldn’t be an anxiety creator or an opportunity to break the law. In itself, trick-or-treating is an intricate endeavour requiring advanced “kid degrees” in logistics, GPS co-ordination and advanced goody bag acquisition – the larger the better.
Tactics play a pivotal role in the activity, requiring children to hit the known “good” candy homes first, leaving the “green food” residences till last. They cannot avoid these locations entirely; for to do so would require too much diatribe with parents who want to steer their children to nutrition, even on Halloween.
Parents need to execute their own advanced tactics to keep their children safe while making the rounds. RCW encourages adults to monitor their offspring’s activities carefully, making sure the little ones have safe costumes: warm, bright and fire resistant. Insist children explore the candy field in groups with the older ones keeping the youngsters in tow.
A flashlight or headlamp with a solid distance beam is a necessity, particularly in our urban/rural communities where driveways are often considerable distances apart, requiring children to walk on the road.
Parents might consider carrying additional bags to switch when their charge’s acquisitions gain weight.
If older children are out and about as a group, remind them this night is not one for clowning around in the streets but one for an orderly movement from one house to the next to avoid accidents and confusion for drivers.
Homeowners should remember trick-or-treaters will be looking for front lights to welcoming them to your door. If you aren’t participating, shut your lights off and make the front of your home as dark as possible to avoid any misunderstanding.
Residents who are participating in the Halloween handouts need to remember to keep their enthusiasm in check given the likelihood that the main door knockers are going to be very young without the skills to differentiate between Mr. Jones the nice neighbour and the “monster” who greeted them at the door with a face-contorting mask and scary voice.
Make sure your home’s exterior is a safe environment for children, so they are not going to trip over hoses, rakes and the like.
This may be a no-brainer but it is worth mentioning – children should not go inside homes or cars even if they know the person. Precaution is always the best avenue on this night of surprises and spookiness.
RCW extends our appreciation to Cariboo Regional District Directors Art Dumaresq, Bruce Rattray, Al Richmond and their colleagues for their financial support.
Rural Crime Watch welcomes your input at www.ruralcrimewatch.com and on Facebook.
