# TOT - hold old is too old?



## Johnny Thunder (Feb 24, 2006)

One town has decided that anyone over 12 years old will be fined $100.00.

Thoughts?

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/momentsofmotherhood/how-old-is-too-old-for-trick-or-treating-2403664/


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## sickNtwisted (Sep 29, 2010)

That's ridiculous! What's next? Anyone over 5 can't have birthdays anymore?!

I'd like to slap whoever came up with that idea over the head with sloppy entrails.


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## Glyphen2010 (Aug 30, 2010)

Quote by M on the site "just give the "big kids" mustard and catsup packets thats always funny"


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## Death's Door (Mar 22, 2006)

You are never too old!!!! I'm proof of that!!!!

Isn't that discrimination?


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

I'm happy to have any kids come to the haunt, but I do want to see costumes!


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## remylass (Sep 18, 2008)

If the kids are big and not in costume, then there is a problem. If they are 14, in costume, and ToTing with their friends? Why not. 

Does this also apply to the nice groups of college students that dress up and go door to door to collect canned goods for the food pantry?


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

You're too old, JT:googly:

Okay, just kidding - come to our door and we'll give you candy and a glow bracelet

I don't think older teens and adults should be out trick or treating. They should stay comfortably at home drinking hot spiced cider or toddies and watch classic horror movies on TV until their younger siblings/kids come home with a bag full of candy. At that point, all they have to do is tell the ToTs that "all that candy is bad for you" or "I need to check that candy for rat poison and razor blades" and promptly remove all the good stuff from the bags for their own personal use. Problem solved:jol:


(and that was tongue-in-cheek, in case anyone thinks I should be taken seriously)


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

Going out on Halloween in costume , I don't care how old you are.
Tot-ing for candy, well maybe 18 to 21 or so.
Tot-ing for charity, I don't have a problem with that either. 

I stopped going toting at 18 I think. Now I just buy my own candy and tell people that I hand it out.


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

16-ish is old enough. Older seems a bit ridiculous to be going door to door and begging for treats. If you want candy that badly get a job and buy it yourself. Anyone older should be at home doing a haunt and passing out candy.


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## The Mangler (Jul 2, 2007)

Facial hair. Boys OR girls.


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## The Mangler (Jul 2, 2007)

Anyone older should be at home doing a haunt and passing out candy. 

Exactly.


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## The Mangler (Jul 2, 2007)

With regard to the college-aged kids doing the charity thing, college girls can come to my house at any time day or night. Costumes preferred!


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## niteprince (Oct 16, 2010)

this is nites wife. facial hair huh? well then our 12yr is out


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## Mcnab (Oct 13, 2010)

That's bullspit


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## austenandrews (Aug 22, 2010)

They start high school at age 13 there? I'm impressed.

That ordinance is dumb and I'd be surprised if it was ever enforced, except as an excuse to chase off kids doing other suspicious things as well.


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## TeddyMadison (Oct 14, 2010)

You do your job and I'll do mine. If they say trick or treat and have a costume, they get candy. I do wish some of the girls would think about what they are wearing though. Last year I had two that looked about 14 or 15 and lets just say they tops they were wearing left nothing to the imagination. Just not a safe thing to do.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

If you have a costume, or even a semi-costume or semi-makeup (i.e. one of those sweatshirts with skelly bones on it) I will give you candy. I have more of an issue with a momma coming onto my porch with an INFANT on her shoulder, & opening a pillow case, saying "It's for her" and pointing to baby. Umm..I don't give out rice cereal or bottles....NO.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

Hahhahaha....$100 fine if you Trick or Treat over age 12!! if I were 13, I'd make a big ass sign and carry it October 31st, saying I'M 13 AND TRICK OR TREATING!! ARREST ME! Stupid, and it's just another way to fine, tax & lien us to death.


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## aquariumreef (Sep 16, 2010)

My opinion is 18 or so, as long as there polite and costumed. First year for me giving candy and not out taking though.


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## NickG (Sep 12, 2006)

I have no age limit, but a costume is a must. or you get a "dude, where's your costume?!?" and a tootsie roll. just one. And yes, I hang out after hours hoping to catch TPrs, but have only managed to thwart mutiple attempts at my neighbor's house.


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## NickG (Sep 12, 2006)

debbie5 said:


> If I have more of an issue with a momma coming onto my porch with an INFANT on her shoulder, & opening a pillow case, saying "It's for her" and pointing to baby. Umm..I don't give out rice cereal or bottles....NO.


my wife has done that with both our daughters, and I admit, I felt it was a bit odd. I think it's more about showing off yer cute kid than getting the candy.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

I've carried my baby ToTing....just never asked for candy for her. And yes, I DID want to hear people say about her: "Ohhh...what a cute puppy!". Of course, in hindsight, I should have made her into a zombie....


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## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

I don't see how it is legal....

You can invite your neighbors to your house no matter what the age and nobody can tell you that you can't do that.

...and Trick-or-Treat has never been declared "official" as far as I know


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## Rasputin (Jan 4, 2010)

So if you're 13, WATCH OUT!!


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

Our "city" has a curfew on Halloween night, which no one follows or enforces. It's just in place so if you are a weiner, you can get snagged. To think that several people used government time & money to discuss this, formulate a law and then PASS IT....it's just sad.


