Halloween. Candy and a good scare makes for twice the fun.

[PIPEWRENCH]

I am lucky. The kids still go door to door in my neighborhood. I am not much for handing out candy. I leave that to my mom who loves kids.

I like to lurk around outside with my Michael Myers costume and give them a good scare as they leave. Once they get the candy they tend to drop their guard. I am usually waiting around the corner standing in the hedges where they have to walk by as they are leaving. I do not move until they spot me which they always do. Because I don't move most of the time they think I am a prop. Then like the scary snowman I raise my plastic knife quick and take a step forward. I have had parents scream.

Of course most of the kids in my neighborhood know this gig so I am looking for some new ideas.

 

[azgreg]

I am lucky. The kids still go door to door in my neighborhood. I am not much for handing out candy. I leave that to my mom who loves kids.

I like to lurk around outside with my Michael Myers costume and give them a good scare as they leave. Once they get the candy they tend to drop their guard. I am usually waiting around the corner standing in the hedges where they have to walk by as they are leaving. I do not move until they spot me which they always do. Because I don't move most of the time they think I am a prop. Then like the scary snowman I raise my plastic knife quick and take a step forward. I have had parents scream.

Of course most of the kids in my neighborhood know this gig so I am looking for some new ideas.

Rig up a big spider that drops down from above them. Love that gag.

 

[Superfly]

I am lucky. The kids still go door to door in my neighborhood. I am not much for handing out candy. I leave that to my mom who loves kids.

I like to lurk around outside with my Michael Myers costume and give them a good scare as they leave. Once they get the candy they tend to drop their guard. I am usually waiting around the corner standing in the hedges where they have to walk by as they are leaving. I do not move until they spot me which they always do. Because I don't move most of the time they think I am a prop. Then like the scary snowman I raise my plastic knife quick and take a step forward. I have had parents scream.

Of course most of the kids in my neighborhood know this gig so I am looking for some new ideas.

go to other neighborhoods.

 

[Lutherf]

I rigged up a mousetrap with a candy bar but never put it out due to concern that some parent would freak even though it's perfectly safe.

 

[Crovax]

I am lucky. The kids still go door to door in my neighborhood. I am not much for handing out candy. I leave that to my mom who loves kids.

I like to lurk around outside with my Michael Myers costume and give them a good scare as they leave. Once they get the candy they tend to drop their guard. I am usually waiting around the corner standing in the hedges where they have to walk by as they are leaving. I do not move until they spot me which they always do. Because I don't move most of the time they think I am a prop. Then like the scary snowman I raise my plastic knife quick and take a step forward. I have had parents scream.

Of course most of the kids in my neighborhood know this gig so I am looking for some new ideas.

Just an FYI a chainsaw w/o a chain will really scare those kids

 

[azgreg]

Just an FYI a chainsaw w/o a chain will really scare those kids

Not as much as a chainsaw with the chain. :mrgreen:

 

[KevinKohler]

Build a table large enough for you to comfortably fit under. Put a cloth on it that covers to the ground. Get a cheap, big plastic bowl. Cut out the bottom, cut out a hand sized hole in the table. See where I'm going with this?


Bit of a pain...but the screams will be worth it.

 

[vesper]

I don't put out any spooky decorations or do anything that scares the little ones. Years ago I had a skeleton that would move, moan and his eye sockets would flash red by motion sensors. After it made a little one cry, that was it. I donated it to a haunted trail event.

I get a lot of kids every year and many of them are under the age of 6. It's a safe neighborhood and we get lots of kids whose parents drive them here to trick or treat. The event is only from 6 to 8. The cars start pouring in full of kids about 5:30 parking on the streets. Several bring their dogs in costume. I have bags I make up for my "special" kids in the neighborhood and I also have dog biscuits on hand for the pups. Some of the costumes are just fabulous. But last year the costumes that stood out the most was a girl wearing a laundry basket with the bottom cut out of it yet clothing stuffed around the edges with a sign that said "Hillary's Dirty Laundry". Her brother was dressed just like Trump complete with the orange spray tan and the white around the eyes, yellow hair combed just like Trump wearing a dark blue suit, red tie and white shirt.

 

[PIPEWRENCH]

I don't put out any spooky decorations or do anything that scares the little ones. Years ago I had a skeleton that would move, moan and his eye sockets would flash red by motion sensors. After it made a little one cry, that was it. I donated it to a haunted trail event.

I get a lot of kids every year and many of them are under the age of 6. It's a safe neighborhood and we get lots of kids whose parents drive them here to trick or treat. The event is only from 6 to 8. The cars start pouring in full of kids about 5:30 parking on the streets. Several bring their dogs in costume. I have bags I make up for my "special" kids in the neighborhood and I also have dog biscuits on hand for the pups. Some of the costumes are just fabulous. But last year the costumes that stood out the most was a girl wearing a laundry basket with the bottom cut out of it yet clothing stuffed around the edges with a sign that said "Hillary's Dirty Laundry". Her brother was dressed just like Trump complete with the orange spray tan and the white around the eyes, yellow hair combed just like Trump wearing a dark blue suit, red tie and white shirt.

Agreed. That was the nice part of my old gig. The jump suit is not scary until I slip on the mask and pick up the plastic kitchen knife. I scare them as they leave which gives me the option of making sure they are old enough.

 

[PIPEWRENCH]

I rigged up a mousetrap with a candy bar but never put it out due to concern that some parent would freak even though it's perfectly safe.

