98 / Trunk-or-treats, & the irony of safetyism.

Who doesn't love a Halloween pot-mortem on the week of Thanksgiving? Aly is back, and we dig into the rise of trunk-or-treat events, what gets lost when Halloween moves from sidewalks to parking lots, and how this one holiday reveals so much about walkability, safety, protectionism, and kids’ independence in American car-dependent neighborhoods.

Timeline:

00:00 Aly's back.

00:56 What trunk-or-treat is replacing.

03:32 Kids losing low-stakes social interaction.

04:33 Gamifying community interaction with candy.

05:58 Cars as “safety crutches” in American life.

08:42 Halloween vs. the parking lot version.

10:12 Navigation and independence for kids.

12:01 Why Halloween should be the safest night to walk.

14:47 Holidays as community infrastructure.

16:02 The middle zone of connection.

17:03 Wrapping up and heading into the holidays.