Human alarm clocks: throwing peas at windows was a profession in demand in the last century

Using large sticks or straws to blow peas, the “knocker-uppers” woke up the workers tomorrow morning: it was time to go to work.

“They came down the street with their big, long sticks”, recalled the British Paul Stafford, born at the beginning of the 20th century.

“I slept with my brother in the back room upstairs, and my parents slept in the front. The “knocker upper” didn’t stay for long either, just three or four rings and then it went away. We never heard it in the back, but it would wake my father up in the front.”

A “knocker upper” was nothing more or less than a human alarm clock, at a time when technology had not yet reached the homes of ordinary citizens, as it was too expensive. The professioncreated after the Industrial Revolution in the United Kingdom, It consisted of going from door to door waking up workers: it’s time to work, it’s time to wake up.

With a beyou could reach the highest floors. But another common strategy, says , was to use a straw to blow peas into the windows of sleeping workers.

Until the 60s of the last century, strategy was still used and this profession was still common in several cities throughout Europe. These people used to sleep during the day and work early in the morning to wake up customers.

“The knocker-up quickly realized that while he woke up those who paid him, he also woke up several others on each side who did not pay“, a former British human alarm clock told the BBC.

In any case, today waking up is not so dynamic — simple background music does the job.