Countries where it’s a crime to knock on a door and run away

https://i.redd.it/pv3cwtuuqrve1.png

by Brilliant-Nerve12

41 comments

  1. In most European countries, knocking on a door and running away (also known as “ding-dong ditch” or “knock, knock, ginger”) is not a crime in itself.

    However, it is technically illegal in the UK under the Metropolitan Police Act of 1839.

    According to Act 16 of the law, anyone who “willfully and wantonly disturbs any inhabitant by pulling or ringing any doorbell or knocking at any door without lawful excuse” can face a fine. In extreme cases, if the fine is not paid, it could lead to up to 14 days in jail, though this is rarely enforced.

    While a one-time prank is unlikely to result in legal action, repeated disturbances could be considered harassment or antisocial behavior, especially if they target vulnerable individuals. In persistent cases, police may issue warnings, fines, or even antisocial behavior orders (ASBOs).

  2. Should be a crime all over Europe, a lot more packages and letters would be delivered correctly.

  4. Also called the “Dennis the Menace” act, dude went too far.

  6. Is that for all of the UK or just England or somethibg

  7. I seriously doubt that very much detailed research went into this map.

  9. If this ever occur in Greece half of population will be behind bars

  14. Imagine having a peaceful cup of tea when

    *knock knock*

  15. This is a result of the little known IRA great nick nack campaign.

  16. True, one of my friends did 10 years in prison for doing this when he was 12

  18. There’s slate flooring directly in front of my front door, which is a fucking liability when wet. Recently, kids in the village were playing knock door run, and I heard them coming because these kids did not understand the meaning of subtlety.

    I shouldn’t laugh but one of the kids just full on body slammed, I think face first, the front door.

    There was definitely some crying but as soon as I tried to see if the kid was OK they all panicked and practically dragged him up from the floor and ran.

  21. I don’t know, it definitely used to be crime here in Bulgaria back in the 90s. Except that you and your schoolmates will be the victims of crime when some old angry grandpa comes out and beats your asses hahah.

    This was a common “prank” since the dawn of time, probably all around the world. The worst kids used to put scotch on all the buzzers on the intercom.

    Other common shit was – throwing snowballs on passing trams or cars. I had friends that were chased down for like an hour by some guy, since the idiots didn’t realize they threw ice on his car.

    We also used to spill a bit of water or some even spit on people passing under the school windows. One time we had some woman go up and enter the school, trying to find who did that shit.

    And I also now remember about the stinky bombs that were sold in some costume shops. They were some small ampules, you broke on and it was like chemical warfare. Smelt so bad of shit and farts that one time they had to evacuate a whole floor of the school. It smelt so bad, that it worked even if you throw it outside on the streets on a windy day. Some guys threw one inside a tram one time, back then this was so hilarious…

    Now it all sounds like idiotism overload to me, I know hahah.

  23. It is illegal in Australia too. We call it knock ‘n’ run. Can get a $250 fine. Also, PO’s might be looking a bit closer at local break ins. It’s a common way to check if anyone’s home.

  24. I’d wish that more people who knock on my door, would just run away.

  25. To be fair it’s also illegal to suspiciously handle fish, or gamble in a library, or be sockless within a set radius around the current monarch.

    GB’s got a ton of weird laws

  27. As an elementary school teacher, when walking with the class on a sidewalk, when I see one of the kids ringing a doorbell when we pass there, I find it extremely important to:
    – halt the entire group, doesn’t matter whether it is 1 class (20-25 kids) or 5 (100-125 kids)
    – walk back to the door with the concerned student
    – patiently wait for the door to open.
    – if there is nobody opening the door, ring the bell again myself
    – patiently wait some more
    (Repeat that several times, when receiving questions from persons passing clearly explain what is going on)
    => IF the door opens, tell the inhabitant that ‘student Avgf’ had such an important question to ask, that he/she found it necessary to halt the entire group and ring the doorbell.
    => go with the flow for 30-60 seconds

    Most persons opening the door grab the idea immediately and go with it too.

    Edit: forgot to mention, I invite the parents of the students afterwards to explain what happened. And give them the address of where it occurred. All but one couple dragged their kid to the same place and made them apologise 😇

    Only been teaching for 3 years. Sadly, the playground rumours are too effective.
    Had zero ‘belleke trek’ (ring and run) situations this schoolyear 😂

  28. Id bet this has more to do with case law vs civil law and missing research than anything else.

  29. Too bad it’s illegal in UK, with so many row houses.

    Best fun is ringing the doorbell on a whole row of houses  simultaneously with all your friends, then run hide in some bushes, and then see how many neighbors open their doors at the same time and start a conversation with each other.

  31. In Finland making Ding Dong ditches can be considered as “kotirauhan rikkominen” (literally “breaking the peace of home”)

  32. Ooops I may have been a serial law breaker as a kid. My sincere apologies to all those who I inflicted this on.

  34. What if there are extenuating circumstances, like… I knock on the door but then suddenly I realize I’m about to shit my pants?

  35. Kinda been killed by the amount of doorbell cameras these days.

    The local neighbourhood watch would have you posted all over Facebook before you even got home.

  36. There’s a lot of weird archaic laws that are still on the statute books in the UK.

    For example it is an act of treason to stick a stamp onto an envelope upside-down. Doing so “in absolute defiance” on an envelope is considered an attempt to dispose of the monarch in the Treason Felony Act of 1848. And since treason still carried the death penalty until 1998 until then it was theoretically possible that you could be executed for sticking a stamp upside-down.

  37. Funny how Russia is green…try to do that there and all of a sudden you have fallen out of a window or your democratic country is invaded by Putin and you’re called a nazi.

  38. It’s a crime in Finland. The law is “kotirauhan rikkominen” bothering the pece of home.

  40. My disabled mum had groups of teenagers shout stuff at the top of their lungs right against the door and then bang as hard as they could on the door and front windows.

    If they had gotten arrested, we would have been perfectly fine with it. Little kids knocking is one thing, teenagers purposely frightening a disabled woman is just called being an antisocial cunt.

  41. Does this have something to do with 10 Downing Street being so easily accessed from the street?

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