Christmas time is almost here, and we all know what that means — it’s time for public places to be filled with people pretending to be Santa Claus.


It takes a lot to be Santa. Some people require a fake beard; others a big, red suit. But for Tennessee resident Henry Meade, all he needed to turn into Saint Nick was the right attitude — and meth.


According to Fox 59, Meade was tasked with operating “Santa’s Train” at his town’s Christmas Tractor Parade. This involved “driving a motorized lawn mower that he was using to pull carts full of children and their families.”



Now, no one is saying that dealing with kids all day is easy. If one needs a little shot of liquid courage to get through working a carnival, only God can judge them. Still, you’ve gotta know how to keep it in control — which Meade certainly did not do. “Visitors at the event said they saw [Meade] acting erratically,” writes Hannah Moore for Fox 59. “Officers said Meade was unsteady on his feet. A field sobriety test determined he was under the influence, according to an arrest narrative.”


Eventually, they took Meade into custody and searched him. Per police, they found “a syringe, meth and several other narcotics on his person.”


Today, Meade is facing “charges of driving under the influence, possession of methamphetamine and other drug charges,” and for those who are curious, you apparently *can* get a DUI on a riding lawnmower in the state of Tennessee. Who knew?


Hopefully Meade will be cleaned up in time for the rest of the holiday season — because for now, he’s definitely staying on the naughty list.