Haunted houses are an essential part of the perfect Halloween experience, and luckily Long Island has some best ones. Watching a horror movie is one thing, but walking through a real life horror scenario is entirely different. The authenticity is intense and it’s easy to forget that the people scaring you are just that, people.

Working in a haunted house is just as fun as walking through one, probably a little more fun if you ask me. I love getting into my costume and makeup and pretending to be a monster for the night. Most of the people who walk through the haunted house behave well and enjoy the experience, but when people don’t, it can really ruin the experience for others walking through, and the actors involved.

I talked to some of my fellow haunters to find out the things that bother them the most, so next time you walk through a haunted house, keep these do’s and don’ts in mind.

Please don’t…

• Act like you’re not scared at all. When I asked people what bothered them the most, Samara Decastro said “Acting like they aren’t scared and being immature towards the actors”. If something doesn’t scare you, there’s a good chance something else will. As Samara said “Just enjoy it”
• Curse or make inappropriate comments. Remember that scary little kids are still little kids! Young people do act in the haunted house and they can be pretty scary, but there’s no need to curse at them or make inappropriate comments.
• Ask actors questions, they won’t answer you. Allie [last name] said “When patrons ask if you get paid. It’s funny but annoying at the same time.
• Try to scare the actors! This was the most common response I got when asking people what bothers them. Maddison Beehner said “People that try to scare the actors, it never works, it’s just annoying”
• Touch the actors. This is, in my opinion, the most important rule. People get kicked out for touching us all the time and it’s always aggravating. We don’t touch the patrons, and, as Sebastian Touriello said, “Don’t walk into actors and then say, “Why’d you touch me?”

Now that the don’ts are over, here are some do’s:

• Do come through expecting to get scared! Haunted houses really are scary, but a fun scary! Kimberly Poppiti said “I’ve been going to haunted houses for years, they are one of my favorite things about the Halloween season. I think the best part is that they’re so immersive, it’s like you enter a different world!”
• Do go to the bathroom before you walk through (accidents happen)
• Do come through more than once! People change up their scares so you’ll never have the same experience twice!
• Do follow the rules! Because it really makes it more fun for everyone involved.

Now that you have some guidelines for how to respect haunted house employees, get out there and have some spooky fun!