That’s exactly what an eight-year-old Ohio boy did earlier this week when he fancied a trip to a nearby McDonald’s with his little sister.
With his parents dozing on the sofa, the unnamed kid from the village of East Palestine, Ohio, about 60 miles south-east of Cleveland, checked out a few videos on how to drive a car before grabbing the keys of the family van, calling his four-year-old sister, and jumping behind the wheel, local media reported.
As the boy tootled along the streets toward his nearest McDonald’s about a mile away, bemused residents who saw him called the police to say that, well, there was a boy driving a car through the village. A little boy.
By the time local officer Jake Koehler had located the novice driver, he’d already made it safely to the fast-food restaurant, joined the drive-thru line, and placed his order. Staff thought they were being pranked when they saw the wee lad drive up to pay.
After telling Koehler that he and his sister had really fancied a cheeseburger, the officer asked him how he’d learned to drive, to which he replied, “YouTube.”
Exemplary driving skills
Impressively, the kid safely navigated not only a bunch of intersections, but also railroad tracks.
Witnesses said the boy appeared to obey all the relevant traffic laws, including keeping within speed limits. “He didn’t hit a single thing on the way there,” Koehler told local media. “It was unreal.”
The good news is that the two children got their cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, and fries before the cop returned them to their parents. And no charges were filed.
Clearly a lad with initiative, his folks might want to keep an eye on his YouTube searches for the time being to ensure he doesn’t try an even more ambitious adventure that puts him back in the headlines.
