THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT  
              Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, October 28, 1994               TAG: 9410260130
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON    PAGE: 02B  EDITION: BAYSIDE 
SOURCE: BY TREVOR WRIGHT, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT 
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   51 lines

OVERAGE TREAT BEGGING FUN, BUT IT'S UNLAWFUL

Imagine, it's Halloween night. You sit on your porch bored and frustrated watching small children in various disguises trot from house to house with large sacks of candy swaying at their feet.

The sacks almost seem to smile at you as your stomach pleads to be filled with Snickers, Sweet Tarts and bubble gum. Then you realize, the bag isn't smiling - it's laughing. Laughing at the poor pitiful being that you've become, when years ago you would have strolled up to any house on the block and said those three proud words that assured you a day or two in candy heaven.

``Trick or treat.'' The words echo in your head. But what can you do now that you've gotten older and more mature? You have only three choices:

You could try your hand at bag snatching. It's not the moral thing to do, but hey, you're starving!

You could close your eyes to the fact that every child in America will wake up on Nov. 1 with a chocolate-smeared face and a pile of candy wrappers.

You could do what made you completely happy five or so years ago - you could go trick or treating.

As ridiculous as it may sound, some teens have never stopped that childhood tradition. And why should they? Isn't that what Allhallows Eve is all about anyway - costumes and disguises? Tricking people into thinking you're not who you seem?

``Sure,'' said Nichole Leppo, a junior at Ocean Lakes High School. ``I go trick or treating every year and I'm 16. Last year I was a harem girl.''

While illicit trick or treating might be fun, down at the Virginia Beach Police Department it's considered a class-4 misdemeanor.

``It's in the books under City Code section 23-2, which is titled prohibited trick or treat activities. It states that any persons over the age of 12 who engage in trick or treating activities are subject to no more than a $250 fine,'' said Sgt. R.J. Zeltmann.

So what is a teenager to do? Is trick or treating just another forbidden pleasure that people of this age group are not eligible to enjoy?

``I love going trick or treating and right now I'm doing what pleases me. If I get caught I'll just make up some excuses like I was dared to do it,'' Nichole said. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Trevor Wright is a junior at Ocean Lakes High School.

by CNB