I have seen that before. I forgot about it. The one I saw was a rat trap with the tension released on the spring. The one I saw said press the button for complaints. I could build a real oversized one and put the candy bowl on it. A sign that says help yourself. I think the parents would see it is a prop but it would be interesting to see how many kids would risk their arm for a candy.

 

[PIPEWRENCH]

Rig up a big spider that drops down from above them. Love that gag.

My neighbor has that one. Kids learn and adapt pretty quick. The same gig rarely works 2 years in a row.

 

[PIPEWRENCH]

go to other neighborhoods.

I already have done that. Last year I went to my brothers for Halloween.

 

[Superfly]

I already have done that. Last year I went to my brothers for Halloween.

You only have 2 neighborhoods in your town? I live in a small town of about 15K and I have probably 30 subdivisions.

 

[PIPEWRENCH]

Just an FYI a chainsaw w/o a chain will really scare those kids

I have thought about the chainsaw. I a not sure how it would work without the chain. Naturally dangerous with a chain. The big problem is starting it on the first pull. The outfit is simple and one rev of the chainsaw as you come around the corner would be scary especially coming out of the dark into the light. I could blunt and disable the cutters on the chain. It would be a hundred times safer. Once the saw is warmed up it starts on the first pull a lot of the time. I could come from around the back of the house instead of waiting in the front for them to leave. There is potential here and still simple.

 

[PIPEWRENCH]

You only have 2 neighborhoods in your town? I live in a small town of about 15K and I have probably 30 subdivisions.

I like to stay on my property. With all the paranoia and everyone packing I worry about being shot. Especially lurking around in someone else's neighborhood.

 

[ttwtt78640]

You only have 2 neighborhoods in your town? I live in a small town of about 15K and I have probably 30 subdivisions.

It is probably not wise to lurk in yards wielding a knife (or chainsaw) where you don't know the occupant well. A knife wielding adult stranger popping out of my bushes may not get the reaction that they hoped for.

 

[ecofarm]

I heard a mat that triggers a noise works well. Could use one as a misdirect.

 

[PIPEWRENCH]

Build a table large enough for you to comfortably fit under. Put a cloth on it that covers to the ground. Get a cheap, big plastic bowl. Cut out the bottom, cut out a hand sized hole in the table. See where I'm going with this?


Bit of a pain...but the screams will be worth it.

Not bad. I have hid behind a table years ago. The kids would come on the porch and we would turn off the light. I would stand up and reach for them as the light came back on. A hand coming up out of the candy bowl would be fun. One of the neighbors used to have his head sticking up through a table as he sat underneath it. He would stay still until they were in range and then look up and growl. It would be simple to build. Plywood with a hole in it and a cheap table cloth.

 

[PIPEWRENCH]

It is probably not wise to lurk in yards wielding a knife (or chainsaw) where you don't know the occupant well. A knife wielding adult stranger popping out of my bushes may not get the reaction that they hoped for.

I have been down that road in my youth and survived. Now a days I think they would shoot first and I do learn from mistakes. I was sneaking around my girlfriends house and met a very concerned father with a shotgun. I think a Halloween outfit at the time would have had deadly results.

 

[ttwtt78640]

I have been down that road in my youth and survived. Now a days I think they would shoot first and I do learn from mistakes. I was sneaking around my girlfriends house and met a very concerned father with a shotgun. I think a Halloween outfit at the time would have had deadly results.

The attire may not be as concerning as the knife in hand when leaping out of bushes to give folks a scare.

 

[ecofarm]

The attire may not be as concerning as the knife in hand when leaping out of bushes to give folks a scare.

A chainsaw is a pretty decent shot at getting blown away.

 

[ttwtt78640]

A chainsaw is a pretty decent shot at getting blown away.

Yep, it makes that "hands up, don't shoot" claim (in case they survive) a bit tricky as well.

 

[Superfly]

I like to stay on my property. With all the paranoia and everyone packing I worry about being shot. Especially lurking around in someone else's neighborhood.

It is probably not wise to lurk in yards wielding a knife (or chainsaw) where you don't know the occupant well. A knife wielding adult stranger popping out of my bushes may not get the reaction that they hoped for.

If Pipewrench is dressed up like, say, Michael Myers, with a blue jumpsuit and a William Shatner mask, he will scare the piss out of anybody without even carrying a weapon. All he has to do is just walk around, or in some cases, simply just stand there like under a streetlight and scare everyone as they walk by. Besides, if he is in costume, how are they going to know if he lives there or not?

 

[PIPEWRENCH]

If Pipewrench is dressed up like, say, Michael Myers, with a blue jumpsuit and a William Shatner mask, he will scare the piss out of anybody without even carrying a weapon. All he has to do is just walk around, or in some cases, simply just stand there like under a streetlight and scare everyone as they walk by. Besides, if he is in costume, how are they going to know if he lives there or not?

You really think that if I dress up as leather face and walk down the street swinging a chainsaw wildly at 6'3" 300lbs at night nobody would take a shot at me.
The police would probably shoot me.:lamo

 

[Superfly]

I like to stay on my property. With all the paranoia and everyone packing I worry about being shot. Especially lurking around in someone else's neighborhood.

You really think that if I dress up as leather face and walk down the street swinging a chainsaw wildly at 6'3" 300lbs at night nobody would take a shot at me.
The police would probably shoot me.:lamo

Did you miss the part where I said you don't have to carry a weapon?