Ok ya...we've all heard this garbage before but...

[TheGrandMom]

Kids Steal The Darndest Things: Grand Theft Auto Helping Six Year Olds Drive To School

"Why doesn't the mainstream media ever focus on the positive aspects of Grand Theft Auto's influence on our six year olds? Stealing the family sedan is petty in the name of perfect attendance.

Take the six year old offspring of Jacqulyn Deana Waltman and David Eugene Dodson from Wicomico Church, Virginia who swiped his parents' Ford Taurus after missing the school bus. The unnamed boy told police he learned how to drive a decade early thanks to his experience with Grand Theft Auto and Monster Truck Jam.

Unfortunately, he crashed said Taurus after a six mile drive. Sounds about right. Don't think I've ever had a car survive much longer than five miles in any GTA game.

"He was very intent on getting to school," said Sheriff Chuck Wilkins. And good for him! Well, except for the fact that his parents have been charged with child endangerment and that he and his brother have been take into protective custody."

YouTube video report of it:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOQer-Qzids]YouTube - 6 Year Old Drives 10 Miles To School[/ame]

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So, a 6 yr old playing GTA........YAY for great parenting!

[Mhurron]

Re: Ok ya...we've all heard this garbage before but...

his parents have been charged with child endangerment and that he and his brother have been take into protective custody

The hell?

[Ellipses]

Re: Ok ya...we've all heard this garbage before but...

GTA doesn't teach you how to put a key in an ignition, turn it, find the right gears, or differentiate the brake pedal from the gas. I'm thinking maaaaybe he had an additional source of information there that wasn't a video game.

(Even if it's just observation of his parents driving, what kind of dumbass kid would pick up on all that, but not know how to turn left and right without having played video games?)

[TheGrandMom]

Re: Ok ya...we've all heard this garbage before but...

If you watch the video (and other videos on YouTube about it), they took the kids away because the mother was sleeping at the time and the husband wasn't in the home. I guess the babysitter was in the bedroom with a younger child looking for a shoe and the other child put on his shoes, put on his jacket, rummaged around for the car keys, went outside, got into the car, figured out how to reach the pedals and start it, and then FINALLY started driving to school. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO FIND A FRIGGIN SHOE!?

[Mhurron]

Re: Ok ya...we've all heard this garbage before but...

So they took the kid away because it was being a kid.

[Ziero]

Re: Ok ya...we've all heard this garbage before but...

The hell?

If they couldn't teach their kid not to steal cars by the age of 6 then they're not exactly doing a stellar job. But all joking aside, I'll actually agree that taking the kids may have been a bit too much considering the actual details. If they actually had a babysitter watching the kids while they were both pre-occupied, then it's not like they were left unsupervised.

If you watch the video (and other videos on YouTube about it), they took the kids away because the mother was sleeping at the time and the husband wasn't in the home. I guess the babysitter was in the bedroom with a younger child looking for a shoe and the other child put on his shoes, put on his jacket, rummaged around for the car keys, went outside, got into the car, figured out how to reach the pedals and start it, and then FINALLY started driving to school. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO FIND A FRIGGIN SHOE!?

Honestly, this is a bit surprising coming from you of all people. Kids can and do move really fast and really quietly when they want to. And they also manage to lose things really well. It wouldn't have taken a 6 year old 5 minutes to do all that and then some, while you could easily spend hours trying to find the shoe. Hell I know when I was a kid if my parents left me alone for 5 minutes on a school day I'd be back in bed sleeping. But it's obvious that this kid has a much stronger drive to learn then I did at that age...

[DakAttack]

Re: Ok ya...we've all heard this garbage before but...

So they took the kid away because it was being a kid.

Or they took the kid away because the parent wasn't being a parent.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: Ok ya...we've all heard this garbage before but...

Honestly, this is a bit surprising coming from you of all people. Kids can and do move really fast and really quietly when they want to. And they also manage to lose things really well. It wouldn't have taken a 6 year old 5 minutes to do all that and then some, while you could easily spend hours trying to find the shoe. Hell I know when I was a kid if my parents left me alone for 5 minutes on a school day I'd be back in bed sleeping. But it's obvious that this kid has a much stronger drive to learn then I did at that age...

I've raised 2 kids. I'm raising 2 grandsons now and one of them is a couple months away from the age of 6. Neither of my grandsons is ever out of my sight for more than 1 or 2 minutes. What that kid did took longer than 1 or 2 minutes, it takes that long for my grandson to get out his boots and coat and put them on.

[Ziero]

Re: Ok ya...we've all heard this garbage before but...

One was at work, the other was asleep (most likely works nights) and there was a babysitter was watching the kids. It's easy to lose track of a kid and it only takes a moment for them to do something. This wasn't a case of bad parenting, this is a case of a smart kid doing something stupid...which all kids can and will do. It's just some will do stupid things on a grander scale then others...

