# Punching TOTs



## austenandrews (Aug 22, 2010)

TOTs who punch, I mean. When a prop scares them, they punch it. Seems to be mostly boys in the 9-11 age range. My talking machine face drew a couple of whacks. Thankfully I made it of plywood and not the foam I originally considered.

How do you deal with these rascals?


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

Yep. I hear ya. Watched as a kid punched the bejeebers out of a skelly one year while dad watched while chatting on the 'phone. I try to not put them where they are punchable (behind a fence, up high) and yell at them if they do. However, prevention is better...I don't have time to patrol people's unruly kids. Hopefully, if they punch before getting candy = no candy. A friend who was a "dummy" scarecrow on a pole ended up getting punched HARD in the gut by a drunken adult.


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## Beth (Sep 27, 2005)

We had a couple of boys that had gone through our barn a couple of times and knew when my son would reach his hand down from the loft and they yanked on his arm and about pulled him through. We had to just shut it down after that. Didn't want anyone hurt. It's a shame that a couple little monsters can ruin the fun for all. They weren't invited back the next year.


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## Vlad (Aug 2, 2005)

Most of the punching, fear reaction problem is our responsibility as haunters to deal with. I always tell people acting in my haunt to never be within arms reach of someone when they do their scare. Does it lessen the effect sometimes, yes, but it also prevents needless hassles afterwards. Many pro haunt actors get hurt each year from the public being out of control. As far as startle/scare props, they need to be kept away also if you're worried about them being damaged. It's all in the design and layout of your display or haunt, and in training those who are acting in it. If any TOTer/patron is out of control, then it's lights up time, and that person needs to be escorted off the property and not be allowed to continue through.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

What Debbie and Vlad said - first step is prevention by keeping things as much out of reach as possible. Second is what you did - anything within reach needs to be sturdy enough to withstand accidental or deliberate physical contact from patrons. Having one or more helpers out in the display may not prevent an incident, but will ensure someone is immediately available to respond to an unruly guest.

Boys that age do seem to be the ones most likely to respond to a scare by striking out. Spooky1's 13-year-old nephew joined us for the first time this year to be part of our display and do some scares, and one of the things I warned him about was people's reactions in the form of punching. We instructed him to keep his scares subtle (arm movement or head turn) and also said absolutely no jump out scares because we didn't want him getting pummeled.


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## scareme (Aug 29, 2006)

When I saw the title of this thread I thought it was about us punching kids. Which I've been tempted to do, but have never followed through with.


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## Headless (Sep 4, 2011)

We took all sorts of precautions as well - and our live actor on the night was standing behind two 6 foot props (sort of in the middle of them but just behind) and he still managed to get whacked in the jaw by a 50 odd year old guy when he got scared. So yes - prepare for the worst!


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## goneferal (Sep 8, 2010)

scareme said:


> When I saw the title of this thread I thought it was about us punching kids. Which I've been tempted to do, but have never followed through with.


That's what I thought as well We must just have twisted minds. I've had the temptation as well.


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## Dixie (Feb 18, 2009)

Man, now I'm kinda depressed. We have apparently never scared anyone enough to punch us. Bummer. ?!?!?! hehehe.


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## MotelSixx (Sep 27, 2008)

I see it as a natural reflex, and if it happens, it happens. As long as they don't go in to intentionally damage something then the show must go on!


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## Jaybo (Mar 2, 2009)

I knock the crap out of the little buggers all the ti....wait...what? Oooooookay...them hit us! Umm....they're all little angels? Never happens? 

LOL! Luckily it has never happened to us. (Knocking on my forehead for luck...it's made of wood you know....Dixie calls me Blockhead all the time)

You have to plan for the worse, and then go several steps better than the plan. We still get the idiot family that will take off crawling through our yard like it was a haunted buffet at the Golden Corral, so keep them walled off and at arms length at all times.


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## Dixie (Feb 18, 2009)

Jaybo said:


> a haunted buffet at the Golden Corral


Hahahahaha! Love it!


