• CrimeDad@lemmy.crimedad.workOPEnglish
      13·
      2 months ago

      For various reasons, not everyone can do traditional trick-or-treating. The idea behind a trunk-or-treat is to provide a more accessible approximation of the experience. It’s also another opportunity for Halloween fun for everyone. The way it works is that volunteers, frequently business and other organizations, but also individuals, set up in a parking lot with decorated vehicles and hand out goodies to the kids who show up in their costumes. There are also typically games and other kid activities. And that’s all there is to it.

      • Bubs@lemm.ee
        7·
        2 months ago

        Just a little tidbit to add:

        One of the common reasons I’ve seen trunk-or-treats, instead of traditional door-to-doors, is due to dangerous neighborhoods. One community had a high crime rate, so the local church set up a trunk night so parents could bring their kids and feel safer.

      • Nouveau_Burnswick@lemmy.world
        2·
        2 months ago

        Neat. I feel like it removes some of the magic from decorating houses, but having never seen one it’s an unvalidated guess.

        Not sure how the accessibility is any different, but my neighborhood tends to be a drop in location for most the city, so we’re just kind of expected to met kids where they’re at. Maybe we’re just used to it?

        • CrimeDad@lemmy.crimedad.workOPEnglish
          4·
          2 months ago

          No magic is removed. It’s just another Halloween event. Regular trick-or-treating is still a thing that happens. For various reasons, not everyone can participate on Halloween night so this is a good option to have.

      • Dragon Rider (drag)@lemmy.nzEnglish
        39·
        2 months ago

        Drag worries that creating a bunch of extra car traffic on Halloween will just get more kids run over and create more need for trunk or treat. Perhaps it would be smarter to simply ban cars on Halloween.

        • CrimeDad@lemmy.crimedad.workOPEnglish
          5·
          2 months ago

          A trunk-or-treat is a separate event from Halloween trick-or-treating that doesn’t necessarily happen on Halloween day. That’s part of the appeal, since Halloween might fall on a weeknight or the weather might be uncooperative. Also, the cars stay parked at a trunk-or-treat. I’m not sure what you mean about it creating extra car traffic.

            • CrimeDad@lemmy.crimedad.workOPEnglish
              3·
              2 months ago

              Okay, but like I said it’s a separate event so it doesn’t create traffic that would make regular trick-or-treating more hazardous. It isn’t even really extra traffic. People often have to drive places for family friendly activities.

      • Fredselfish@lemmy.world
        625·
        2 months ago

        Yeah never trusted those. It also lazy parenting. Instead of taking kids door to door like you should, parents take their kids to a parking lot (most times at some church) to gather candy all at one stop.

        Speaking of my job doing one of these things. Some dumb.

        • meco03211@lemmy.world
          143·
          2 months ago

          Or it’s efficient parenting. People might not want to spend a bunch of time walking house to house. Not all houses want to be walked to. Trunk or treat offers a quick single location of like minded people, a safe environment, and quick turnaround.

            • Sanctus@lemmy.worldEnglish
              8·
              2 months ago

              I mean if you’re worried about efficiency while fucking trick or treating like that you might as well. It’s about spending time with your kid (or their friends when they are older) in silly costumes. Its not about how fast it gets done. Thats crazy shit.

        • almar_quigley@lemmy.world
          103·
          2 months ago

          It may not be feasible to walk to houses in all neighborhoods. We don’t have sidewalks and to get from one street to the next would require crossing pretty heavily trafficked roads. Trunk or treat can be a safe alternative to that.

          Your comment reeks of boomerism “back in my day”. Let people do what they gonna do if it’s not hurting anyone else.

          • Fredselfish@lemmy.world
            29·
            2 months ago

            My neighborhood as some sidewalks some don’t and yet we still went trick and treating. Also if you can travel to one of those. Then you can travel to a neighborhood with sidewalks and no heavy traffic.

            • almar_quigley@lemmy.world
              83·
              2 months ago

              Try living in town and not a suburb. That’s what I’m talking about. Not just walking in neighborhood streets, but actual thoroughfares with no sidewalks. Or maybe just imagine you don’t have all the information about the whole world and your experience isn’t indicative of everyone else’s.

        • surewhynotlem@lemmy.world
          51·
          2 months ago

          Lazy is a nonsense concept. Not everything needs to take all day or be done in the most efficient way possible. You’re allowed to half ass stuff. It’s not a moral failing.

        • distantsounds@lemmy.worldEnglish
          51·
          2 months ago

          I have a brother that lives out in the middle of nowhere and it’s the only practical option for kids out there. My nieces love it and it gives parents a chance to connect.

          Just because it’s different from what you’re accustomed to doesn’t automatically make it bad

    • cobysev@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5·
      2 months ago

      I learned about trunk-or-treat while living in South Carolina. I didn’t live in the highest quality town at the time. Apparently, one Halloween over a decade ago, a small boy and his dad went up to a house in our town while trick-or-treating. The guy inside was strung out on meth, though, and thought he was being raided by the cops when the child rang his doorbell. So he responded by emptying a full clip of an AR-15 through the door, killing the little boy and his dad.

      Ever since then, local families always did a trunk-or-treat instead. The local school would open up their parking lot for trick-or-treaters. Adults would line up their cars in the lot, with their trunks open and, typically, the inside of their trunks were covered in Halloween decorations. And they would just hand out candy from a stash in their trunks. Kept everyone safe, made traveling on Halloween secure in a well-lit environment, and you could collect tons of candy with just a quick circle around the parking lot.

      It wasn’t the traditional way to go trick-or-treating, but it was better than cancelling Halloween altogether because of a few crazies in the town.