Ghost of Halloween past

Huh. It seems to have worked after all. More police than partiers, from the sound of it.

But I agree with the people who say "OK, now let's plan better for next year." It sounds like things were getting a bit out of control in some aspects, but the solution to that is to be clever in attacking the problems, not to kill the tradition altogether.

No Halloween for you

I heard on the radio this morning that San Francisco has decided to cancel the Halloween revelry in the Castro because, in the last several years, it's been getting a bit out of control: six people shot last year (although "none seriously"). So they've been doing a local media blitz telling everyone to stay home, getting bars there to agree to close early, and promoting parties in other areas.

Understandable that they want to prevent people getting hurt. Taking action in that line = good. But.

Telling people not to do something. That they've been doing for nigh-on thirty years at least. That involves fun. In San Francisco. Yeah, okay, good luck with that.