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## aquariumreef (Sep 16, 2010)

Agreed. We get only 10-20 TOT's where I live, so if that happened, we would only get like 5.


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## Dr Morbius (Sep 21, 2004)

It's non enforceable, and I figure that it's just a way for the city politicians to say they did "something" for those that complained. I wouldn't worry about it if I lived in that town, no one is going to pull older ToTers off the street...no way.


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## aquariumreef (Sep 16, 2010)

Can't the copper's arrest them?


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## Sblanck (Sep 13, 2007)

My only rule is you have to wear a costume. I am 39 and wearing one to scare you, so be polite and wear on yourself.


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

This IS the haunt forum, so I assume we are all haunters here, right? If you are out TOTing then who is running your haunt? More importantly, who is passing out candy at your house? If you are not passing out candy then you are not doing very much to keep the holiday alive. Just leaving the hard work to the rest of us? Hmmm. Now I never turn anyone away who comes to the door and says those magic words, costume or not, young or old. Its just that in my opinion toting is for the young, which in the teen years gives way to parties, and then gives way to doing a haunt and passing out treats for the next generation. Thusly our holiday survives.


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

If you're in your sixties, holding a bag or bucket and get the words out - "trick or treat". You get candy.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

But therein lies the rub. Our holiday IS slowly being dismanteled, and we see it. Trick or treating in malls....PAHHHh! I LOVE that we have 3 kids community parties to go to on Friday, Saturday & Sunday...but HalloweenIS being taken down a few notchjes, and I dont see how we can advocate to get it so kids can wear costumes to school again. Have a parade on school property...1/2 the fun was having your freinds SEE your costume in schol, and then having to wait HOURS til you could actually go out & TOT. BIG BROTHER moved daylight savings time on us, blahblahblah. All to kowtow to certain religious affiliations. Grrr.


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## NickG (Sep 12, 2006)

jaege said:


> If you are out TOTing then who is running your haunt? More importantly, who is passing out candy at your house?


My wife takes the kids out to TOT and I take the time to bring them to a couple of nearby houses. Since my candy is handed out inside the witch shop, every year I hire someone to be the witch. (pay is via pizza, coke, and screams) it's always been a friend of ours, or a friends kid.. one year my mom did it. Every now and then I'll take a shift and hand out candy myself.


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

Meh, I don't care how old ya are... Come to my place in a costume and you'll get a treat. I don't discriminate unless you aren't wearing a costume. Nothing irks me more than teens coming to your door sans costume with a pillowcase full of candy begging for more. And the rap star, sports star, movie star, every day person look excuse doesn't cut it. Typically we have a no costume no candy rule.


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## PrettyGhoul (Oct 7, 2005)

I have a most negative reaction to these types of laws and this is the worse yet. I have no problem at all with teen trick or treaters; I get them a lot. They are always dressed up and fun. I cannot believe a law is set up to fine a 13 year old (their parents) because they might trick or treat. It's insane. I get kids from just born (proud parents that dressed them up.....good parenting skills already have to say!!) to 19 and bragging they just had a birthday, also in costume. I love Halloween and want all kids to enjoy it as long as possible. Fining a child for having fun is crazy.


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## Peyjenk (Oct 26, 2010)

I personally think kids 16 or so are too old, but that's not to say that I won't give them candy if they come to my house. Even though I think TOTing should be for younger kids, it isn't my job to teach the teens that lesson, and refusing candy just makes me seem like a jerk.

I like the "No Costume, No Candy" rule, but don't really enforce it. I end up buying so much candy that I give it away in great handfulls to everyone just so I don't get stuck with it all!

But back to the original post: my biggest issue here is that a city would take it on itself to set that rule. TOTing age limits should be set by parents, not governments.


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## DeathTouch (Sep 6, 2005)

I have no answer for this question. So I am going to punt.


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## GPSaxophone (Sep 6, 2007)

I give the teenagers full sized candy bars (prevents vandalism since they all watch out for our display else we stop giving out treats). There should be no age limit on harmless fun.


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## Hauntiholik (May 17, 2006)

I think 16 and over is too old *unless* they are taking younger siblings along. If they are in costume they get candy. If they are in street clothes they get candy I don't like.


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## wandererrob (Aug 8, 2007)

I dont care if you're 5 or 55. Show up in costume and I'll happily give you candy. I think the mayor's own statement that his own dad said, "you're too damn big to be trick-or-treating. You're done." says it all.


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## Kaoru (May 6, 2009)

Thats VERY stupid. I've seen teens older then 12 trick or treat. Usually though more kids over 15 or so stop trick or treating on their own. Either way I have no problem giving to people who want to dress up and have fun.


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## Pumpkin5 (Aug 8, 2010)

:jol: I give it out to whoever says Trick or Treat at my door. As Frankenstein always says, "Ugh....Candy....Good"


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## goneferal (Sep 8, 2010)

The first year they show up on my doorstep and mumble "trick 'r treat" and don't say thank you. Other than that, enthusiasm and some attempt at a costume are all I require. I haven't had any moms TOT'ing for babies yet. That seems terribly tacky.


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## jdsteel82 (Aug 27, 2010)

My take on it is: If you are a teen or older...you sure have better put some thought and effort into your costume, and you will get a treat. 

Kids can be dressed as almost anything and they will get a treat...as long as they say trick or treat!


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