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For the last few years, we've closed early on Halloween. Not that I don't love the holiday, but I've found that when our store participated in handing out candy, the number of assholes we've had to deal with isn't worth being there.
1. For example, I have a shelf up above our workbench with some old bottles, a couple of dragon statues and several Star Wars figures. (mostly robots) I've had multiple kids of varying ages come in to get candy, then ask if they can have a Star Wars figure. Well, no. Who the hell do you think you are? If I go trick or treating at your house and I see your Xbox on the floor in the background can I have that?
2. Kids can't resist touching stuff. We're a computer store. We have computers on display as well as in various pieces. They come in, but instead of collecting their candy and leaving they immediately start looking at computers and touching keys on the keyboard with their (likely) sticky little fingers.
3. I've had a few kids ask if they can have a free computer. See #1. Although it would be funny as hell to take a 15 year old laptop and put it in their candy bag. (Well, you asked for a computer!)
Anyway, because of the above nonsense we just close at 2pm when trick or treating starts. Problem is that this year it was a Friday. And we're primarily known as a restaurant town. That means:
1. Kids running up and down, across the street, from 2 - 6 collecting candy
2. Parents from surrounding towns, including a couple of "ghetto" areas, driving their kids into town to get candy, taking up our precious few parking spaces
3. People without kids headed out to dinner at the fancy restaurants in town, also taking up precious few parking spaces.
4. Idiot teenagers still cruising for candy well after 6pm just to be pains in the ass
And, of course, a couple of parents started trick or treating at 1:50 pm. Because god forbid they make their kid sit still for 10 minutes. If I wanted to be a real dick when they came in the store I would have announced that trick or treating started in 10 minutes and to come back then. As it was, I just told them we were closing.
As I understand it from our neighbors, it was chaos. No place to park, kids running everywhere, DOGS AND CATS LIVING TOGETHER - MASS HYSTERIA!
Oh - and they've been doing construction in the middle of the main street for the last couple of weeks to build some ridiculous fountain... so people had to deal with that additional lack of parking spaces combined with one-way/detour traffic. I tried parking over there Saturday morning and god help me, I couldn't figure out how I was supposed to get my car turned around to park on that side of the street.
1. For example, I have a shelf up above our workbench with some old bottles, a couple of dragon statues and several Star Wars figures. (mostly robots) I've had multiple kids of varying ages come in to get candy, then ask if they can have a Star Wars figure. Well, no. Who the hell do you think you are? If I go trick or treating at your house and I see your Xbox on the floor in the background can I have that?
2. Kids can't resist touching stuff. We're a computer store. We have computers on display as well as in various pieces. They come in, but instead of collecting their candy and leaving they immediately start looking at computers and touching keys on the keyboard with their (likely) sticky little fingers.
3. I've had a few kids ask if they can have a free computer. See #1. Although it would be funny as hell to take a 15 year old laptop and put it in their candy bag. (Well, you asked for a computer!)
Anyway, because of the above nonsense we just close at 2pm when trick or treating starts. Problem is that this year it was a Friday. And we're primarily known as a restaurant town. That means:
1. Kids running up and down, across the street, from 2 - 6 collecting candy
2. Parents from surrounding towns, including a couple of "ghetto" areas, driving their kids into town to get candy, taking up our precious few parking spaces
3. People without kids headed out to dinner at the fancy restaurants in town, also taking up precious few parking spaces.
4. Idiot teenagers still cruising for candy well after 6pm just to be pains in the ass
And, of course, a couple of parents started trick or treating at 1:50 pm. Because god forbid they make their kid sit still for 10 minutes. If I wanted to be a real dick when they came in the store I would have announced that trick or treating started in 10 minutes and to come back then. As it was, I just told them we were closing.
As I understand it from our neighbors, it was chaos. No place to park, kids running everywhere, DOGS AND CATS LIVING TOGETHER - MASS HYSTERIA!
Oh - and they've been doing construction in the middle of the main street for the last couple of weeks to build some ridiculous fountain... so people had to deal with that additional lack of parking spaces combined with one-way/detour traffic. I tried parking over there Saturday morning and god help me, I couldn't figure out how I was supposed to get my car turned around to park on that side of the street.
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