‘Ding-dong-ditch’ in Montreal: Don’t confront pranksters, say police

Ding-dong-ditch, a prank that involves ringing someone’s doorbell and running away, is seeing a resurgence in Montreal — with a twist.

Nowadays, the goal is to film the victims as they open their doors and get the “best reaction” to post to social media.

Quebec actress Ève Duranceau tells Noovo Info Tuesday that she was a victim of the game twice last week at her home in Montreal’s Saint-Michel neighbourhood.

“It’s as if they were coordinating to punch and kick the door at the same time. It felt like a home invasion to me,” she said.

She says her first instinct was to go outside once the noise stopped, adding that the people banging on her door were standing on the street, insulting her.

“The first time, I asked, ‘Is that you?’ and he said, ‘Yes, it’s me, shut up,’ and he gave me the finger and left on his electric scooter,” Duranceau recalls. “They want you to panic more than the last person, probably to make the best video.”

One man, who asked for anonymity to not aggravate his situation, tells Noovo Info that teenagers harassed him for over a year.

He says it took an astronomical effort to finally put an end to things.

“At first, it was just the doorbell, but since we can disable it, it didn’t bother me,” he said. “It progressed to punching the door, and then eventually kicking the door.”

He explains that he installed surveillance cameras, but the teens simply hid their faces.

In response to the phenomenon, Montreal police (SPVM) is encouraging residents to report mischief before things escalate.

“We suggest that you stay inside and don’t go out. What the young people want is the ‘wow’ factor, the moment when you come out of your house, you scream and shout, and then they film it and post your image on social media,” warns Jean-Sébastien Marcotte, commander of the force’s prevention and urban security division.

Anyone caught playing ding-dong-ditch could face charges including mischief, harassment and disturbing the peace.

The game has seen several violent reactions recently, including in the United States, where an 11-year-old child was shot and killed in Texas after ringing several doorbells.

Additionally, a couple in Saint-Sauveur, Que. kidnapped and beat a 13-year-old who had rung their doorbell before running away.