Should teens be allowed to trick-or-treat?

[Solace]

Should it be made illegal for anyone 13 or older to trick-or-treat? Should teenagers and adults not be allowed to do it? I think it's definitely weird for a teenager or adult to go trick-or-treating (unless they are taking their kids/siblings), but I don't think it should be a crime.


The City of Belleville is getting national attention again for having restrictions on trick-or-treaters. The story was even featured on the Today Show this week. But in the last two years of banning anyone over the age of 14 from trick-or-treating, is it really working?
Imagine a gory, scary mask showing up at your door! On a pint sized body: not so scary. But someone bigger...
Belleville parent Ken Walker said, "He wants to be a gangster, wants to carry a mask and a gun, and told him he probably won't be able to do that."
Not for much longer anyway, Walker's son Daniel is 12-years old. His parents tell him he only has a couple of trick-or-treating years left. In Belleville, it's the law.
"Sometimes you got the late, 9pm, 9:30, 10 o'clock knocks at the door. The high school kids, the college-age kids, going out terrorizing people," said Belleville Police Captain Don Sax.
So as Sax explains: as of three years ago, it's against the law for anyone over the age of 14 to trick-or-treat in Belleville. But in that time, police have never issued even one citation.
"We haven't had any complaints or any violations that have come up, so there have not been any reason to enforce it or make an arrest," said Captain Sax.
17-year old Nathan and buddy Codie aren't complaining about that. As long as no one complains, they're going to go trick-or-treating in Belleville, just as they've done every year since the law said no.
"Who says you have to be a certain age to go trick-or-treating. It's just stupid," said Nathan.
"I like dressing up, like having fun one day out of the year," said Codie.
They both say they don't wear scary costumes, and they're in charge of taking their little brothers and sisters trick-or-treating
"One's eight and the other one's five," said Nathan.
Belleville Police say they don't patrol looking for over-aged trick-or-treaters. But they will respond and enforce the law if anyone calls complaining. They believe having the law keeps many families from allowing their high schoolers to go trick-or-treating.

http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=224253&catid=3

[Fact]

DAMN. I voted 'no' because I misread the question -.-
Exclude my answer?

[aussiecasper]

um hellz no! ok mabey aldults thats a little creepy but me and my freinds go trick or treating every year and im 15. its not werid its hella fun and it gives us something to do instead of going to partys with drugs and achohol(which ussually get busted every year)

[DarkHorses]

I think they should be able to. I'm going trick or treating tomorrow, and I don't see it as that big of a deal. If you want to go, you should be able to. Who said it's just for little kids? :P

[Fiction]

As long as they aren't causing trouble what's the problem?

[KFC_Kid]

Agreed with friction

[Fiction]

Agreed with friction

LOL Friction :')

[Jenna.]

Yeah, why not? They should be allowed to trick or treat too, it's not fair to tell them they "can't" just because they're older. Would you rather have them going out to parties instead of trick or treating and getting drunk at 13? (I have sense to realize many do both but they would probably go to more parties if there wasn't the option of trick or treating.) I still trick or treated when I was 13. My friends and I went in a big group.

[josh93]

Well i think they should because teens are still kids. I would go tricker treating but i am 17 years old and just dont want to go and walk a whole nebihord but trick or treat is made for everyone. It is a family event just like thanksgiving and chrismas and all the other holidays.

[Amnesiac]

Passing a law banning teens from trick or treating won't do anything anyway. I voted yes.

[TheFountainGoddess]

u shuld b allowed to trick or treat until your 18 end of story...and if they change it...im going to ignore it...and if they arrest me, I'll tell them "FREEDOM OF RELIGION, SPEECH, ASSEMBLY, PRESS, AND PETITION! AMENDMENT NUMBER 1!"

[Clawhammer]

I'll probably be a street musician and beg for candy or something like that. I look like some sort of hobo anyway.

[steve1234]

I can understand why people might want to make it illegal. A lot of teenagers ruin the experience for the younger kids.

The town I live in is a no go area around Halloween at night. Its not exactly Afganistan, but teens throw fireworks, have pretty harsh 'tricks' (such as rocks through windows and other vandalism), and the police do fuck all about it. This means people don't want to open the door at all, incase its a gang of youths, and parents won't allow their kids to go trick or treating because of the teenagers causing trouble.

It shouldn't be illegal, as that would be difficult to enforce. I just think there should be a higher police presence around town. Every year the police prove themselves to be completly shit and let the town run riot.

So, I think anyone should be able to go trick or treating, but there should be a higher police presence so that people feel safer, and that they stop the minority of trouble makers ruining Halloween.

