Are you doing anything on Halloween? Let’s plan to leave our cars at home!
Families and groups of friends (and plenty of ghouls and goblins) will be flooding our neighborhoods Monday night, and the best way to help them have fun is to keep our streets car free.
Halloween night can be extremely dangerous. Mix crowds of people with darkness, and drivers are in a challenging position.
There’s plenty of advice we can give to pedestrians on safety—Look both ways, bring a flashlight, don’t run into the street. Wouldn’t it be spooktacular if our trick-or-treaters didn’t have any vehicles slowing them down?
Let’s talk about how we can achieve a car-free Halloween this year!
Stay in. Hand Out Candy!
If you aren’t going hunting for treats, try giving them away! Invite some friends or family over to dress up and pass out candy. It is the perfect way to stay in the Halloween spirit when you’ve outgrown trick-or-treating.
You can make it extra fun by doing a group costume, or decorating your front yard to get all the “ooh’s” and “ahh’s” from the costumed crowds!
Making Room for Those in Need
Halloween is the best night of the year for many children. This sugar-filled night can be overwhelming for kids at the same time.
Think about it: Crowds of people, wearing a costume, talking to so many strangers to ask for candy, scary Halloween decorations, having to be patient and polite, being out after dark on a school night, and remaining aware of your surroundings... That’s a lot for kids who may have sensory issues. Add cars driving by with headlights on, and it can certainly be too much for some trick-or-treaters.
Putting our vehicles to use on Halloween is absolutely possible by participating in a Trunk-or-Treat! These gatherings are usually organized by schools or community organizations and are typically more sensory-friendly than traditional trick-or-treating without compromising on fun.
It is safer than the traditional alternative, too, as all vehicles are stationary, and it is a much more controlled environment.
No Tricks, More Treats!
Remembering that Halloween is for families and kids puts safety on top of our priority list. On Monday night, go car-free for the holiday. Stay in with some classic Halloween movies, decorate spooky cookies, and leave your vehicle in the driveway.
Let’s reverse Halloween’s bad reputation for being dangerous for pedestrians. We’re letting the kids run the roads this year!
Sharing the ride by carpooling or taking transit to work or school makes an incredible impact in reducing your carbon footprint. It puts us on the right path toward greener commute options being utilized more widely and saves commuters both time and money.
Making these sorts of sustainable choices in our daily life can actually be a lot of fun, especially around the holidays. Carpooling with a group to fall festivities, getting together for fall bike rides, and starting a fall garden really make the most of this time of year. How about making your own Halloween decorations instead of spending money on store-bought plastic options?
Here are 5 ideas to make your Halloween green with DIY decorations!
The music played in a carpool really set the vibe for your day. Picking the right song or podcast can act as a real bonding experience for friends or coworkers. We’re here to help you curate the perfect October playlist to set the tone for a spooky month of sharing the ride!
Everyone is getting into the Halloween spirit now that October is here. Want to get the party started in your carpool? Grab the aux cord. We’ve got you covered. Check out these five songs from our spooky season playlist that will make for a chilling drive to the office with your coworkers.
This year, we have watched as beloved holidays come and go, like Easter, Memorial Day, and Fourth of July. Now, it’s finally time for a mask-friendly holiday—Halloween!
As October 31st approaches, the CDC has given us great ideas on how to enjoy the sweetest night of the year. We may not be able to have a classic trick-or-treat experience, but there are plenty of alternate ways to dress up and have fun on Halloween night.
Many towns, schools, and communities have done Trunk-or-Treat events for past Halloweens. While that won’t be happening this year, Rideshare has thought of a few ways to have a safe, social distanced Trunk-or-Treat.
Organize your own Trunk-or-Treat with members of your family or neighbors. Staying outside, in a mask, and 6 feet apart is the best way to keep everyone safe and still have fun.
Pull vehicles to the end of your driveways and go all out with spooky decorations in your trunk: Spiderwebs, skeletons, crazy costumes, lights, music—the possibilities are endless!
Keep the walking path to a one-way system to maximize safety.
Incorporate a cloth mask into your child’s costume. [Remember: A Halloween costume mask does not replace a cloth face mask]
Hand out individual bags of candy instead of letting kids reach into a bowl.
Have kids vote for their favorite trunk!
A small Trunk-or-Treat is a lot of fun, but may be short lived. Set up a pumpkin carving or painting table outside in someone’s yard so the fun can continue, and kids can still be social distancing.
Being a parent or caregiver takes creativity and open-mindedness now more than ever. And who knows? Going above and beyond to organize a small neighborhood or family Trunk-or-Treat might be so fun, it could become a new Halloween tradition!
