If there’s one thing most people don’t miss about being a kid, it’s that ‘oh sh*t’ moment when you realize that you’ve done something that is going to get you in trouble. Adult life might come with a load of unwelcome responsibilities, but at least it (usually) doesn’t involve getting yelled at by an angry parent. It’s amazing to think of the lengths we went to to try and cover up our grounding-worthy screw ups, most of which didn’t succeed. When we got away with it, though, there was no greater feeling of relief.

One Redditor relived this exact scenario recently, as he described such a feat in eye-wateringly tense detail on r/KidsAreFuckingStupid. An impressive tale that starts with the unfortunate meeting of a car battery and a bedroom carpet, it contains enough panicky hijinks to be the plot of a long lost adventure comedy. They don’t make them like this anymore.