Games Blamed For Kid's Joyride

Logan Westbrook

Transform, Roll Out, Etc
Feb 21, 2008
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Games Blamed For Kid's Joyride

What inspires a 7-year-old to take his father's car out for a drive? Why video games of course!

It's a well known fact that everything bad in the world is the fault of videogames. They killed the dinosaurs and are responsible for global warming. So in the grand scheme of the horrific, world-shaking things that videogames have done, teaching a kid in Utah to drive is fairly small fry.

They didn't do it of course, except in the mind of Captain Klint Anderson of the Weber County Sheriff's Office, who clearly is not a gamer himself. Hell, they didn't even kill the dinosaurs!

The story behind this is that a 7-year-old by the name of Preston Scarbrough took his father's car for a joyride on a Sunday morning, ostensibly to avoid going to church although he later admitted how he just wanted to try driving a car. After he drove through two red lights, the police became involved and chased the boy before several miles before he stopped the car and made a run for it.

The link to video games comes in after the aforementioned Captain Klint Anderson, who spoke to Fox News [http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=14827435&ch=4226713&src=news] following the incident.

Fox News: "How did he even learn how to [drive]?"

Anderson: "Well, we're not exactly sure except that his father has grounded him from one of his video games which involves operating vehicles so..."

Fox News: "Something like a Grand Theft Auto, something like that?"

Anderson: "I have no idea. I didn't ask the father what game it was but some of those video games are pretty realistic."
As I said, Captain Anderson is clearly not a gamer himself.

When NBC's Today Show [http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/32233707#32235174 ] covered the incident the following day, they got to the heart of the matter, in that Preston had watched his mother and sister drive and picked it up from them.

While videogames might not have taught Preston how to drive, it's not a big stretch to imagine that they might have inspired his little excursion. Ordinarilly, I'd argue against the idea that a game could make a young person break the law, but as Preston is only seven and seemingly didn't grasp the severity of his actions until much later, a case could be made that this is one of the first crimes genuinely inspired by gaming.

It's also a very persuasive argument for why parents should know what games their kids are playing.

Source: GamePolitics [http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/08/01/did-7-year-old-learn-drive-video-games]


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Sparrow

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Feb 22, 2009
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Oh joy. Fox News will get wind of this-- just read the writing. It be Fox.
 

Cpt_Oblivious

Not Dead Yet
Jan 7, 2009
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If he learnt to drive a car from Grand Theft Auto then we should put his talents to good use. Give him Rock Band.
 

Shadedblade

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Mar 15, 2009
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MaxTheReaper said:
nilcypher said:
As I said, Captain Anderson is clearly not a gamer himself.
No, but he's the Captain of the Normandy, so show some fucking respect!

...I should go play more Mass Effect.

Anyway, this should just be named "Kid joyrides, media jumps to stupid conclusions."
Hehehe...that's exactly what I thought too when I heard the name Captain Anderson. Hasn't this strory already been reported though. The only addition that I can see here is The Today Show thing? Anyway, I think that the crazy Atheist kid is awesome. Seriously he stole a car and led the police on a chase just to get away from Church. Does that not just scream BADASS in big, exaggerated caps to anyone else?
 

Simriel

The Count of Monte Cristo
Dec 22, 2008
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Dear god this one is stupid, almost as stupid as the reasoning in germany.
 

Aac18

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Mar 21, 2009
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MaxTheReaper said:
...I should go play more Mass Effect.
Yes Max, yes you should for the good of us all.

Sigh, would somebody please do something stupid and blame it on movies or twilight or something, then maybe they'll stop blaming gaming. Although, that is one bad ass Aeithist.
 

ghalkhsdkssakgh

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Jul 16, 2009
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This is FOX NEWS we're talking about. Fox is to real news what a mud puddle is to melted chocolate. They may look the same at first glance, but under the surface...

I'm surprised they didn't blame GTA for presonally leading the kid to the car with candy, then starting the ignition and pushing the car out the driveway.

Still, the blame must lie at least partially blame the parents for not keeping an eye on their own offspring's entertainent collection.
 

HT_Black

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May 1, 2009
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Given what a large part of Texan (and southern USA in gneral) church services are like, I wouldn't be surprised to find his reason was completely legitimate. Of course, in the end this will be just one of many, many, many swiftly forgotten media pissy-parties.
 

AmrasCalmacil

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Jul 19, 2008
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MaxTheReaper said:
nilcypher said:
As I said, Captain Anderson is clearly not a gamer himself.
No, but he's the Captain of the Normandy, so show some fucking respect!

...I should go play more Mass Effect.

Anyway, this should just be named "Kid joyrides, media jumps to stupid conclusions."
Pah. He stood down. It's all mine now! Mine! To fill with Aliens as I wish!
Now to punch that lippy admiral, critcise my ship, will he?!

Sorry. I got carried away.

This is amusing though, I can't say I've never played a game that reprisents driving so aaccurately that I could learn from it. Besides, everyone knows that if he had been playing Grand Theft Auto he'd have run over prostitutes, right?
 

Smack-Ferret

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Jul 14, 2009
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Cpt_Oblivious said:
If he learnt to drive a car from Grand Theft Auto then we should put his talents to good use. Give him Rock Band.
Good God man what if he played The Sims?
 

tenlong

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Apr 26, 2009
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Video games are the devil! They are murder similators! They are the reason why my son billy is so violent instead of my crappy parenting. Damn those video games !
 

AmrasCalmacil

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Jul 19, 2008
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Smack-Ferret said:
Cpt_Oblivious said:
If he learnt to drive a car from Grand Theft Auto then we should put his talents to good use. Give him Rock Band.
Good God man what if he played The Sims?
You're thinking too small, what if he played Spore? He could create a vastly underwhelming universe!
 

HobbesMkii

Hold Me Closer Tony Danza
Jun 7, 2008
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Well, to be fair, there are some games that are crazy realistic. I mean, if I ever worked up the courage learn how to play Silent Hunter III or IL-2 Sturmovik on full realism, I'm confident that I could command a WWII German U-Boat (I could definitely chart an intercept course, as it is) or fly a WWII fight plane (if I got pedals and that thing that moves your view in relation to your head's position). I mean, driving is a piece of cake, compared to those, because no one's trying to kill you. Some of those racing games have a clutch function built in. In this day in age? I mean, I expect he got into the car, saw there wasn't a gearshift and was like "Oh, wow, this is gonna be way easier than I thought. Can you believe I'm gonna have to wait another ten years to do this legally?"