Probably many of us know what a joyful experience a shopping spree can be. For some, it might be the best way to spend their time (and money, of course). This "hobby" has gotten so popular that even kids aren't immune to it.
Like this 8-year-old girl. She stole her parents' car and drove off by herself so that she could shop at Target. Sound unplausible? Well, it actually happened. Since the news broke, people online haven’t shied away from posting their reactions, and we have to admit, they’re hilarious.
Sometimes a person may feel such an urgent need to shop that nothing can stand in their way
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Recently, an 8 year-old-girl stole her parents' car and drove by herself for 25 minutes to shop at Target
Image credits: Bedford Police
The police who found the girl after she was reported missing posted a funny Facebook post, which gathered quite a lot of attention online
On September 16, KTLA reported on an 8-year-old girl who drove herself to shop at Target. It was based on a funny Facebook post written by Bedford police, which got quite a lot of attention online.
For more context, on Sunday, September 15, the girl and the 2020 Nissan Rogue car were reported missing in Ohio. During the investigation, the police got a call about a small child driving on Rockside Road. Plus, the neighbor's security camera filmed the girl getting in the car and driving off.
The vehicle was found in the parking lot of a Target in Bainbridge, Ohio, while the girl was in said store. Target employees said the girl came into the store with more than 400 dollars, with which she bought multiple items. Police made the store give back the money to the parents.
The girl also bought a Frappuccino from Starbucks. Funnily enough, when police found her, she was sipping on the drink, and before taking her back, they let her finish it. Meanwhile, her relatives were called to come and get the car.
The exact route she took is unclear, but the KTLA article clarified that the store is more than 10 miles (16 kilometers) away from her home, which makes it a 20-to-25-minute drive. She drove this distance quite successfully, as she was found unharmed, but she said to the police officers that she had “struck a mailbox” on her way.
The police also noted that the girl won’t be criminally charged, as she is too young and no one (besides a mailbox) was injured.
Image credits: Mike Mozart / Flickr (not the actual photo)
Quite a bizarre story, isn’t it? Well, just like with any other strange instance, folks online (and not only them) had a field day with it. By that, we mean that there were plenty of reactions to it, ranging from simply funny to hilarious ones.
For instance, some were joking that this must have been not her first time driving a vehicle. After all, driving for 25 minutes and striking only a single mailbox is impressive, isn’t it? Some, like the hosts of KVUE's report about the situation, were interested in the details of how this small girl was able to navigate the car. How did she reach the pedals?
Others took it as an inspiration – if an 8-year-old can drive and park (nearly) successfully, so can they. A few were jealous, as they said that they also wished to be able to take someone else’s money and go shop freely at Target without seeing anything wrong with it.
There were some jokes about how tempting shopping is at Target, and that not having someone to drive her wasn’t an obstacle for the girl. People love Target because of the shop itself. As this Reddit thread points out, the shops have good vibes, better than, for example, Walmart. It also has cheap, diverse, and relatively good quality stuff. Add all of this to the dopamine rush people get when attaining something new while shopping and it becomes irresistible.
A few joked about a similar theme, only this time it was about how a girl and a “Target run” are inseparable things, no matter her age. Some sources describe a “Target run” simply as shopping in the aforementioned shop, while the Urban Dictionary says it’s a phenomenon of a person going to purchase something specific, but ending up with whatever their heart desires.
Well, this girl clearly was set on having her own “Target run.” Now, her dedication will forever remain on the funny side of the internet and will be quite a story for her to tell everyone when she gets older.
So, the internet was flooded with news about the fearless shopaholic girl, and people had many hilarious reactions to it
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Some joked about her boldness, and others about her impressive driving skills at a mere 8 years old
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A few also didn't shy away from bantering about her love for Target and even envied her for her careless attitude
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While the story of the young girl's adventurous trip to Target highlights youthful determination and a quirky sense of independence, it also brings to mind other inspiring tales of young individuals engaging creatively with history and culture. For readers interested in how children express powerful narratives through their actions and projects, exploring stories of kids portraying influential historical figures offers a remarkable perspective.
Check out this compelling project of a young girl honoring iconic women to see how creativity and education can beautifully merge.