Oh, that crossed my mind.

Kid originally wanted his costume so that people could "buy" candy from him. "And how will they get the candy from this machine?" I asked. He suggested the costume would be like any other vending machine. "Probably not a good idea to have strangers trying to take candy from around your crotch," I said. He was not thrilled when I suggested he simply squat and drop the candy like a chicken laying an egg.

On the way home from the hardware store, it occurred to me that we make the costume more realistic in that things got "stuck." He was unconvinced, insisting no one would get it.

As I began painting the costume on the sidwealk, neighbors walked by and asked my kid what he was going as for Halloween. "A vending machine," he said. "Where treats get stuck," I added. It was the overwhelmingly positive responses that finally convinced him this wasn't some stupid dad idea but was, in fact, an aspect of life that nearly everyone is familiar with.

"Just make sure no one shakes or tries to tilt you," I warned him.