Man discovers family have been lying for years after opening 21st birthday card

Alan Johnson & John Bett & Hayley Parker
·2-min read
A 21-year old was stunned to discover he'd been on the receiving end of a secret family joke for three years
-Credit: (Image: TikTok/@sarahaustin720)


A young man was gobsmacked after discovering a family joke had been played on him for the past three years as he opened his 21st birthday card. Sarah Austin took to TikTok to share the rib-tickling moment her son Charlie realised the prank during his birthday celebrations.

The viral video shows Charlie gleefully opening a large card from his parents, who prompted him to "read it out". "Happy 21st birthday, Charlie," he read, unaware of the punchline that awaited him. "Yay - you no longer have a black box."

Overjoyed by what he thought was a restriction lifted by his parents, Charlie leapt with excitement, not yet in on the full story.

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As he resumed reading the card, Charlie's expression changed dramatically: "I've had no black box for three years? Are you serious? " His exclamation was met with bursts of laughter from those gathered in the garden.

Finishing the message inside the card, Charlie exclaimed in disbelief: "Are you taking the p***? You're telling me it took six and a half hours to get to Cornwall?" His dad jested back: "It slowed you down though, didn't it?"

Charlie then turned to the other partygoers to see if they were privy to the joke, which they all admitted to knowing. "We knew for years," one pal said with a grin. "When you had to slow down the other day, I was crying laughing!"

The video has racked up an impressive 1.7 million views, a feat made all the more remarkable considering Sarah's modest following of just over 500 on TikTok. Users on the platform were quick to weigh in, with many commending Charlie's parents for their approach.

"Fantastic parenting! Three years safe driving in the bag," one user exclaimed. Another concurred: "Three years of driving carefully and avoiding accidents. Three years of experience on the roads. Top parents right there."

Meanwhile, a third praised: "This is how to parent! Learning how to actually drive safely is invaluable."

"A black box is another name for a telematics unit that's fitted to a car to record how a car is driven," Cinch clarifies. "This data determines how safe a driver you are and is then sent to your insurer, which uses it to decide on your premiums.

"The device records a car's speed, the distance it travels, how it accelerates and brakes, and what time of the day or night the car is used. All this information builds a profile of the driver that the insurance company uses to work out how much of a risk they are to insure. The safer a driver you are, the less you'll have to pay for your policy. But, on the flip side, if it seems that you drive erratically or riskily, your premiums can go up."

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