Barefoot Bandit's Mom: "I Think It's Kind of Neat"

Good. The sociopathic apple didn't fall far from that tree...

I've been following this kid's story for years and it is one of the oddest, most awesome true stories ever. You can't make this stuff up. I'm a huge fan, the kid is a crazy genious and I hope they never catch him. See for yourself. Start Googling to learn more and if you're not impressed, you're probably kind of a jerk. Fly Colt, Fly!!!!!!!!

I'm probably kind of a jerk.

All right, all right. Crime doesn't pay, etc. And I'd be pretty mad if I was one his victims. And I typically hate criminals because of their lack of empathy towards other and all around selfishness. But c'mon. This stuff reads like a Hollywood screen play. Look at what this kid has pulled off. Could you have taught yourself to fly a plane just by reading a book when you where 17? Could you have stolen cars and broken into houses without getting caught when you were that age? Are you smart enough to pull it off now? I mean, we know better, sure, but you can't deny the brilliance of this kid. And who wants the same old boring news stories about dumb criminals. We need another young outlaw hero. Another Jesse James or Billy the Kid. And this kid never hurt anyone. He's making the world interesting.

They should hire him to hunt down Bin Laden.

@Erock

Billy the Kid & Jesse James shot and killed people... and you're saying we need more people like that?

@ erock: this stuff IS a Hollywood screen play. Rent "Catch Me If You Can"

So he's technically brilliant but morally retarded. Well, I'm halfway impressed.

I guess he hasn't physically hurt anyone yet. His flying skills are questionable so it is highly possible that he could "crash land" into someone's car or house. If I was his mother I would be a bit more worried about him getting hurt in the course of his apprehension by the authorities.

Hardly smart - just showing how incredibly stupid the cops and feds are.

It's not THAT hard to fly a small plane by the way... if you're willing to crash land it, it's not any more complicated than stealing a car on the whole.

I must be a jerk because I am not impressed. He is basically a professional burgler and does a little joy riding on the side.

As for his aircraft antics. Big deal. He crashed all the planes. What makes him brilliant? It is not that hard to get a small plane off the ground. It does take some basic knowledge, but the real skill is in landing and navigating.

I don't get it. He is basically your average run of the mill stupid kid. He is just a little luckier than most.

"hasn't hurt anyone..."
You should pay for the damage he's caused, and then say that sentence.

Why do people think crime is difficult

I think he should specifically seek out and steal from all his "fans". See if they're still talking about how amazing he is then.

Count me in as a jerk, not 'kind of' but full-fledged: not impressed with him, his mother or his fandom.
Intelligent and sociopathic doesn't impress me, and neither does the mindset that sees someone pulling crap like this and squees about him as though he were a Jonas brother.

Add one more "jerk" to the list.

Those of you who think he is so cool have you ever been a victim of a theft or burglary? Particularly one in your own home? Imagine children afraid to go to sleep at night for fear that someone is going to take their favorite things. Imagine a family who doesn't have the money (not even the insurance deductible) to replace what is lost. And then the damage, the broken windows, needing to replace the keys...I've been there and I know people who have and it is not "neat".

I hope they catch him. And I hope his mother gets robbed blind and changes her tune. What an awful thing to encourage your child to be selfish, irresponsible, and unfeeling.

Wow, that mother of his is sure in denial.

Maybe somebody should tell her that "smartass" and "highly intelligent" aren't the same thing.

"I think it’s kind of neat."

*eyeroll*

Well there ya go, folks. The screeching, loon-like call of the idiotic, colossally bad parent. Please tell me this stupid woman doesn't have any more selfish career-criminal spawn out there menacing the law abiding citizens who might be unfortunate enough to cross their path.

This kid's mother needs to be bitch-slapped into unconsciousness and then thrown in jail just for being such a moron.

"He’s not hurting anybody really, physically, I mean..." Not yet, anyway. Just a matter of time, though.

Oh man. You guys are boring. Really? There's no one out there that thinks this kid's story is cool? And I'm sorry for the jerk comment. Of course I don't think any of you are jerks. And you are all right. Crime sucks, the kid is a criminal, I don't want him stealing from me. He will get caught eventually. But still. You don't think it's all kind of romantic? This is a once, maybe twice in a century crime story. Years and years down the road, we'll still be talking about it. And we'll have forgotten all about that stupid guy who locked himself in a convience store while breaking into it and all the other dumb criminals like the guys who tie ATM's to pickup trucks and try to drive off with them. The unoriginal bank robbers who pull a gun or write a quiet note and are caught 20 minutes later. And when they catch this kid, it's going to be awesome when he escapes from jail and makes the cops look retarded all over again. Please continue with your opposing opinions directed toward me. I still think the kid is awesome.

"Years and years down the road, we'll still be talking about it"?

How long have you been on the internet?

hey mommy, will you think it's "neat" when he gets his head neatly blown off from someone he attempts to burgle? that's exactly what would happen if he attempted it from me. high intelligence isn't worth a gold-plated damn in a severed head. what a loser as a parent. please tell me someone has spayed that bitch.

