I’ve talked before about the mysterious man at the end of the phone line for the Amazon Verification Service, but it would appear that Amazon employ an equally elusive individual to do their deliveries.

No matter how swiftly I try to get to the door upon his knock, there is never a sign of his presence other than a small parcel left on my doorstep.  He is the Pimpernel of the delivery world.  I seek him in my driveway, but he is long gone; I seek him in the road to the right; I seek him in the road to the left, but there is neither sign of him nor his van.

The Amazon Delivery Man must have been a master of Knock Down Ginger as a child.  He would have been the scourge of his neighbourhood: knocking on unsuspecting victims’ front doors; running away and out of sight before he could be caught.  It is good to see that this erstwhile delinquent can now be gainful employed whilst still making full use of his talent.

Do children still play Knock Down Ginger in this age of home CCTV and online security systems?  Perhaps that only adds to the challenge?  And is the game still called Knock Down Ginger?  In fact, why was it ever called Knock Down Ginger in the first place?

Apparently, the name of the game varies depending on where it is played in the country.  Interesting research by the University of Manchester maps the linguistic variations.

So now I lie in wait for the Amazon Delivery Man.  It has become something of a personal challenge for me to attempt to spot him; better still to pre-empt his knock and open the door before he has had an opportunity to leave his parcel.

And what will I say to him?

Probably just “thank you”. 

© Simon Turner-Tree

Simon Turner-Tree is never too old to play Knock Down Ginger.

Simon is the author of Watching Life Pass Me By and This Pedestrian Life.