[Sage]

I'll tell them "FREEDOM OF RELIGION, SPEECH, ASSEMBLY, PRESS, AND PETITION! AMENDMENT NUMBER 1!"

Because that's always stopped people from being beaten and arrested. Oh, wait...

[Sugaree]

And how will this help? I've gotten trick or treaters who're 17 or 18 do it. I see no problem with it. As long as they aren't raising hell, that's fine. They're going out for fun so let them have fun.

[Cudder]

I voted neutral Sometimes your just a bit to old to get candy

[1_21Guns]

If they make the effort, I don't see why not.
It does annoy me when they just shove a mask on, purely to attack the houses which have begun to give out money instead of sweets.
But if they actually try, why the hell not?

[Kaius]

:arrow2: ROTW

[Jess]

I can't believe there's a debate on this. if teens want to ToT, let them. we should have some fun.

there aren't a lot of teens in my neighborhood and they never cause any trouble. I go and I never cause any trouble. besides, there are people that are 12 and look like 16 and vice versa.

[Death]

If everyone were to start trick-or-treating, wouldn't that get annoying to people who have to keep answering their door? Besides, "trick-or-treat" actually implies that you will do something bad to them (like throw eggs at their house) if they don't. There must be better things kids can do.

[Perseus]

Besides, "trick-or-treat" actually implies that you will do something bad to them (like throw eggs at their house) if they don't. There must be better things kids can do.

That is incorrect. It means, "Do I get a trick or a treat from you?"

[Death]

Well, I made that judgement based on what someone else told me. I rememebr once in a village in which I used to live where the kids there were throwing eggs at peoples' houses (thankfully not ours) because they wouldn't give any treats out because to those people, 'trick' presumably referred to something bad like the egg-throwing, but that's just by experience.

[Perseus]

Well, I made that judgement based on what someone else told me. I rememebr once in a village in which I used to live where the kids there were throwing eggs at peoples' houses (thankfully not ours) because they wouldn't give any treats out because to those people, 'trick' presumably referred to something bad like the egg-throwing, but that's just by experience.
They obviously wanted candy. :P They were just being idiots.

[Death]

They obviously wanted candy. :P They were just being idiots.

They sure did. Maybe it was just bad interpretation... or they were indeed idiots. Still, I personally wouldn't fancy someone knocking on my door every five minutes asking for sweets.

[Perseus]

They sure did. Maybe it was just bad interpretation... or they were indeed idiots. Still, I personally wouldn't fancy someone knocking on my door every five minutes asking for sweets.

I guess it's just an American thing, then. It's all in good fun.

[HeroesAndCons]

They should be alloud because its a free country in america so they cant say who can or cannot go trick or treating

[TGIF]

The more fun things we make punishable the closer we are to becoming robots. I'll trick or treat until I die, candy tastes good.

[Death]

^^I probably shouldn't say this, but I'm somewhat tickled by the fact that you've said that on your second post and have got yourself banned.

Just to clarify; I don't think trick-or-treating is wrong as such, but if loads of people start doing it, it can become quite inconvinient for those who have to keep answering their door the whole time - especially if they are busy with more important issues.

[Jess]

if you are busy on Halloween then you don't need to hand out candy.

[Laurenzo]

Teens have the scariest costumes, though.

It's that time when we stop wearing "ooh, vampire and ghost and Chewbacca!" outfits and start getting creative :P

[poindexter]

We def. should be allowed to. All that candy should not be wasted on the young.

[Kaya]

I voted no...I think after you turn 18, you shouldn't be able to go trick-or-treating. But 13 is young to stop going out.

[Korashk]

Just to clarify; I don't think trick-or-treating is wrong as such, but if loads of people start doing it, it can become quite inconvinient for those who have to keep answering their door the whole time - especially if they are busy with more important issues.
IF you don't want to be bothered by kids then turn off your front lights. That's how it's supposed to work.

Lights = Candy

[Sogeking]

IF you don't want to be bothered by kids then turn off your front lights. That's how it's supposed to work.

Lights = Candy Or just post a sign that says you dont have candy and dont bother knocking. Works every year :)

[The Dark Lord]

Or just post a sign that says you dont have candy and dont bother knocking. Works every year :)

Where is the fun in that?

[Nexus]

As long as it doesn't become blatantly creepy, go for it.

[Sogeking]

Where is the fun in that? What do you mean? EDIT: nevermind i think i know what you meant. I dont find the act itself fun actually. I was just satisfied that it works, and seeing how this part of town rarely trick-or-treats i dont think ill use it.