[boo who?]

This year, I only had one TOTer ask for a treat for "a friend" I gave the kid a chip bag (31¢) rather than the toy/candy grab bags ($1) everyone else got.

Do you ever get requests for a phantom brother/sister/pal? I won't say no ... but I really want to. How do you guys handle the mysterious invisible TOTer?

 

[Madame Leota]

We get one or two every year and I don't mind. Kids get sick and have to miss trick or treating and that's no fun. Or maybe it's for their brother who insists on spending Halloween night waiting for the Great Pumpkin.

 

[GobbyGruesome]

We had a few this year but they all seemed legit, and all were with parents. One mother told us that her oldest child actually scared her youngest child when he was in costume, and now that kid was refusing to get out of the car. She wasn't impressed.

We do get a couple greedy kids every year, but I think it's best to just try to minimize it unless it's a huge problem - don't let the bad stuff bleed into the good.

 

[HexMe]

I had a couple who asked for treats for their "baby brother/sister" and I gave them extra. Seemed legit although I figure...even if they are lying and running some scam, they must really want that candy, must really need it for some reason And really, I have so much, it's no skin off my nose.

 

[HalloweenieChallenge]

Well I can remember one year my friend's little sister had walking pneumonia and her doctor forbid her from tot. As you might expect - she was devastated.

So her mom told her sister she had to give her half of her candy. It was really nice of her neighbors to give doubles.


We had this one guy going around in plain clothes saying he was collecting candy for his kid who was sick at home. Was he legit? I have no idea. But we always have extra left over so I don't really care! I will never forget him. It was odd.

 

[StanFam3]

We had maybe three. I just give them a bag and move along.

 

[Scatterbrains]

We had a few, but the guy handing out candy would tell them to have the "scared" one come up the back way to the exit to get the candy. What gets me is when we give parents there own candy and then they ask for a piece for their kid.... I did see a few parents come out and give their candy bar to their kid instead of asking for an extra....much respect for them.

 

[Blarghity]

Invisible pal gets the invisible treat.

 

[LairMistress]

I had a few, but two in different groups asked for sibling treats, and I gave them to the kid who asked, then the parents wound up carrying the little one up anyway. I gave again to both, but I had to wonder if the older siblings were working me!

One whose sibling stayed on the sidewalk said " she only gave her a rubber duck!" When I put candy and a duck in his bucket for her. I yelled after him, "No, there's candy for her too!" Nicely, but loud!

 

[Blarghity]

On a side note, I added a new practice to my Halloween night - an extra basket with some candy in it. Anybody who might ask for extra for a mystery second party is counteracted by the fact that I can walk out to the sidewalk to give candy to anyone too scared to come up the driveway. The basket was used only a handful of times.

 

[Shadowbat]

Yeah, I always have a couple. They are usually carrying around a second pale or bag with them. I always chuckle at the parents who are pushing strollers with babies and asking for candy for them. Yeah, I don't think the baby is going to be eating a snickers right now, but I give.

 

[OctoberDream]

I would bet that they were legit. Kids today really don't like candy that much. Most of the Kids I know don't even eat the stuff. Most of it if not all of it goes to work with their parents.
If they ask for candy for their Friend or Sibling I would bet it just because they didn't want them to be left out of the fun.