Halloween is just around the corner, which means, pretty soon, masses of little ones will be hitting the sidewalks to go door-to-door in search of candies. On occasion, older kids, even teens, might hit up their neighbors for treats, too. As long as they're dressed up and polite, that should really be no big deal, right? Well, in several Virginia towns, it could earn a kid who's over 12 a fine or even jail time
Someone recently screenshotted Chesapeake's trick or treat rule, and it has gone viral on the Facebook page Stolen Political Memes.
“If any person over the age of 12 years shall engage in the activity commonly known as ‘trick or treat’ or any other activity of similar character or nature under any name whatsoever, he or she shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not less than $25.00 nor more than $100.00 or by confinement in jail for not more than six months or both,” the rule reads.
And if that didn't sound crazy enough, other towns in the mid-Atlantic state have similar regulations, according to local news site HRScene.com. All of these local governments seem to agree that if a kid is over 12, he or she should should be subject to a class 4 misdemeanor charge for the "crime" of trick or treating.
Under the Chesapeake section on HRScene.com, enforcement of the rule is clarified: "According to the City of Chesapeake, police will focus on making sure the evening is safe for everyone, not actively seeking out violations of the time or age limits. For example, a thirteen year old safely trick or treating with a younger sibling is not going to have any issues. That same child taking pumpkins from porches and smashing them in the street more likely will."
Perhaps this is fair, but the commenters on the Stolen Political Memes Facebook page still came out swinging against the law.
Some parents were downright taken aback by the regulation and wondered how the town plans to enforce it.
Others wondered who came up with the rule -- not to mention why.
Some sung the praises of older kids participating in the tradition.
Most commenters can't wrap their heads around the penalty that Chesapeake would levy on a teen.
They also argued that teens could be up to far worse than trick-or-treating and deserve to enjoy their childhood for as long as possible.
Here's hoping the local governments hear members of the community on this and consider reversing these eye-roll-inducing regulations. Of all the potentially problematic activities teens could be engaging in, politely going door-to-door to snag a few candy bars seems like it should be the least of any town's concerns. At the same time, it seems unfortunate — and even a bit cruel — to prevent older kids from enjoying this simple childhood joy. Not only do we all only live once, but we only get to experience Halloween as kids once.
