AMHERST – The police and RCMP have been busy reminding children and their parents about precautions to take while out trick-or-treating. Last night, it was all up to the parents to make their kids stayed safe while out gathering Halloween goodies.
Winston Avenue saw hundreds of children out collecting some of their favorite treats.
Nicolle Mitchell made sure her son followed her rules while out getting candy from the neighbours.
“I tell him to stay close to me, make sure I’m always near by,” she said. “We’re even trying to walk in the driveways and keep our eyes open for cars.”
Parent Erica Nickerson was a little worried about the flow of traffic while taking out her children.
“There’s a lot of cars parking everywhere,” she said. “They should almost block off the street. I think they should.”
Although Nickerson was concerned about drivers, Mitchell said this year, fewer children were being driven around by parents.
“I think maybe people are taking advantage of the parking lot,” she said. “Last year, we actually lived (on Winston Avenue) and it was insane. It definitely seems to be a bit calmer this year.”
Homeowner Gladys Atkinson said the children and parents usually aren’t too bad when out trick-or-treating. She said she usually sees over 400 kids ever Halloween.
“They usually start around early, around 4 p.m. and they are usually done around 7:30,” she said. “(Drivers) are made to park and a lot of them walk anyway, so the traffic is not constantly going up and down the street. The kids are definitely being safe and usually done (trick-or-treating) before dark.”
Kyler Edwards has a few rules of his own for other trick-or-treaters to remember when they go out again next year.
“Look both ways before crossing the street,” he said. “Don’t zig zag across the street because you can get hit by car easily. Don’t go trick-or-treating after dark.”
The Amherst Police Department’s pumpkin patch patrol was also said to be out last night, making sure all trick-or-treaters were safe while collecting their candy.
jturner@amherstdaily.com
