When I was a kid, there were a lot of absurd things we did that were more or less harmless and honestly not that daring, but we thought they were the most intense things a 9-year-old could take part in.
Some of these things included toilet-papering, penny-tapping (you may not know that one, but it did result in me falling down a window well and holding the record for the most stitches at Alta View Hospital for a time), and the age-old tradition of doorbell-ditching. You may have had another name for it, but that's what the contingent of youth called it in my neck of the woods.
You'd sneak to someone's door, ring the bell and run as fast as your little legs would take you to dive and take cover behind a bush as you watched the unsuspecting homeowner open the door to nothing but the night air. As a kid, it was exhilarating, and we assumed all adults hated it and would likely call the cops. Part of the reason we felt this way was because of one particular family in our neighborhood. To protect those involved, we'll call this family the Thompsons.
The Thompson dad hated being doorbell-ditched. How did we know this? Because he was the only one in the neighborhood who would grab a flashlight and scour the dark streets looking for the ruffians who dared leave his porch empty after summoning him to the front door. There is a chance Mr. Thompson was looking for us just to give us a thrill and add to our fun, or he really hated it and wanted to bring down some serious neighborhood justice on us youths. Either way, doorbell-ditching that house was the coup de grâce in our little slice of suburbia.
As an adult, I've realized that ringing a doorbell and running away isn't that daring, and opening your door to an empty porch is not quite the anger-inducing prank we thought it was.
With all that said, it was pretty fun and Mr. Thompson's reaction is the reason why we hit his house over and over again.
I'm not condoning that kids go out there and start ringing their neighbor's doorbells and then run for the hills, but I empathize with the dad in this video, in that he sees it as a rite of passage for his young son to experience.
Doorbell cameras have forever changed doorbell-ditching, and this kid was a victim of the technology. Or maybe made a star? Regardless, this kiddo goes to ring the doorbell only to get caught immediately. The homeowner asks what he's doing and the kid comes clean. When the resident asks if the boy's father knows what he's doing, he sheepishly answers, "Yes," and explains the whole thing was his dad's idea.
To let you enjoy my favorite video in a long time, I won't spoil what happens next, but it brings joy to my soul and gives me comfort in knowing I am not the only full-grown child around.
You may love doorbell-ditching or you may be a Mr. Thompson and hate it, but either way, I don't know how you don't love this video.
This one is for you, Mr. Thompson, wherever you are. May your bell forever be rung and your porch always barren, and I hope you never stop searching.
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