A woman attempting to drive 500 miles to Key West, Florida, in a toy car posted to TikTok about an unexpected halt to her trip.
Lauren Lee (@laurenleelaughs) shared her travel troubles in a TikTok that received over 84,000 views before it was deleted on Wednesday.
According to News4Jax, Lee and her friend Cassie Aran are attempting a 500-mile drive down the coast of Florida to earn the “Guinness World Record for Longest Distance by Toy Cars.”
The outlet states that the two are traveling from Jacksonville to Key West for a worthy cause: a “fundraiser to save animals.”
What was the snag?
Lee posted her video after an interaction she says she had with police while traveling. In the video, Lee is standing on the side of the road beside a police car. Lee says that she was stopped because her toy car didn’t qualify as a “low-speed vehicle” (LSV).
She says the officers told her that her vehicle did not qualify as an LSV because “we didn’t even hit 20 miles an hour.” She says they explained to her that this is why “bikes and things like that still can be on the bike lane” and not get in any trouble.
“Is the 20 miles an hour … like, is that not true?” she says she asked the officer. “Like, did they misinform us?”
According to GEM, a low-speed vehicle is a street-legal, “four-wheeled vehicle with a top speed of 25 mph and a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 3,000 lbs.” The site adds, “Most U.S. states allow LSVs to drive on roads marked 35 mph or less.”
Lee says the officer disregarded her question and responded, “Well, I can make this a lot worse for you guys. I could detain you right now.” She says he also threatened to tow her vehicle.
Next, Lee says the officer issued her a warning.
As she turns her camera toward the two toy cars she is traveling with, she says the officer told her, “The only way that we can get to Key West now is by pushing them in the dark because we’ve been sitting here for two hours.”
Devastated, Lee adds, “We’ve come so far.”
Then, Lee turns her camera to film another police car parked directly in front of her. “I just can’t take more of this, man,” she says. Before ending her video, she adds, “They’re going to talk to each other first, and I don’t really know what’s up with that.”
Commenters took Lee’s side
A viewer in the comments section told Lee that the officer was on a “power trip.”
“Definitely call his supervisor,” the commenter suggested.
Another viewer pointed out, “It’s the fact that you’re 400+ miles into it and NO OTHER COP HAD A PROBLEM.”
“2 hours!?” another exclaims, “should’ve requested the supervisor after 20 minutes.”
@laurenleelaughs yay good cops!! #freddotoys #toycars #challenge #adventure #keywest #jacksonville ♬ original sound – Lauren Lee
Did she get to continue?
In an update video, Lee says that she understands the officers were trying to protect her safety but that standing and waiting on the side of the road is “way more unsafe.”
Lee asks the officer in her video, “So like, e-bikes though, and like electric longboards, … they would all get the same issue?” Viewers can hear the officer respond to Lee explaining that the laws around her toy car are a “very, very gray area.”
Next, Lee says, “We all understand y’all are worried about us,” but that at this point in her trip, being so close, “there’s no stopping.”
Before her video ends, Lee says they ended up getting “clearance to go and drive.”
“It looks like that one cop is, like, lecturing him back there, so we just said a quick thank you, and we are on our way,” she adds. “I’m in shock right now.”
Lee told the Daily Dot via email that besides the original officer who pulled her over on the side of the road, “we have been treated exceptionally well and supported by so many officers on our journey.”
In her most recent video as of this writing, Lee updated viewers that she was still on her way to Key West.
The Daily Dot reached out to Guinness World Records via a press contact form for more information.
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