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## Spooky D (Oct 4, 2011)

No punching this year but I did have a little boy, maybe 3 or 4 years old run screaming "I'm not scared of you" towards my grave grabber. He then proceded to try and rip it out of the coffin it was in. Luckily his mom was on top of things and grabbed him before he could do any damage. Since he was so tiny it was actually funny.


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## Creep Cringle (Jun 23, 2009)

I was lucky this year none of my actors were touched and my props are intact but thats cause we learned our lesson last year. I had to build a lot more fencing but that looks good anyway, and we changed a lot of our scares to come up from behind people or above them out of reach.


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## austenandrews (Aug 22, 2010)

I'm pondering a different approach this time around. My theme lends itself to flats and cutouts and big, blocky props. If I start with the premise that kids are allowed to interact with a subset of them, I can plan my builds to be sturdy and rugged enough that casual abuse won't be a problem. I'm thinking of things like plywood flats or simple enclosures with little doors and windows to play around. Cutouts where TOTs can stick their faces through and parents can take pictures. Not that I want to construct a Halloween playground in my front yard, as such (though that would be extremely cool). Just some simple stuff that allows kids to be kids. Then the fancier, fragile props can be put safely out of reach.


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## DeathTouch (Sep 6, 2005)

I like this thread...LOL


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## Dark Angel 27 (Sep 11, 2008)

i was fooled by the title too! 

im gonna let my twisted side come out for a moment. 

in regards to actors getting punched in the stomach...we could teach the little buggers a lesson and put then sheet metal underneith the costume, that way the jerks would hurt their hand and thus never punch your actors again.

if that's not a viable idea, then for the scarecrow, I would put extra padding into the costume to absord the impact of the fists of fury.


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## BioHazardCustoms (Aug 5, 2009)

When I was working as an actor at a pro haunt a few years back, I had a patron who thought I was an animatronic swing for the fences. He got in a good shot, I'll admit. But he got a really good scare when security grabbed him and walked him out of the haunt. There is a difference in a fear induced swing and a "watch me be an idiot" swing. My suggestion is to escort them off of the property, or tell them to leave. People like that can be dangerous to your scenes, your props, or most importantly your actors.


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## Drago (Sep 5, 2011)

i had 2 boys age 9-11 not punching but with plastic sword hitting stuff in my haunt, after i called them out they left quietly.


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

You mean we're not supposed to punch them???

In haunts of the past we promptly had someone follow the puncher, if it was a single incident then we let it go but warned them off from doing it in the future.
If you let them get multiple hits in it becomes a game to them, someone gets hurt, and you, the haunter, are held responsible. We always tried to have warning signs up that people had to read before they entered the haunt, maze, etc. Letting people know that there may be things that will startle them, make them jump, etc., but that they will not be touched and that they must not touch the props or actors/cast members, and telling them that there would be penalties, including assault charges helped bring the point home to potential problem makers. Having each of your actors with a strong flashlight and a walkie talkie also makes exposure of the trouble makers quick and easy. Taking their photograph and personal information makes them understand that you know who they are and that they can be found. Scary for most people.


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## JPGoodspeed (Jul 21, 2011)

I've only been hit once (knock wood). Although, oddly enough, it was while saving a prop from destruction by 9-year-old. I was at the ghost tour I work at when a teenager comes running up to stick his head in our stocks. There's a chain wrapped around one side of the prop, and his idiot little brother starts pulling on it, almost yanks the whole thing down. So, of course, I step in (in costume and in character like a boss) and warn him off.
The kid (who barely comes up to my belt buckle) starts macho posturing as if he's some [email protected]$$ gangsta thug. Predictably, I made fun of him, leaned in, and whispered "Now get out." He grabbed my tie (good job I'd forgotten the noose that day) and yanked it as hard as he could. So I kicked him and the rest of his family out. I saw them later with a different ghost tour, looking very disappointed *snicker*


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## gamijal (Oct 8, 2010)

*grrrr*

Yes sir... we run a covered yard walk thru... (2-10x20 carports, 1-20x20 circus tent) 
I find the distance rule works well... but we have some lightly wood framed black plastic maze walls that have been destroyed when a tot'r (or group of them) recoils in a screaming panic... weve had people step into walls before, but this time they were looking right thru me as they ripped and snapped the corner wall in half as I was trying to calm these 17 to 20-something girls down... had to lead them thru the rest of the way yelling to my guys not to activate any remaining props... learned to reinforce walls facing startling props! but very few problems, as most know its all for fun 150 tot... maybe 5-6 do the total freakout/punch reaction!


