Crime Can Pay

A friend of mine recently celebrated his 7-year anniversary by going on an overnighter with his wife. They left their 15-year-old son at home, since he's generally trustworthy, can cook, etc.

But it seems that it didn't take much sleuthing to find out that the young man took the family truck (a 16-year-old Isuzu Trooper) for a 90-mile joy ride. Clearly the odometer had been advanced by 90 miles -- found because the gas gauge doesn't work and so tracking the odometer is how the tank level gets tracked. Also, the truck had been physically moved, there were MacDonalds wrappers in the back seat, there the tank had been filled, and there were witnesses. This was not a well-committed crime, unless getting caught was part of the plan. Furthermore, it was premeditated, as an uncovered email trail subsequently revealed.

The young man actually tried to deny the crime, but finally caved in.

So the question is "Why?". Why would an otherwise intelligent, well-adjusted teenager from a happy, stable home try to get away with something like this?

Here are my thoughts:

• Being a high school teacher, it's clear to me that kids that age think everyone our age is clueless. Smart, maybe, but clueless.
• No "criminal" EVER thinks they're going to get caught. Consciously, at least. (This is why stiffer penalties don't usually work as a deterrent).
• Makes me wonder what he's done in the past that he HAS gotten away with.
• I'm curious as to how the email trail was uncovered.

My own problem is different, of course, since my kids are 3 and 4. Well, maybe not so different. My new daughter seems simply pathological. She often seems to understand full well what's wrong, goes ahead and does it, and then seems to willingly brave the punishment, perhaps shedding a few tears seemingly just for effect, and come out on the other end unscathed, all smiles and hugs. I remember once when my two large dogs raided the kitchen and scored an entire rack of lamb. I yelled at them, but they clearly had looks on their faces that said "whatever -- it was worth it." Like that.