I can acknowledge the fact that it's somewhat impressive that he hasn't been caught and has apparently figured out a way to avoid detection while using technology that makes that even harder.

But like the above poster said, he and his mother wouldn't be too happy if I found him in my house in the middle of the night.

It's OK to recognize the care-free and romantic travels of the highway drifter while also realizing that such a life also sounds like it sucks.

Ted, not all talking is done on the internet.

There are also these really cool things with paper in them called history books.

Folk hero my ***. He's not cool, he's not neat, he's a criminal plain and simple. All of his fans should personally experience theft and destruction of their property, along with the higher insurance premiums and a lost feeling of security. He's a punk that needs to get caught.

Erock,
You said: "You don't think it's all kind of romantic? This is a once, maybe twice in a century crime story."

Maybe we are not impressed becaues his story isn't anywhere near as impressive as Frank Abagnale.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Abagnale

He actually posed as an airline pilot, and flew over 1,000,000 miles during 250 flights between 26 countries. He pulled off posing as a docotr and a lawyer too.

His story is well known because it was made into a movie called "Catch Me if You Can", which was directed by Steven Spielberg and Frank was played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Tom Hanks plays an FBI agent trying to of course catch him.

MASH even did an episode of this guy. Of course he posed as a doctor in this one.

So, I do understand how stuff liie this might be kind of romantic, but this kid has a long ways to go to catch up to what has already been done.

Ah, to be young and self-important again.

Erock, come back in a year and ask if anybody remembers this guy.

I really doubt he will make the history books any more than the guy who supposedly resembles Butthead will.

These trifles are temporary diversions for a youthful, fickle audience with short memories. With all the other supposedly intelligent thieves in the world, this guy will fade into a distant memory, then fade away completely, as we all eventually do. If he wants to be remembered, he should try doing something memorable.

All right, no one remembers Bonny and Clyde, or Robin Hood, or Billy the Kid or Jesse James. And no one ever wrote a book about an interesting criminal like Charles Manson, Pretty Boy Floyd or Al Capone. No movies have ever been made about Frank Abignale Jr. or George Jung. Huckleberry Finn and Holden Caulfield, although fictional, were a total waste of time and we should forget all about the fact that this entire country was founded by rebels and non-conformists. Yes, it seems as though Colton Harris-Moore is doomed to be forgotten by Americans and omitted from the history books. After all, a story as unoriginal and uninteresting such as his hasn't sparked any internet debates or media frenzy at all. Our kids may not be learning about him in their high schools social studies class, but he will make an interesting footnote in the history of American folk heroes.

Wonder how neat his mum thinks it is when he is put away for 20 years. Burglary is a crime committed by lowlife scum or desperate people not some "cool dude".

And for the record, no I don't want him stealing anything from me. Yes, I would shoot him if he came into my home. Yes, stealing is wrong. Crime is not difficult, but getting away with it is. Yes, I've had my house broken into and had things stolen and it pissed me off. No, I'm not "young and self important". I don't envy the life he's chosen for himself and don't want it for myself. And as for his mother, a parent will always defend their child. She's not an idiot. She's a mother. She may have been a bad one, but that's not for us to judge. And I still think his story is as cool as it gets.

Erock! You're him! You're the kid aren't you! You're Colton whateverzhisname! Caught ya!

Do you realize all the potential harm that could happen, like ditching these boats on the water with allo the fog here another boat could run into it and persons could die, as well as the planes crashing. His mother sincerely needs to get real.

Live a thief's life, die a thief's death. I don't think this kid will meet a happy end if he doesn't wise up. Someone is gonna catch him robbing them some day and the results will be much worse than if the cops get him first. That would be a sad waste of life too. Hopefully he gets caught by the FBI before someone with a gun catches him in the act of stealing something from them.

My mom would sure not let me steal anything.

ok, i gotta side with erock with this guy. the barefoot thief is a total badass. i doubt that any of these haters have ever lived life on the edge; heck, they prolly havent ever left their safe little houses. while its true that nobody would want to be robbed, the simple fact that the kid is nineteen and that he hasnt hurt anyone is tight as hell. hes obviously a genious if he can learn how to pilot, and sortof land, an airplane; rob dozens of houses and not get caught once; evade the popos and the feds, and still be supported by his mother.

The only question is who needs an oak table leg to the back of the head more, his moron of a mother or him. The lack of accountablility for her idiot son's criminal activity is absolutly revolting.

Neat! I'm sending my kids next door right now to borrow Miss Pam Koehler's truck!

Weird, he gets caught a few days after being posted on Neatorama. His life probably isn't that cool right now.

Charles Manson: what a badass wicked cool dude!

Oh, to be a young and totally naive teenage girl or fanboy.

Erock, you worship any murderer you want to worship. This kid's fame will die down now that he's whimpering alone in a jail cell. I foresee no books, no movie deals in this child's future.

The kid is an intelligent and brazen THIEF. Hope he is prosecuted to the fullest extent. His mother is in complete denial or just plain stupid.