PERTH, Australia – A 12-year-old Australian boy has pulled off a bold feat that is drawing international headlines: He stole his mom’s credit card and managed to fly to Bali, Indonesia, for a posh, four-day vacation before getting caught, reports 9 News.
As recounted in the Australian program A Current Affair, the boy did some research online and figured out he could fly alone without needing a letter from a parent on Jetstar Airways.
He nabbed his mom’s credit card, tricked his grandmother into giving him his passport, took a train to the airport, and flew to Bali. “They just asked for my student ID and passport to prove that I’m over 12 and that I’m in secondary school,” says the boy, identified only as Drew.
He then checked into a four-star hotel, having made reservations in advance, telling the clerk that his older sister would be joining him soon, per stuff.co.nz. And there he stayed, having a fine time while his panicked mom reported him as missing back home.
It wasn’t until the boy posted a video of himself in the hotel pool that his vacation finally came to an end. “I was shocked and disgusted, there’s no emotion to feel what we felt when we found out that he’d left overseas,” says mom, per news.com.au.
One reason she’s ticked: Her son had actually tried this stunt twice before, only to be turned away at the airport by Qantas and Garuda Airlines. Mom says she was informed her son’s passport would be flagged by federal authorities as a result, but that apparently never happened.
In the aftermath, Jetstar promises to tighten up its policies. “He just doesn’t like the word no and that’s what I got, a kid in Indonesia.” (Closer to home, a city in North Carolina makes the “coolest” places to visit list.)
This article originally appeared on Newser: After Fight With Mom, Kid Gives Himself Bali Getaway
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