A surprisingly real historical job: The 'Human Alarm Clock'

A surprisingly real historical job: The 'Human Alarm Clock'

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Known as 'Knocker-ups,' this job existed in places like Britain and the Netherlands starting from the Industrial Revolution. These workers would walk around the neighborhood early in the morning carrying long sticks, tapping on customers' windows to wake them up. Not only did they have to wake up early on their own, but they also had to cover the entire neighborhood before it got too late, making it a grueling 'extreme job' with low pay (usually around 6 pence a week). Although alarm clocks existed back then, they weren't very reliable, so these people were a necessity.

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While most would just tap and move on, some with a strong work ethic wouldn't leave until they were absolutely sure the customer was awake. A photo taken in London in 1931 shows a legendary Knocker-up who used a pea-shooter to fire beans at windows. This profession completely disappeared by the 1940s and 50s as alarm clocks became more advanced.