[Mhurron]

Re: Ok ya...we've all heard this garbage before but...

Neither of my grandsons is ever out of my sight for more than 1 or 2 minutes.

Having been a child myself once, bullshit.

You might think that, but you're wrong.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: Ok ya...we've all heard this garbage before but...

Having been a child myself once, bullshit.

You might think that, but you're wrong.

Oh, and you know me personally Mhurron? Bullshit. I am a firm parent and my kids will attest to that. I know what the kids are doing and where they are. Right now my 6 yr old is at school and my 2 yr old is waking up from his nap. I have a schedule that I keep every day for each kid. My husband was in the military. I know where my grandsons are at all times.

One was at work, the other was asleep (most likely works nights) and there was a babysitter was watching the kids. It's easy to lose track of a kid and it only takes a moment for them to do something. This wasn't a case of bad parenting, this is a case of a smart kid doing something stupid...which all kids can and will do. It's just some will do stupid things on a grander scale then others...

I never said anything about the parents. I commented on why they felt the need to take the kids away. The mother was at home but not tending to her kids. She did have a babysitter but for all we know it could have been an 8 yr old. That would get the kids taken away too. The babysitter is supposed to be keeping an eye on both kids and obviously was not. The child was left alone far too long for his age.

[Neverslip]

Re: Ok ya...we've all heard this garbage before but...

Sorry... 6yr olds shouldn't be playing GTA4 ... let alone "learning" how to drive from that game.

My vote - poor parenting. If they don't FIRE the babysitter, then I'd go with BAD parenting.

[Ziero]

Re: Ok ya...we've all heard this garbage before but...

I've raised 2 kids. I'm raising 2 grandsons now and one of them is a couple months away from the age of 6. Neither of my grandsons is ever out of my sight for more than 1 or 2 minutes. What that kid did took longer than 1 or 2 minutes, it takes that long for my grandson to get out his boots and coat and put them on.

With all due respect, that's feasibly impossible. It only takes a moment for a kid to do something, especially one who seems to be as smart as this one. And when you have two, and are distracted by one, it makes it all the more easy for the other to cause mischief. I've seen plenty of cases of bad parenting, but this one is far from something that should get their children taken away. I'm not questioning your parenting skills, but can you honestly tell me that niether of your children or grandchildren have ever done anything wrong or busted something for a brief moment you weren't paying attention?

[TheGrandMom]

Re: Ok ya...we've all heard this garbage before but...

With all due respect, that's feasibly impossible. It only takes a moment for a kid to do something, especially one who seems to be as smart as this one. And when you have two, and are distracted by one, it makes it all the more easy for the other to cause mischief. I've seen plenty of cases of bad parenting, but this one is far from something that should get their children taken away. I'm not questioning your parenting skills, but can you honestly tell me that niether of your children or grandchildren have ever done anything wrong or busted something for a brief moment you weren't paying attention?

No and I never said that they weren't "busted" for something they did in a brief moment either. I said that I pay close attention to where and what my kids/grandkids were doing at a young age very closely. Of course, there were times when they got into things in the minute or two I wasn't paying closer attention. But when I went into another part of the house, BOTH kids go with me. So if I go into the bedroom to look for a shoe, I make a game of it and bring both kids and all 3 of us look. This way I get help with finding it and I'm able to keep my eyes on both kids. Simple parenting skills.

[Ziero]

Re: Ok ya...we've all heard this garbage before but...

I never said anything about the parents. I commented on why they felt the need to take the kids away. The mother was at home but not tending to her kids. She did have a babysitter but for all we know it could have been an 8 yr old. That would get the kids taken away too. The babysitter is supposed to be keeping an eye on both kids and obviously was not. The child was left alone far too long for his age.

That's the thing, we really don't know. If it was an "age appropriate" baby sitter, and this was a situation that happens a lot, then this is a fluke accident and not a sign of bad parenting imo. But until we know all the details I don't think we can really judge them. I have older siblings and many times they would see me off to school or make my dinner because one parent was at work and the other was asleep because they worked all night. Hell I've had to babysit my nieces and nephews for the same exact reasons.

The bottom line is, we don't even know how long this kid was left alone. If he was already dressed for school, and knew where the car keys were, it would only take a minute for him to grab em, hop in the car, start it up and drive off. He obviously knew how to work the car, hell he even knew what direction to go in and what roads to turn at, so he was obviously a smart kid. So I do believe it could have taken him a minute or two tops to grab the keys and drive off.

Sorry... 6yr olds shouldn't be playing GTA4 ... let alone "learning" how to drive from that game.

This I'll agree with. But I'm not a fan of the game in general. However it was something that helped some 11 year old girl save her family's life...how come we didn't see that on CNN?