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As we all know, Halloween is just around the river bend. I for
one am going trick-or-treating in my hot s'more costume. I know a lot
of ya'll are going as well, and you know that someone
needed to write up some safety tips for the Whyville Times.
Everyone
should follow these tips. Even though they're just small safety hints,
they
can make a big impact on your trick-or-treating this year.
First things first: DO NOT GO ALONE.
My mother and Gramma
aren't walking around with me this year, but I still need to go with
someone (someone being my 9-year-old sister and her friend). You
could go with a sister, brother, cousin, friend -- just don't go
alone. Why, you ask? Because what if it's dark (as it
generally is in my neighborhood), and you don't see a bump in the
sidewalk, and you trip and fall? Or what if aliens zap you up to
their
Halloween party because they liked your costume? You'd need
someone to run and get your parents.
Try to get at least two
buddies, and the more the merrier! It's also best if you have
someone in middle school, at least. I don't think you NEED
someone over
twelve, but it's nice to have someone older along. Editor's
Note: This is definitely a matter for responsible adults to
decide -- some folks would say you should have an adult with you no
matter what, unless you're in high school. Others would agree with
armada here.
Bring a flashlight and two-way
radio or cell phone, all with fresh
batteries. The flashlight doesn't need to be big -- just so you
can see where you're walking or the street sign on the corner. If
you refuse to, because you think it's not cool, then bring a glow
stick, at
least, to help you be visible to cars and motorists. You need the
two-way radio or phone so if the worst happens (see above, or imagine
much worse :-P ), your trick-or-treating
buddy can call home if you're too far away. If you don't have a
two-way or cell phone, at least carry exact change for the pay phone.
Know your streets. Spend
the few weeks we have before Halloween
just walking 'round your neighborhood. We don't want to be lost
seven blocks away from our house, now do we?
On Halloween night, you may want to carry
a water bottle with you if
you're taking trick-or-treating to the extreme. Believe me,
you'll thank yourself. (Okay, okay, some of you don't think
that's a safety tip. But... erm... you need to protect yourself
from dehydration. Yay, I saved this from getting edited
out. But seriously, you don't want to be thirsting for water by
the time you get home, especially if you've got a big hike in your
neighborhood.)
Make sure your costume is safe and
practical. I know some of you
may think I'm going mental -- how can a COSTUME possibly be dangerous
for Pete's sake?! you're thinking. What I mean is you should be able to
see
CLEARLY and breathe while wearing a mask. I know a lot of
trick-or-treating websites say wear make-up instead of a mask, but in
my opinion
masks are more fun. If you do decide to wear one, though, take
extra care in choosing one that lets you see well and breath clearly.
Also, wear flat,
comfortable walking shoes in your size (high heels are for parties and
huge clown shoes or animal feet are not worth the bother). Make sure
skirts or dresses are ankle-length at the very most, so you don't
trip. If your costume calls for a sword or other weapon, get the
blunt cheapo plastic so you don't cut yourself or anyone else.
And also, if it's 55 degrees or less outside, like it is in my town,
you don't want to dress up as a Hawaiian hula dancer.
Likewise if you live where it's 80 degrees outside -- you shouldn't
wear
layers of clothing.
When you are going door-to-door, walk,
don't run. I consider
walking to be one foot on the ground at all times. You can use
the fast walk if you'd like, but you don't wanna look like ya stole
something. The faster you walk, the more likely you are to trip
and fall over your own two feet or a bump, so try to keep it under four
miles an hour. And also, stay on the sidewalks. That is
what they're there for. Obey all traffic signals and LOOK before
you cross the street.
Don't cut across people's yards.
I myself have someone in my
neighborhood whose lawn looks and is cared for better than a golf
course, and I can only imagine what he would say if some 12-year-olds
ran across it. I'm not about to find out.
Go only to houses with their lights on,
especially those like ours with
a bunch of Halloween decorations and a fog machine. You don't
want to disturb a non-festive old grouch if he's sleeping, or someone
who doesn't celebrate Halloween for religious or other reasons.
Be festive and mind your manners -- say "Trick-or-Treat," at the door
and when someone gives you candy, PLEASE say "Thank you." I've
been to
houses that refuse to give you candy if you don't say trick-or-treat,
so you must repeat it at every single house this October 31.
Here's a biggie safety tip -- don't
go inside houses. Accept only
candy given to you from the outside.
Carry a spare pillowcase or
bag or bucket, especially if you
trick-or-treat with a plastic bag from a store like Wal-Mart, in case
yours breaks or gets overfilled. It can happen; you get a lot of
candy on Halloween.
If you want bonus candy after you've gone to just about every house
around you or if you're pooped, see
if fast food places or drug stores
are celebrating. I can get candy from the pizza place on
the
corner of my street, and at CVS and Rite-Aid on the next street over.
When you get home, trade or throw away
anything you're allergic
to. And if the candy is unwrapped or looks tampered with,
PLEASE
do not eat it. Someone could have licked it. Ew. Or a
lot, lot worse. Some people think it's hilarious to stick needles
in
apples, so you want to be sure to clean and cut your fruit. If
you're not sure something has
been tampered with, definitely throw it away anyhow. You can
never be too
sure.
These safety tips aren't hard to follow, but they can prevent most
minor disasters commonly found on Halloween night. Always check
with your parents on these things (duh), and Happy Halloween to
everyone!
This is armada, saying "Trick-or-treat!"
Sources:
http://www.hauntedwisconsin.com/trick_or_treat_safety.html
http://www.fridayzone.org/to_do/safe_halloween.html
My personal experience
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