Well, one thing I have noticed that's changed since I was a kid is that pranks, vandalism and firecrackers start at least 2 or 3 weeks prior to the arrival of Hallowe'en around here.

Fortunately one thing here, that hasn't changed much, is the likelihood of some dumb kid getting his brains blown out by a gun because of such stuff. One of the reasons I prefer to live where I do.