Firing Back: Halloween is no Time to be Irresponsible

Growing up in “middle America” as it is now known, I dressed up as a solider, a pirate, gangsters or any number of other “armed” characters for Halloween. But in recent years, there have been tragic events because of too creative of a costume. In cities such as New York (where I now live), there are even Halloween parades, and officials do warn attendees to be cautious in what they wear.

In other words, leave the realistic looking weapons at home. Dressing as a gangster might not seem complete without the Tommy Gun, and who would expect a pirate without a sword? But trying for this perfect costume could unfortunately have deadly results. Just a few years ago, my wife and I took the Long Island Railroad to a Halloween party, and were almost asked off the train, receiving quite a tongue-lashing. While I was dressed as a World War I “Dough Boy” I was unarmed; I may have been of the Lost Battalion but my good judgment was not lost. I knew it would be a bad idea to even carry a cardboard gun. But because of a tragic shooting on the railroad in the late 1990s, as well as the events of 9/11, the conductor took issue with my wife’s “sword.” She was dressed in a “Couching Tiger” type Chinese warrior costume, and we had placed the mock sword in a long bag. Only the tassel could be seen, but on the way back home, it was enough to arouse suspicion and we were told no weapons are allowed on the train.

Of course we were far from the only passengers in costume, and the next stop was Penn Station, so we didn’t get tossed to the side – nor did we get detained. But perhaps we used poor judgment, and perhaps the officials overreacted. The point is that you can’t undo someone else’s quick thinking, and already this season one police officer has drawn his gun on a man in costume. So have a great Halloween, but be cautious of what you wear, and more importantly leave the weapons aside.

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