The pic is just half the problem...read the article.
---------------------------
10/27/2009 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFNS) -- Halloween is a night of candy, costumes and spooky escapades, however; there are several precautions adults and children can take to ensure a safe and happy night of haunting.
Airmen in the 1st Security Forces Squadron recommend the following safety guidelines for anyone participating in the upcoming Halloween celebration:
-- Children should wear light-colored clothing that is short enough to prevent tripping. Parents also may want to add reflective tape to the costume.
-- Ensure children can see out of their masks or use face makeup instead of masks.
-- Avoid using hard plastic or wood props, such as daggers or swords. Instead, you can substitute foam rubber for flexibility, in case the child falls.
-- Parents should purchase Halloween costumes -- including wigs, capes and props -- that feature a flame-resistant or flame-retardant label.
-- Use sidewalks when available and begin trick-or-treating before sunset.
-- Each child should carry a flashlight or glow stick.
-- Don't take shortcuts through yards to get to the next house. Children could get hurt by unknown obstacles.
-- Don't allow children to eat or sample any candy before you check it. Throw away all unwrapped candy, popcorn and caramel apples unless you know who gave them to your child.
-- Parents should accompany young children or groups of children when trick-or-treating. Walk with friends and stay together.
-- Look both ways before crossing the street. Have someone carry a flashlight in front of the group and walk on the shoulder of the road whenever possible.
-- Stay within your own neighborhood or areas with which you are familiar and visit only homes with lit porch lights.
-- Keep pets inside and secured. A pet might not recognize your children or the children coming to the door and the pet may become frightened or aggressive.
-- Keep children away from candles and flames, especially when in costume. Advise children to stay away from jack-o'-lanterns with candles or open flames. Ensure children know how to stop, drop and roll in case their clothes catch fire.
-- Keep jack-o'-lanterns away from landings or doorways where costumes could brush against the candle flame. Consider using glow sticks or battery-powered lights for jack-o'-lanterns.
-- Parents should remove lawn decorations along walkways and provide a well-lit driveway for visitors.
--------------------
Un-fucking-believable. Apparently the only safe way for a kid to trick or treat is for the kid to wear a neon pink pirate costume made out of nomex with triple stitched reflective material sewn in the seams and a searchlight, foghorn, and GPS locator attached to the hat and a nerf sword. Boo.
Whatever happended to letting kids get into a little trouble on Halloween? Scary costume, parents stay at home, leave after dark, 4-foot pillow case for max candy storage, scare kid younger than you and make them cry, egg people's houses who pretend like they're not home, and eat half of your candy on the three and a half mile walk back home.
And now apparently jack o' laterns are the new deadly threat. The AF needs to EABOD.