Halloween stories and photos are starting to flood our email box...This Bloomfield tipster writes:
Last night my dog is growling, and I go outside to see kids TP'ing (toilet papering) the tree on my sidewalk. I don't recognize any of them so I shoo them off the block. "Go mess up your own block!"Ten minutes later my dog is growling and the kids are back. Now I yell them at again to go away and as one of them runs across the street, I hear an adult voice a few houses away saying "don't run across the street like that Timmy, you might get run over."
"EXCUSE ME!", I ask increduously, "are you supervising these children?" One of the two mothers responds "yes, it's harmless fun.... We've already done our houses". "WHY THANK YOU FOR SHARING!"
Now in the scheme of things, this is a minor annoyance, but encouraging your kids to vandalize the neighbor's property? Am I the crazy person?
And then, of course, there's shaving cream, silly string, eggs, pumpkin smashing and all sorts of good, old-fashioned fun... Do you cringe, or reminisce?
And Katie Mancine writes:
Just wanted to let you know last night, the Montclair police were out pulling people over for mischief night. He told me my tail light was out, which I knew, but then said "it's mischief night and we're pulling young looking people over" and then I think he might have apologized, or he was just really nice. So I guess the cops are doing their part.
Note to Katie: at my age, I'd be happy to be pulled over for looking young.
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Comments (26)
I miss the days when little Celtic children would go door to door to collect firewood for a big bonfire.
Ahh, so do I Miss Martta -- Often we'd have some Saxon bastard in the middle of that wee bonfire, you know!
As a non-native Jerseyan, this seemingly condoned mayhem has puzzled me since I moved here. A designated night of property destruction and vandalism??!! Unreal! Though TP'ing isn't too major a deal in the grand scheme of things, I remember once coming out in the morning and having to clean soap and ketchup off my car windshield before going to work. (and needless to say I was late that day, which did not make me very happy overall about Mischief Night.)
Oh my, parent supervised mischief. Only in baristaville.
I remember mischef night, but my group didn't destroy anyone's pumpkins. that I don't get. and the eggs usually ended up on a tree or in the brook.
I remember mischef night, but my group didn't destroy anyone's pumpkins. that I don't get. and the eggs usually ended up on a tree or in the brook.
For the first time ever some kids TPed some houses on my block. One in particular got the majority of TP but I think it was mainly because it had the biggest barest tree out front. I thought it was hilarious myself and would have even if they'd done my house. And TP beats egging all to hell. That I have had done to my car. Not funny at all!
Jeez... isn't Mischief Night just a bit of fun? Is toilet tissue so awful? Why can't Baristaville relax a bit? Has too much Starbucks coffee made us full of angst? Is Montclair too snooty for kids to have fun?
As long as the TP was the biodegradable kind purchased in Whole Foods, it's OK.
Judging from the picture, the "Bloomfield Tipster" doesn't seem to care about the appearance of their house anyway.
Hasn't anyone noticed that the trash cans were knocked over as well?!?!?! Oh The Humanity!!!!
as long as the parents bring the kids back the next day to clean it up, I'm all for it. But why should the innocent homeowner have to deal with someone else's mess?
As long as the parents threw the kids a keg party afterwards, it's OK.
And where is all of the righteous indignation about the police profiling young drivers!!
spicoli,
what with the righteous indignation about the profiling...if there is a legitimate reason to profile the young drivers then I'm all for it. What I don't like is towns like Madison et al stopping people for DWB...driving while black.
Now, get back to surfing.
Lighten up Francis!
I'd take the toilet paper over the smell of roasting bastards.
That's because you've never smelled roasting bastards. It smells like ..... victory.
Katie,
Now I'm upset that I didn't get pulled over last night. :-(
Back on subject,
When I was a kid, my parents and the parents of several friends in the neighborhood let us TP our own houses with the ever present forewarning that leaving our properties would result in being grounded on Halloween.
So, while I commend the idea behind the "supervised vandalism", I don't understand why she thought neighbors and strangers not partaking in the fun would be as understanding.
Outhouse tipping was a Hallowe'en eve sport in Southern Vermont. Just had to be sure (1) they were empty, and (2) you didn't slip and follow the house into the pit. Every now and then Rule (1) would be broken.
I thought they would smell like burning hair?
when i was a kid - teen actually, it was considered a badge of honor to have your house tp'd. it meant you were worthy of attention from the "cool" kids at school. some kids went so far as to tp their own house simply to look popular. I'm sure the parents had a different take on the whole thing, but I'm pretty sure it was up to the kid(s) in the house to clean it up anyway.
What is the line between vandalism and mischief? Frankly, I don't find it funny. What was wrong with ringing a door bell and then disappearing?
Being from the capital of Devils Night USA, Detroit, I remember the craziness starting out so innocent with doorbell ringing and soaping, and it soon blossomed into extreme violence and fire...check it now..
Next year, be ready with a yard hose ore the sprinklers on the lawn ready to go...one squirt and they are gone..reverse mischief..
MsSumida,
Love the idea! Just beware; sprinklered TPers may turn into moistened egg (or worse: rock) chuckers.
Their range with a carton of eggs is probably better than the range on your sprinkler system.
So, in other words, TP is the new gateway drug?