What should I do when I've been boo'd and don't want to be?

[disykat]

I just got home from a long day at work and have no interest whatsoever in going out and buying more candy etc., nor do I really want to saddle anyone else with what I consider an obligation rather than a gift. If I knew who'd given it to me, I'd take it back letting them know I appreciate the gesture but am unable to continue the chain. That isn't an option though. If I dump it on someone else, I'll either be forcing someone else to participate or I could be insulting the person who gave it to me.

Meanwhile If I don't hang a poster on my door, people might try it again!

What do I do?

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

Forward your boo to somebody else

If you don't have the time/energy/desire/funds to keep it up, just graciously pass it along

 

[scoutie]

Put it on a neighbor's doorstep. If they don't want to do it, they can pass it along. Just put the "BOO" sign on your door so you don't get boo'd again.

Or don't pass anything along and donate the candy. The chain has to eventually stop and tomorrow's Halloween anyway.

 

[design_mom]

I think the whole thing will be over tomorrow since tomorrow is Halloween, so I probably wouldn't worry about it. Or, you could pass the basket you received to a neighbor and hang the sign anyway.

Maybe next year you can hang up an "I've been booed" sign early in October (even though you haven't) as a signal that you shouldn't be booed "again."

 

[mumto3girls]

It has to end with somebody.....

 

[DeaverTex]

I first learned about "booing" on these boards last year. It's not done around here, as far as I know, but it seems more like a chain letter or one of those "share this" Facebook status posts than a fun thing. I'd either donate whatever showed up, or leave it on the porch. No sign, no nothing. End the chain.

 

[js]

May I kindly ask you what the heck you are all talking about with this boo'ing?

I live in one of New York's five boroughs if that matters.

 

[kwelch10377]

I'm not totally sure how it works, but could you pass it on to someone else and add a note saying that you are unable to participate but wanted to pass it on to someone that hopefully can.

 

[kathie859]

May I kindly ask you what the heck you are all talking about with this boo'ing?

I live in one of New York's five boroughs if that matters.

Oh,thank God!!! I'm not the only clueless one

 

[jennyjinx3]

I thought this was about the Tag fairy!!

 

[disykat]

It's been talked about so much over the years on the DIS, I figured people would know what it meant. I learned about it here, now it's happened to me.

Someone buys a little gift and leaves it on your porch with a note instructing you to give "boo" gifts to two neighbors. It's like a chain letter.

Since I'm not willing to do that to my neighbors, I've decided my only course of action is to ignore it since I can't return it. As someone else pointed out, Halloween is tomorrow so it'll probably be over - until the next holiday!

I can pretty much guess who in the neighborhood would have done this and I'm also guessing I'm not the only one irritated by it. I just hope people don't think it's me that started it!

There are very few kids in our neighborhood, no one decorates outside, and we don't even get trick or treaters. I don't know why anyone would think people here would be excited by Halloween stuff.

 

[mjkacmom]

We have been ghosted at least 2 dozen times in the past 2 weeks. Don't worry about it.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Don't sweat it. It is over anyway.

 

[KAMLEM]

I can pretty much guess who in the neighborhood would have done this and I'm also guessing I'm not the only one irritated by it. I just hope people don't think it's me that started it!

It's too bad that you're irritated by it. We have done it around here for years (although we call it "ghosted") and everyone seems to enjoy it. The kids are all older now - in high school and college - and they still love doing it.

 

[Ilivetogo]

It's been talked about so much over the years on the DIS, I figured people would know what it meant. I learned about it here, now it's happened to me.

Someone buys a little gift and leaves it on your porch with a note instructing you to give "boo" gifts to two neighbors. It's like a chain letter.

Since I'm not willing to do that to my neighbors, I've decided my only course of action is to ignore it since I can't return it. As someone else pointed out, Halloween is tomorrow so it'll probably be over - until the next holiday!

I can pretty much guess who in the neighborhood would have done this and I'm also guessing I'm not the only one irritated by it. I just hope people don't think it's me that started it!

There are very few kids in our neighborhood, no one decorates outside, and we don't even get trick or treaters. I don't know why anyone would think people here would be excited by Halloween stuff.

What sort of little gift?

I've never heard of this either.

.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Our neighborhood does this, but you just make one for one other house, not two. (Sometimes the first person who starts it will do two, though, so that two different sets are going around, and it less obvious who boo'd you.)

The kids really enjoy it here. We usually do candy and things like little Halloween kitchen items (dish towel, cookie cutter, mug) or pumpkin-carving items. If you are looking for an inexpensive option, you can print free Halloween coloring pages off the internet, and include a small box of crayons.

But OP, in your case, I wouldn't worry about it this year. It is supposed to end at Halloween, and someone does have to be lucky enough to be last! I agree that you should just put a fake sign on your door if you don't want to be included next year.

 

[zoemurr]

What sort of little gift?

I've never heard of this either.

.

Sorry... I've never heard of anyone not liking it. It's very big in our neighborhood even though most of the kids are now older. I don't think anyone does houses without children.

Usually it's a large bag (a $1 tote or a gift bag) with goodies tailored to the kids that live there. This year ours had a box of Halloween cupcake mix, cute cupcake liners, some solar Halloween figures from the Dollar Tree, a few pieces of candy and some other trinkets. I think most people spend about $10. We've given glowsticks, placemats, tattoos.. whatever I found on clearance the year before.

You go to a neighbor's house at night, ring the doorbell, drop the bag and run. In the bag you put a paper ghost and a sign that says, "You've been Booed!", and directions to do another house. Then they put the ghost on their door so the next person will do someone who hasn't gotten a gift yet. Some years we do one, some two.. just depends. If my kids get some stuff we don't want I just drop it in the bag we are giving away.

I would hang up your ghost, regift the bag and have a Happy Halloween.

 

[Ginny Favers]

We have been ghosted at least 2 dozen times in the past 2 weeks. Don't worry about it.

Don't you feel bad about getting all that candy and then not passing it on?

OP, I know what you mean. Now, I print out a sign Oct 1 and stick it on my window so nobody bothers me.

 

[js]

It's been talked about so much over the years on the DIS, I figured people would know what it meant. I learned about it here, now it's happened to me.

Someone buys a little gift and leaves it on your porch with a note instructing you to give "boo" gifts to two neighbors. It's like a chain letter.

Since I'm not willing to do that to my neighbors, I've decided my only course of action is to ignore it since I can't return it. As someone else pointed out, Halloween is tomorrow so it'll probably be over - until the next holiday!

I can pretty much guess who in the neighborhood would have done this and I'm also guessing I'm not the only one irritated by it. I just hope people don't think it's me that started it!

There are very few kids in our neighborhood, no one decorates outside, and we don't even get trick or treaters. I don't know why anyone would think people here would be excited by Halloween stuff.

ohhh, thank you.
I opened up the Thread since I saw the word "Boo" and thought it had to do with Brown University and them booing Ray Kelly off the stage.
Thanks.

 

[KennesawNemo]

I was boo-ed before at work, but it was just a very small bag of assorted candy and I boo-ed two of my co-workers too.

We are boo-ed this year at our new neighborhood. The bag should be worth around $8-$10. I have a rough idea who boo-ed us. I also boo-ed two neighbors, spending $10 each and I bought specifically for them. One have a baby so I bought halloween stuffed animal with a small piece of candy. The other have only grown up kids so I bought a Halloween decoration. Once I gave mine out, I don't care what they do with the bag or if they go on to boo others or not.