Halloween is stupid

[Manfred Belheim]

I mean... porches aren't even all that ubiquitous, never mind lights on porches.

 

[HoloDoc]

I mean... porches aren't even all that ubiquitous, never mind lights on porches.

To be fair, it's a name that's used to describe any sort of outdoor lighting. Most places these days have sensor lights that activate as you approach a door at night. In my food delivery days this was immensely useful.

 

[Bamspeedy]

The sensor lights won't work for attracting trick or treaters, they need to see a light on from the street. But yeah, the side door that I use most often (closest to the driveway) is certainly not a porch, but I call still call the outside light for it a porch light. And those non-sensor lights help for seeing the house number without having to walk up to each door (when delivering pizzas).

OT- Was wondering if 'the front door' generally not being used was just a US midwest thing or not. Delivering pizzas most people had their front door not being used with notes on it to tell people to use the side door, especially in winter (front door probably leads more directly into the living room so people don't want cold air coming right into where they most often are sitting).

 

[HoloDoc]

The sensor lights won't work for attracting trick or treaters, they need to see a light on from the street. But yeah, the side door that I use most often (closest to the driveway) is certainly not a porch, but I call still call the outside light for it a porch light. And those non-sensor lights help for seeing the house number without having to walk up to each door (when delivering pizzas).

OT- Was wondering if 'the front door' generally not being used was just a US midwest thing or not. Delivering pizzas most people had their front door not being used with notes on it to tell people to use the side door, especially in winter (front door probably leads more directly into the living room so people don't want cold air coming right into where they most often are sitting).

Some people requested deliveries to side doors, garages, and so forth, but the majority used the front door. It's right at the front, easiest to access after all.

 

[Bamspeedy]

Don't know if it's just the way the houses are designed around here, but the driveway is typically at the side of the house and then there is a path from the driveway to the front door so the side door is actually the easiest access/closest (unless having to go through a garage that has no light on).

 

[HoloDoc]

That is a rare design here, but it does happen. More often in rural areas.

 

[Manfred Belheim]

The sensor lights are at least reasonably common, but I don't think I've ever seen a house that just has an external light on all the time. What's the point of that other than to raise your electricity bill (and signal Halloween participation apparently)?

 

[HoloDoc]

All the time? Never seen that.

 

[Manfred Belheim]

Well... at night obviously. Or however you would describe a light that is visible from the street and not motion activated.

 

[HoloDoc]

Well... at night obviously. Or however you would describe a light that is visible from the street and not motion activated.

Well they exist, but they aren't used often. Most sensor lights have the option to stay on permanently, presumably if you're sitting on the porch or something.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

My gf's house has a short driveway to the garage door, and there is a sidewalk that runs up the side of the garage to the front door, which is back the full depth of the garage. The living room extends on the other side of the front door, so if you are on the front porch facing the door you are enclosed on both sides. When people ring the doorbell I go out through the garage and come at them from behind, because there is no comfortable way to converse with visitors and our dogs at the same time. It always amazes me that people are so tuned out that they don't hear the garage door going up and are surprised when i am behind them.

But it was fun last night when the first trick or treaters showed up before I had posted up in the driveway. We have lights on either side of the garage door that we turn on, but the porch light was off so they were up on that dark porch. All I had to do was turn the corner of the garage and say "boo" and we were probably among their more memorable experiences on the night. Very satisfying shriek and laughter result. Gave them lots of candy.

 

[EgonSpengler]

As for kids and candy, yeah, I'm kind of a Grinch. A couple of years ago, I literally forgot that it was Halloween until somebody rang my doorbell. That was embarrassing. The neighborhood I live in doesn't have a lot of kids of the right age - lots of grad students, people in their first proper apartment or condo, young couples with infants and toddlers, so most years you wouldn't even know something was going on. You might hear a couple of parties as you walk down the street, but in a neighborhood with a lot of young adults, that's just a Saturday.

My doorbell didn't ring once last night.

 

[metatron]

Alice Springs is pretty cosmopolitan. Far more so than anywhere else in Centralia. So I'm not sure what point you're making about ethnicity here.

My point is that it's not, say, the hipster part of Canberra to a sufficient degree for there to be the occasional racist person.
Like the other options talked about are all possible but i find it very plausible, intuitive and likely that this is targeted and deliberate.
Someone who knows mother and daughter and has a grudge, with racism either as a means or the end itself.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

My doorbell didn't ring once last night.

I gave candy to about fifty kids. Not one of them rang the doorbell at the house across the street where the lights were off, even though you could see the TV through the front window so they were obviously home.

 

[Birdjaguar]

The sensor lights are at least reasonably common, but I don't think I've ever seen a house that just has an external light on all the time. What's the point of that other than to raise your electricity bill (and signal Halloween participation apparently)?

Our front porch light is "always on". It is triggered by lack of daylight, so during the day it doesn't light up, but in the evening it brightens and if someone approaches, a motion detector brightens it to full on. Overnight it is bright enough to keep the walk and porch illuminated.

We added a ring doorbell this past year so we have videos of all our trick or treaters.

 

[Bamspeedy]

The sensor lights are at least reasonably common, but I don't think I've ever seen a house that just has an external light on all the time. What's the point of that other than to raise your electricity bill (and signal Halloween participation apparently)?

Not on all the time, but turned on when you expect a visitor, such as pizza delivery or trick or treaters. Most people would shut it off when going to bed.

 

[MaryKB]

I had lots of trick-or-treaters visiting my house last night, and I had plenty of candy! I feel it's very delightful seeing all those little children dressed up, and I just love their little excited expressions as they're choosing their candy. I had like six bowls full (I bought seven boxes) and I still have quite a few left, I don't know what I'll do with it all but I'm sure I can find some children who would like to have it. I let children choose one that they'd like, and this year KitKats were really super popular!

I don't really have a porch or such, but I have front door lights I turn on so they know my house is open. Oh dear, I have a neighbor across from me who leaves his light on all night, and he totally drives me crazy. I mean I can understand if you're expecting someone, but why would you leave it on all night? His lights are very bright and shine right into my bedroom window, so I have to use a cardboard thingy to block it out so I can sleep.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Our neighbors across the street turn on their porch light every night and turn it off every morning, unless they forget.

 

[Morty]

Turn outside light (not motion sensitive) on when it gets dark, turn it off when going to bed.
Doesn't everybody do that??

 

[Timsup2nothin]

BirdJag and I live in the southwestern US, where housing developments are generally built to avoid bedrooms on the front of the house. Every house in my neighborhood has street frontage that consists of garage and living room.

Turn outside light (not motion sensitive) on when it gets dark, turn it off when going to bed.
Doesn't everybody do that??

Nope. I only turn the porch light on if I'm expecting someone to need it...mostly the pizza delivery guy.