Dark house - ring the doorbell?

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zyxst
zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
in Chit-Chat
You're out trick or treating tonight and see a house with no outside lights on (lights are on in the basement if you can see through the shrubbery). Do you go up, knock/ring the doorbell, and expect candy?

Has it changed since I went out in 1986 (as a teen) and 1998 (with my own kid) that you generally don't go knock on door if there are no visible lights on? We've had 4 people bang on the door looking for treats. I so much want to answer with a butcher knife in my hand.
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  • know_your_worth
    know_your_worth Posts: 481 Member
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    I'd think it would be an obvious sign if the lights are not on that the home is not handing out candy.

    Very rude for people to be banging on your door!

    Parents should know better not to go to those houses, if the kids are old enough to be on their own they should have enough respect to pass by those houses as well.
  • jmc0806
    jmc0806 Posts: 1,444 Member
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    lights out, you skip the house
  • kelseyhere
    kelseyhere Posts: 1,123 Member
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    nope, things haven't changed. people go dark tonight on purpose. that's the sign- stay away
  • RachelsReboot
    RachelsReboot Posts: 569 Member
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    Yep I tell my kids if the lights are out then we keep walking!
  • Darkskinned88
    Darkskinned88 Posts: 1,177 Member
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    when i was a kid we would rock paper scissors to see who knocked...just in case they had a butcher knife lol
  • Laces_0ut
    Laces_0ut Posts: 3,750 Member
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    houses with the lights out get the rotten eggs.
  • zgochenour
    zgochenour Posts: 67 Member
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    Don't knock. Toilet paper/egg.
  • vmekash
    vmekash Posts: 422 Member
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    Some people have lights off because they do no participate in the tradition. Others have the lights off because they're out of candy. It happens. Don't egg or TP. Sheesh!

    PS: Bought twice the candy this year. Just not the same every year. :wink:
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
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    Just give them celery or carrots.
  • HurricaneElaine
    HurricaneElaine Posts: 984 Member
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    They better not ring the doorbell. There's no candy here.












    BOO!!!

    :laugh:
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    That is weird, my understanding has always been that if there were no outside lights on, that meant you didn't go to that house. Then again, I see people who are way out of their childhood years talking about going trick-or-treating with friends, WTH? About the time I was 13 my mother told me I could find a younger child to take trick-or-treating or stay home, but I couldn't go alone or with friends my age. If college kids knock on my door tonight, they are not getting any candy.

    I will add that all of our outside lights come on automatically, so short of finding a ladder and unscrewing all the light bulbs, I was stuck handing out candy. Clearly my safety minded landlord wasn't thinking about this occasion.
  • janlee_001
    janlee_001 Posts: 309 Member
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    No lights - not candy, BUT if you want to be taken and used in a witches brew - go ahead and knock - I dare you. ha ha ha ha ah
  • Rizabees
    Rizabees Posts: 80
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    I've had adults [with their children] knocking on the door expecting candy when the lights were out, didn't even decorate either. I guess the "no lights no candy" rule skipped over a few people.
  • stellapiano
    stellapiano Posts: 45 Member
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    Our lights went out tonight after about 150 trick-or-treaters when we ran out of candy. We still had one or two doorbell rings, but we either didn't answer, or flat out told them we were out. No big deal.

    Just a side note on the "no adults" thing: For the most part I share this attitude too, but I know both sides of this. In my first year of university, I made a friend who had never been allowed to trick-or-treat as a kid because her parents didn't approve of it. She asked me if I would trick-or-treat with her so she could experience it just once. I did, and we had a blast.

    When kids come dressed as themselves and have no "trick-or-treat" or thank you for me, I am very disapproving. But when (as in the case of my friend and I) people still dress right up and go through the motions, I don't begrudge them too much. You just never know.
  • lizblizz2012
    lizblizz2012 Posts: 196 Member
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    So true. A couple of other TOT etiquette conundrums that bother me:

    (Obviously this is on the parents' shoulders to teach their kids or go with them to the doors, can't expect 4 year olds to know this stuff.)

    1. Teach your kids to take one piece, unless the candy-giver specifies otherwise. It's so rude to take whole handful.

    2. Say Thank You! The candy might be free to you but someone paid for it. People who have busier TOT neighborhoods may spend upwards of $20 on candy!

    3. In my town there is a two hour time frame for TOT. Don't come an hour early or late. Not cool.

    4. One knock or doorbell ring is sufficient. Trust me, I hear you.

    5. Never ever ever EVER say "Ew I don't like this candy." This needs no further explanation.

    I really do love Halloween and passing out candy, I just wish parents would take the time to teach their kids a few manners before sending them out. Obviously kids will be kids, but it's still important to be polite.
  • leejayem
    leejayem Posts: 120 Member
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    We had kids ringing our doorbell at about 8.45 last night - I was very annoyed as we don't celebrate Halloween & my kids were all in bed. My 10 year old woke up (the doorbell rang at least 10 times!!) & she said, "Gee Mum, they must be DESPERATE for lollies ringing the doorbell like that!!" I find it really frustrating that because it's so commercial we all have to play along! My opinion is that parents should find out who on their street is happy to have trick or treaters & ensure their kids only visit those houses. It's just a respect thing.
  • SuperSexyDork
    SuperSexyDork Posts: 1,669 Member
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    So true. A couple of other TOT etiquette conundrums that bother me:

    (Obviously this is on the parents' shoulders to teach their kids or go with them to the doors, can't expect 4 year olds to know this stuff.)

    1. Teach your kids to take one piece, unless the candy-giver specifies otherwise. It's so rude to take whole handful.

    2. Say Thank You! The candy might be free to you but someone paid for it. People who have busier TOT neighborhoods may spend upwards of $20 on candy!

    3. In my town there is a two hour time frame for TOT. Don't come an hour early or late. Not cool.

    4. One knock or doorbell ring is sufficient. Trust me, I hear you.

    5. Never ever ever EVER say "Ew I don't like this candy." This needs no further explanation.

    I really do love Halloween and passing out candy, I just wish parents would take the time to teach their kids a few manners before sending them out. Obviously kids will be kids, but it's still important to be polite.

    We spent almost $40 on candy as we live in a busy neighborhood. Each kid gets a piece of crummy candy and a piece of the good stuff, LOL!
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    No lights, no decorations AND a sign that explains the neighbors will be handing out our treats. Plus a territorial German Shepherd in the window. And one group kept banging on the door (according to my neighbor) much to the displeasure of said dog. Luckily the rest went to the neighbors first (we only got a few).
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I think it is rude to be home with the lights out. Cmon, is it gonna hurt that much to participate in something so special for the kids?
    And, actually, I believe that back in the day the phrase was "trick or treat" because either you gave or you got. In my father's day, the kids did have tricks they could play on houses that were stingy.
    Maybe we should return to the etiquette of those times. . .
  • LauraMacNCheese
    LauraMacNCheese Posts: 7,198 Member
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    Lights out = move on to the next house

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