Knock, knock, ginger (also known as ding, dong, ditch, Chappy and Knock door run) is a prank or game dating back to the traditional Cornish holiday of Nickanan Night where it was called Nicky nicky nine doors in the 19th-century or possibly the earlier. The game is played by children in many cultures. It involves knocking on the front door (or ringing the doorbell) of a victim, then running away before the door can be answered.[1]
The name knock, knock, ginger, “knock down ginger” or knocky door ginger, used in parts of Southern England, is attested at least as early as 1867, in an English poem found in the "Childhood in Poetry" collection:
Ginger, Ginger broke a winder
Hit the winda – crack!
The baker came out to give 'im a clout
And landed on his back.[2]
The prankster can face charges of trespassing and disturbing the peace. In England and Wales, trespassing is a civil matter rather than a criminal one, and the police will not compile a case for a victim. However, under the Town Police Clauses Act 1847, it is a criminal offence to "wilfully and wantonly disturb any inhabitant, by pulling or ringing any door bell, or knocking at any door" punishable with up to 14 days' imprisonment.[32][33]
Scotland
In Scotland, although the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 establishes universal access rights, known colloquially as the "right to roam" is only permitted where the privacy of others is respected. Such errant behaviour could be regarded as the Scottish common law criminal offence of "malicious mischief" or under the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021, also known as the Hate Crime Act.[34]
Canada
Canadian Criminal Code
Under the Criminal Code, several offenses could potentially apply to ding-dong-ditch activities:
Mischief (Section 430(1)):[35] Mischief includes actions that aim to damage or interfere with the legitimate enjoyment of property. If ding-dong-ditch activities damage the door or structure of a house, they could be considered as mischief. Additionally, even without direct damage, intentionally disrupting the peaceful enjoyment of a home could be interpreted as a form of mischief.[36][37][38]
Trespassing at Night (Section 177):[39] Although this section mainly covers unauthorized entries onto private property at night, it could apply if someone enters a yard or garden without permission during nighttime to disturb the occupants.
Civil Law
Under civil law, particularly in Quebec, the homeowner could also pursue claims for damages to their property, such as:
Civil Liability: Under Article 1457 of the Civil Code of Quebec, any person who causes harm to another must compensate for the damages. If ding-dong-ditch leads to material damages (such as a broken door, damage to the garden, or to home structures), the victim may seek compensation from the person responsible.[40]
Neighborhood Disturbance: Civil law can also apply to repetitive nuisances. If the actions cause persistent and unusual disturbances, they could be considered a neighborhood disturbance.[41]
Incidents
United States
Around 12:30 AM on October 25, 2003, a teen was playing "ding dong ditch" in front of Jay Steven Levin's home in Boca Raton, Florida. Levin armed himself, went outside, and shot the boy in the back as he tried to flee.[42] Levin claimed self-defense. This tragedy sparked debates on the proportionality of responses to acts perceived as harmless pranks.[43]
On 13 June 2011, Michael Bishop, a 56-year-old man, shot at a group of children playing ding dong ditch at his house in Louisville, Kentucky. A 12-year-old boy was hit in the back with a shotgun blast and was taken to Kosair Children's Hospital "with what police call non-life-threatening injuries". The shooter was charged with attempted murder.[19] On 8 December 2015, his final day in office, outgoing Kentucky governor Steve Beshear issued 197 pardons,[44] including a pardon for Bishop.[45]
A 14-year-old Oklahoma teenager, Cole Peyton, was shot in the back and arm while playing "ding dong ditch" in the early hours of New Year's Day of 2016.[46][47]
Dean Taylor, a 63-year-old coach and former San Francisco Police Department officer, was arrested following an incident involving an 11-year-old boy who rang his doorbell in San Rafael, California on 12 February 2021. After two boys rang his door and ran, Taylor chased the boys in a vehicle, cut off one of the youths and emerged from the car. Then he allegedly grabbed one 11-year-old boy by the neck, pushed him to the ground and forced him into his vehicle. He drove the terrified boy around the block, and allegedly told the boy that he would "put a bullet in his head" if the prank happened again. He dropped the boy off near Point San Pedro Road and Loch Lomond Drive, and police were called. Taylor faces felony charges including kidnapping, making criminal threats, false imprisonment, battery and child endangerment.[48]
A California man, Anurag Chandra, 42, faced several murder charges for his role in a crash on Temescal Canyon Road on 24 January 2020. A group of six teenage boys drove to a nearby home on Mojeska Summit Road in Corona, about 50 miles southeast of Los Angeles, after one of them had been dared. The boy rang the doorbell and returned to the 2002 Prius that they were riding in, and the group took off. Chandra, who lives at the home, chased after them in his 2019 Infiniti Q50. His car rammed into the back of the Prius, causing it to veer off the road and into a tree. Daniel Hawkins, Jacob Ivascu and Drake Ruiz, all 16-year-old passengers, were killed in the crash. The 18-year-old driver and two other boys, ages 13 and 14, were injured but survived.[49] In 2023, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.[50]
Canada
In 2023, On Vancouver Island, Owen May took extreme measures to catch teens playing "ding dong ditch" at his home in Courtenay, British Columbia. May, a fisherman, set up a fishing line trap outside his door. One night, a teen got caught in the trap, leading to a confrontation between May, his partner, and the teen. Both parties required medical attention.[51]
In July 2023, in the city of Saguenay, Quebec, a couple pursued teenagers who were playing "ring and run". After being alerted by the youths' screams, the couple, with no prior criminal record, threatened one of the teenagers with a knife and made death threats. They were arrested by the police for armed threats.[52]
On October 2, 2024, Stéphanie Borel, a woman from Longueuil, Quebec, allegedly poured boiling water on a young boy.[53] Two days after the event, she called the authorities, claiming she had acted in response to repeated "ding dong ditch" pranks at her home.[54][55]
Other Countries
In 2018, the governments of India and Pakistan accused each other's diplomats of ringing the doorbells of the other government senior diplomatic staff at 3am and then running away.[56]
^Forsyth County, Georgia, USA is very strict on trespassing, and Disturbing the Peace and "Ding Dong Ditch" (their version of this) is considered a crime in that county, and the fine is $100.
