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Original poster

Do children still prank call?

37 replies

9ofpentangles · 26/04/2021 17:23

Or play other prank games like Knock down Ginger?

Or is it a thing of the past now? I grew up in the 70s and 80s when it was a thing.

OP posts:
DogsSausages · 26/04/2021 17:28

Hopefully it's a thing of the past, we didn't do it and wouldnt expect my kids to do it either.

sunshineandshowers21 · 26/04/2021 17:30

definitely still cherry knock. my thirteen year old has lunchtime detention all week after being caught cherry knocking in his school uniform after the woman sent the footage from her doorbell to the school. he’s also had to write an apology letter. over the top in my opinion but what can you do? he’s never prank called to my knowledge. i was a teen in the mid 00s and we used to spend hours at the weekends prank calling people using our free weekend calls.

Chatanooga1 · 26/04/2021 17:33

We used to look through the phone book that were left in phone booths and look for names that sounded (to us) mildly amusing and then make reverse charge phone calls pretending to be French relatives who needed picking up from station.

For some strange reason we used to screech wildly with laughter.

That was circa 1970.

AZisgreat · 26/04/2021 17:36

@DogsSausages

Hopefully it's a thing of the past, we didn't do it and wouldnt expect my kids to do it either.
Happily killed by the internet. We used to be more bored.
GreyhoundG1rl · 26/04/2021 17:39

@sunshineandshowers21

definitely still cherry knock. my thirteen year old has lunchtime detention all week after being caught cherry knocking in his school uniform after the woman sent the footage from her doorbell to the school. he’s also had to write an apology letter. over the top in my opinion but what can you do? he’s never prank called to my knowledge. i was a teen in the mid 00s and we used to spend hours at the weekends prank calling people using our free weekend calls.
That's probably why he does it. Because you think any form of disciplining is OTT. 13?!
Original poster
9ofpentangles · 26/04/2021 17:44

Not smart doing it in school uniform Grin
I agree, it seems harsh but I guess he won't be doing it again now.

Yes, I remember going through the phonebook, too. I am old

OP posts:
DogsSausages · 26/04/2021 17:46

13 and knocking on a door and running away, why?

BrilliantBetty · 26/04/2021 17:46

My friends still did the prank calls in the 00s. To house phones

saucermilk · 26/04/2021 17:47

There are pre recorded clips that kids use to prank call their own friends.
It was a big thing on YouTube.
They find it hilarious even when it's done on them.
I get prank calls, texts and emails from adults and companies trying to scam me nowadays though. Shouldn't that be the bigger outrage?

KatherineJaneway · 26/04/2021 17:48

my thirteen year old has lunchtime detention all week after being caught cherry knocking in his school uniform after the woman sent the footage from her doorbell to the school.

So he should.

Lostinthewilderness · 26/04/2021 17:49

We used to do prank calls to 0800 numbers from the local phone box.
We also wrote prank letters

sunshineandshowers21 · 26/04/2021 17:51

🙄 where i live kids have been cherry knocking for years! even my parents did it when they were younger. it’s a bit of fun. he obviously made the mistake of doing it up where the wannabe poshos live though. so no i don’t discipline my son for doing things that kids do! bloody hell, 13 is still a child. i’d rather him be out playing and getting into a bit of mischief than be stuck inside all day. mumsnet at its finest, crying over kids having a bit of fun.

Original poster
9ofpentangles · 26/04/2021 17:51

Absolutely @saucermilk

My concern would be the safety aspect knowing what I know now as an adult . Some people would get very angry

I think I would get more upset at trolling or hacking

OP posts:
Original poster
9ofpentangles · 26/04/2021 17:53

Ive never heard the expression, Cherry Knocking.Is that a regional thing. I am in the London area

OP posts:
sadpapercourtesan · 26/04/2021 17:55

It was called Postman's Knock where I grew up in the 80s.

We didn't do it, because as young children we were told a story of an elderly man who struggled to get out of his chair and down the hall to answer the door, but made the effort because he hadn't had a visitor all year and was so excited to see someone.....my father was very good at dissuading unwanted behaviour!

I do remember repeatedly ringing the operator from a phone box and asking facetious questions and sniggering, though. It was my friend who told me to do it Blush

sunshineandshowers21 · 26/04/2021 17:55

i’m in the midlands. it’s always been cherry knocking here. i don’t think it’s a common name for it though. i actually saw a post of facebook the other day asking what people call it and i had to scroll for ages to find someone who called it cherry knocking!

Original poster
9ofpentangles · 26/04/2021 17:55

I remember Postman's Knock.

OP posts:
Lostinthewilderness · 26/04/2021 17:56

We called it knock-a-door-run

GreyhoundG1rl · 26/04/2021 17:56

@sunshineandshowers21

🙄 where i live kids have been cherry knocking for years! even my parents did it when they were younger. it’s a bit of fun. he obviously made the mistake of doing it up where the wannabe poshos live though. so no i don’t discipline my son for doing things that kids do! bloody hell, 13 is still a child. i’d rather him be out playing and getting into a bit of mischief than be stuck inside all day. mumsnet at its finest, crying over kids having a bit of fun.
It's not particularly fun for someone working from home being interrupted so your (thirteen year old! He needs to bloody grow up) son can have his "fun". And the usual nonsense of "I'd rather he was out annoying people than stuck indoors", as if any other alternative was inconceivable 🙄 God love the pair of you.
Original poster
9ofpentangles · 26/04/2021 17:57

Ah, that'll be why I've never heard it before. I think Knock down Ginger is a weird one, too

OP posts:
ForThePurposeOfTheTape · 26/04/2021 17:58

It's a regular occurrence on The Simpsons but I think that prank calling has been replaced by spam texts and sales calls.

Knock Down Ginger still happens but kids know to look out for Ring doorbells.

WhoWants2Know · 26/04/2021 17:59

I think cctv and caller ID reduce that kind of prank a lot.

daisypond · 26/04/2021 17:59

I’ve never heard of this, unless something in a comic or kids’ tv programme.
Isn’t it a bit cruel?

murbblurb · 26/04/2021 18:00

Probably, but it is now known as 'being an annoying little shit'. Quite a few things that used to be ok no longer are, don't know if you have noticed.

ForThePurposeOfTheTape · 26/04/2021 18:00

@sunshineandshowers21

🙄 where i live kids have been cherry knocking for years! even my parents did it when they were younger. it’s a bit of fun. he obviously made the mistake of doing it up where the wannabe poshos live though. so no i don’t discipline my son for doing things that kids do! bloody hell, 13 is still a child. i’d rather him be out playing and getting into a bit of mischief than be stuck inside all day. mumsnet at its finest, crying over kids having a bit of fun.
Not fun for the householder- they could have e a sleeping baby or have mobility problems so struggle to get to the door. 13 is too old for that surely? I've only seen primary school kids do it.