seriously? uh, can they please run these signs by a graphic designer or a child psychologist? preferably both?

this might work for kids escorted by parents, but seems ineffective for the inevitable "group" (dare i say pack?) of kids looking for a sugar high.

i'm pretty sure kids are pretty drawn to graphics, that they don't read that much, and that that font since it's in all-caps isn't all that legible anyways. putting a big pumpkin on the door seems a little like putting a picture of some jonas brother up there and telling kids "NO AWFUL POP MUSIC BY SYRUPY POORLY STYLED 12 YEAR OLDS HERE."

they should really put a stalk of broccoli. or a photo of madonna or something.

Hey kids, I don't have any candy at my residence, but come inside my white van. I have lots of candy there, and a puppy! You can pet my puppy if you just get in my van.

Too bad for all those parole and probation officers who want to spend Halloween taking their kids trick-or-treating. Sure, they will be service the public by making sure that sex offenders are staying in line, but it's still too bad that it comes at the expense of some quality parent-child bonding.

i think that design was a bad idea and i can say that because it is

I like the broccoli idea so much I changed my avatar.

What the flip?? I can never seem to get that tag to work right. Can someone give me an HTML tutorial? And some broccoli-flavored candy, maybe?

They forgot to include bumper stickers saying "No candy inside this Ford Econoline" or "No candy in the bed of this El Camino"

So it's basically a "sex offender lives here" sign?

Just telling them to turn off the lights and not answer the door covered it, no?

That pumpkin logo reminds me of Halloween 4: Season of the Witch. "Hurry up it's Halloween, Halloween, Halloween, Hurry up its Halloween, Silver Shamrock - kids, put on your masks..."

I am the only person in the universe who loved that sequel. Exploding kid heads!

I think that would add to the excitement on Halloween: deliberately going to the sex offender's house and asking for candy. Certainly more fun than toiletpapering the kid-free houses or soaping the car windows. There's not much else to dare ever since Old Man Jenkins passed away. At least, they say he passed away. Some say he's still alive in that old house on the hill, him and his elderly wheelchair-bound mother. Haven't seen her for years. But Fatso down the street still swears he saw him dancing in the full moon light, wearing nothing but a bunny mask and singing some old Navajo death chant. What a fool, that Fatso. Little does he know that there never was an Old Man Jenkins. That it was me in that bunny mask the whole time. Now I'll just wait here under Fatso's bed until he gets home from soccer practice. I'm waiting for you, Fatso. Time to put my bunny mask on. And get my knife.

Happy Halloween, Fatso.

hmart has tomato-flavored candy

wow, this just seems like it's going to lead to some old-fashioned lynchings, doesn't it?

Must have been awkward times at the Washington Times staff meeting the first time the story was discussed: “so yeah, this guy on my street, yeah that sounds right, he uh, got something in the mail the other day with this totally messed up pumpkin sign and well he gave it to me to bring in..”

I really feel bad for these people. I know they have probably done despicable things and will most likely carry issues with it throughout their whole lives, but this goes way beyond what is needed and truly uncalled for. It’s enough to know that they are registered and anyone has the opportunity to know, but how in any way does this give them an opportunity to change the direction of their lives other than to bring more hatred and judgment by everyone around them.

If they haven’t served their time and you feel that they are a danger to the public, then leave them in incarceration. If you must; require them not to participate and check on them to make sure they are complying. Anything else beyond this does nothing to encourage them to rejoin the society of those around them, but encourages the society around them to isolate themselves even more from them.

It’s an interesting idea, but poorly contrived and even less thoughtful in application.

As a qualified graphic designer, I have to say: holy crap that's terrible! Green on orange? Condensed all caps? "Residence"? Completely worthless, except to communicate that this is someone worth beating up.

dank: Completely worthless, except to communicate that this is someone worth beating up.

Don't just beat him up. Kill him! Terrorist! Etcetera, etcetera.

Another issue with this kind of program is that now anyone who puts up a "No Candy Here" sign or otherwise hunkers down indoors and refuses to cater to the begging-children-and-candy lobby can be suspected of doing so because they are a sex offender. Hey man, sometimes I just don't want to spend $25-30 on treats for people I don't know at all. It seems most of the kids and parents that come to my door every year are people that I've literally never seen around the neighborhood who have driven in for the easier pickings.