Wow, I guess I'm the only wet blanket who has serious issues with this story. First, that the 4 year old could get out of the house alone is scary. Remember the little girl who almost froze to death because she went out alone late at night? That wasn't cute, was it? Same thing could have happened here, or he could have wandered out into the street and been hit by a car.
And why is it ok that the mother "taught" him to drive by putting him in her lap and letting him steer? That's pretty much ILLEGAL here in California. And since the police here in Los Angeles just shot and killed a 13 year old driving because he ran into their car, I shudder what to think might have happened if these police had reacted violently when they didn't see a driver ( in other words, they thought the driver might be hiding).
Bottom line is, this mother should be severly reprimanded, take parenting classes, and ensure that her home is safe for her child.
Happyout - just don't get the humor