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## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

Punching TOT's sounds like a fun video game! 

I've had a couple older kids in the past who weren't dressed up that came through one display pretending to punch a life sized prop in the face. I yelled at the kid because the prop holds a sign that reads "Keep off my Lawn" and I said, "Hey! The sign says keep off my lawn!". I was mostly joking but that kid was so embarrassed that he left quickly. That little turd.


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## Wildcat (Nov 3, 2007)

scareme said:


> When I saw the title of this thread I thought it was about us punching kids. Which I've been tempted to do, but have never followed through with.


I thought it was someone asking if the could. 
I only had myself to blame for the Mom that brought me to my knee's with a well placed kick. Lets just say I'll be standing with my legs together next time I approach a Mom from behind.


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## The Halloween Lady (Aug 18, 2010)

OK, add my name to the list of people who misinterpreted this thread. Frankly the thought of punching TOTs is what peaked my initial interest.  I can't even begin to count the number of times kids have mistreated my props/decor, and the vast majority of time they are accompanied by a parent who stands by doing nothing.  Maybe we should have a thread about punching the parents of TOTs. _JK_


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## niblique71 (Dec 2, 2009)

I've had very little issue with Punching, except one (yep 9 year old) kid who wanted to get into a boxing match with my greeter prop 3 years ago. I have a BOOMING voice and yelled down "Son. PLEASE don't touch anything!!!!" pointed straight at him from on High. he went white, and I followed, "Your Welcome here, Just don't touch anything". He was TOO embarrased to just leave since his other friends were obviously going to come up and get candy and have the Full experiance. We'll see what happens when I go full walk around this year. I need more help for sure.


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## QueenRuby2002 (Oct 23, 2011)

Well I haven't been doing haunts long so the only instince I can add was last year we had a kid who decided he was going to do the scaring and kept graping this girl following her threw the haunt untill she was going to hurt him. Thankfully it was a kid I knew so me letting him know I was going to tell his father and he would be banned from the party next year if he didn't quit actually worked. But yha I actually wanted to punch him that day.


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## rayster1900 (Jan 10, 2012)

Hi all a little off topic but still the thread name applies, we are part of a ride on train group in Southern California and our most problem people are the 9 & 10 year olds and 15 & 16 year olds and none English speaking people, garbing stuff or picking up stuff and throwing at other people and trains. We hope this year to do a haunted train but have it so nothing is within 5 feet of the passengers.


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## tcass01 (Aug 20, 2010)

My biggest problem is with the 15-18 year old crowd. i totally dig that they want a picture with one of my props but they don't even ask if they can walk across the lawn or put their arm around Bob or Carl for the picture. It goes to the lack of respect that our youth have today. They don't understand the hard work and endless hours we put into our creations. Luckly I haven't had any really bad damage except some torn latex on a toe and a broken skeletal fingertip.


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## Haunted Spider (Sep 6, 2010)

I vote for the punching ToTs app. That would be awesome. A whole bunch of kids dressed as whatever and you whack them as they try to get the candy bowl. This thing could make millions and it would definitely be a favorite of the HauntForum for sure.


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## kprimm (Mar 14, 2009)

You will always find at least one idiot every year. When I was younger I actually got into a fist fight with 2 guys in my haunted house, who were spitting on actors and maliciously destroying my haunt. They paid a heavy price for being idiots. As far as TOTs only have had a couple younger kids poking and hitting at a couple props, and after calling them out, they stop or have had their parents get after them. Luckilly though I have about 10 volunteers that are always with me at the haunt on the big night, so that helps alot, we divide the haunt into sections and have 2 to 3 people watching each area.


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