No neighborhood night game was started until “The Light” went out. The streetlight on the corner was mounted on a wooden telephone pole. A well-place karate kick (or what passed for karate)would rattle the pole and put out the light. It lasted for 30-45 minutes and then everyone would fight for the honor of being the next lamp unlighter. Neighborhood parents would yell at us to leave the light alone, which would last for about 5 minutes.
For many years, long after we stopped playing street games, veterans would drive up, hop out of their cars and kick out the light, for old time’s sake.