Introduction...
Fighting the urge to run, she slowly moved onward, vainly struggling to pierce the enveloping darkness. Shadows flicked at the corners of her vision. Something was out there. Would the next corner deliver her from this hellish sepulcher or plunge her deeper into the nightmare? One more step. Lightning flashed. Something touched her arm. She spun around towards the contact screaming and...

Came face to face with an embarrassed scaractor whose costumed hand now rested not on her upper arm, but rather on her, um... well... you get the picture.

Touched by an...
This not too unlikely scenario, is at the least, an embarrassing anecdote for both parties to share for years to come. At the extreme however, it is an act more frightening for a haunt operator than anything they can dream up for their scares. A potential lawsuit for assault, the resulting cost, and bad publicity.

I have mixed feelings about the issue of scaractors touching the guests. For the most part, I don’t feel that it is entirely necessary in many situations, but do realize that it can elevate the apprehension of the guest if they don’t know what to expect.

Please Don’t Feed (Or Touch) The Scaractors...
At Universal Studio’s annual Halloween Horror Nights, there is a strict hands off policy for employees, and the guests. This is made abundantly clear to the employees during orientation, and explained to the guests at the event. If the haunts touch the haunted, the recipients are more likely to reciprocate, and considering the alcohol enhanced state of many patrons of HHN...

The Bates Motel of Gradyville, PA on the other hand (see the review on the haunt reviews page), clearly posts their policy of “Do not touch the actors but they will touch you”.

Assault With a Dead Weapon...
This situation is exacerbated by the fact that the most readily available talent for most haunts are a steaming soup of raging hormones wrapped in an oily epidural membrane, more commonly referred to as teenagers. Some of the bolder of these creatures look at the combination of darkness, fear and intimidation and see it as an opportunity to, as someone last year sophomorically put it, "Grab some chicky @$$".

That’s Not My Hand...
There are ways to make contact with someone without physically touching them. A puff of hot or cold air on the back of the neck, or a strip of gauze hanging from your costume across the arm can be more effective than a hand on the shoulder. Even a rubber hand on a pole removes some of the liability. One item that Universal has used in the past is water. Squirt bottles (try to aim BELOW the knees guys! This isn’t one of those competitions at spring break.), misters, water dripping from above can all be effective, and anyone who ran into the “Nail Gun” guy in the “Run” house at Halloween Horror Nights XI can tell you, cold water is even more effectual.

Scary, Mold and Surly...
A crowd gathers around as the shrouded figures open the “Iron Maiden” to reveal the blood soaked spikes inside. Suddenly one of the figures rushes into the crowd and grabs an unsuspecting victim who is thrown screaming into the gaping iron jaws. As the blood flows, the quivering body suddenly slumps lifelessly.

Stooges planted in the crowd facilitate a satisfying, repeatable and reasonably safe alternative to guest contact in this situation. You can get away with a lot more with someone that you are paying. Imagine how you would feel if that terrified kid in front of you in line were suddenly dragged off into the darkness.

RIP
In the end, it is up to the operator to decide whether or not to allow contact. Whatever that decision is, there should be a clear WRITTEN and posted policy on what will and will not be tolerated. This will go a long way in ensuring a safe, effective, and less stressful haunt.