Dear Miss MANNERS: My neighbor and I had a heated disagreement about tricks. We are fortunate to live in a picturesque neighborhood of single-family homes, and our street is popular every October 31st. We often receive tricks from other areas.

Although I like to have lots of kids to give treats to, says my neighbor this year, she refuses to give candy to any “strangers.” She says these children and their parents are “biting each other”. She even hopes to get the neighborhood association to ban foreigners that night. At the very least, it will require each child’s parents to prove they live in the neighborhood.

I think this is ridiculous and against the whole spirit of a carefree holiday. She says it’s just correcting bad education. is she

GENTLE READER: Rather to prove it.

Miss Manners guesses that these kids are in your neighborhood because it’s safer than theirs — at least in terms of foot traffic. But apparently not in terms of kindness.

(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email address, [email protected]; or by mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

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