If your feed keeps yelling “STATE?” at you, you have met the hit the road dude meme. It comes from a real video of an old man in a white pickup truck kicking two guys out of a fishing pond. They thought it was state property. He did not agree. Now cats, Minecraft players, Gru and Homelander are all chasing people off their land.
Where does the hit the road dude meme come from?
On August 21, 2025, TikTok user @bird28thegr8 posted a clip captioned “Angry grandpa kicks me out my fishing spot.” He and a friend were fishing at a pond in rural Virginia when a man pulled up in his truck and asked who gave them permission. According to Know Your Meme, the video passed 13.7 million views in about three weeks.
Here’s the original:
The exchange goes roughly like this (transcripts online vary a little):
- Fisherman: “I thought it was state property.”
- Driver: “State? This? State?”
- Driver: “Hit the road, dude. This ain’t no state property. It’s private property.”
And then comes the second iconic line. The man explains that someone called the owner and the answer was: “Lock ’em up.” That’s why Know Your Meme files the whole thing under “Lock ’Em Up”, while TikTok mostly calls it the state property meme.
Why “State?” works for everything
The magic is in the pause. Someone makes a totally reasonable assumption, and the answer is pure disbelief: “State? This?” No explanation, no debate. Just a man who has never been more offended by a word.
That makes it the perfect reaction for every “I thought…” moment:
- “I thought the leftovers were for everyone.” Leftovers? These?
- “I thought homework was optional.” Optional? This?
- “I thought we were friends.” You know how this ends.
Then “hit the road, dude” closes every argument, and “lock ’em up” turns a fishing trip into a felony. Tiny problem, maximum escalation. The internet loves that.
How the meme spread
Three days after the original, the first lip-sync remakes showed up. One by @130zay got more than 2.3 million views, per Know Your Meme. Then came green screen edits, a courtroom version and the classic “use this sound” duets.
The real explosion came in October 2026, a year later, when AI video tools made it easy to put the scene into any universe. Suddenly the white pickup could be a Minecraft boat, a spaceship or a wizard school.
The best hit the road dude remakes
The Minecraft version. Of course it’s a boat. If you know the tragic life of Minecraft villagers, you know they have been waiting years to say this to a player.
The cat version. A cat defending its territory is basically the original, just more honest.
The Gru version. Gru from Despicable Me would absolutely lock you up for fishing in his pond. The minions probably called it in.
The Homelander version. Homelander from The Boys screaming “STAAATE?” is somehow scarier than anything he does in the actual show.
Other popular versions include Elder Scrolls edits, a space edition (“Space? Space property?”) and lots of dogs who take property law very seriously.
How to make your own hit the road dude video
You don’t need a studio. Here’s the simple version:
1. Pick your character. A photo of your own pet works best, or a character you drew or generated yourself. 2. Animate it. Most AI video apps with an “image to video” or lip-sync feature can make your character talk. Many of them cost credits and have age limits, so check the price and the terms before you upload anything. 3. Use the original sound. On TikTok, tap the sound on any version of the meme and choose “Use this sound.” That’s how your video joins the trend. 4. Label it. TikTok asks creators to label realistic AI-generated content. There’s a setting for it when you post.
Two rules so your meme stays funny: don’t put real people’s faces into it without asking (your teacher, your ex or your crush did not sign up for this), and keep it obvious that it’s a joke.
No AI app? The first wave was 100% lip-sync, so your face and the sound are enough. Or go old school: grab a screenshot, type “State? This?” on it and finish it in our free meme maker. No watermark, no sign-up.
A quick note about the original clip
The man in the original video is a private person, so we’re not naming him. In an unrelated case, he was later charged with a misdemeanor, and in January 2026 he pleaded no contest to an amended assault and battery charge, according to the local paper The Courier-Record. That’s why this post is about the remakes, not about him.
FAQ
What does “hit the road, dude” mean?
“Hit the road” is old slang for “leave.” In the meme it’s the final word in an argument: you’re not welcome here, goodbye.
Is the state property video real?
Yes. The original is a real video posted on TikTok in August 2025, not AI. The versions with cats, Minecraft or cartoon characters are the AI remakes.
Why is it called “Lock ’Em Up”?
In the original clip, the man says the owner’s answer on the phone was “lock ’em up.” Know Your Meme uses that as the meme’s name.
Want more trends that took over TikTok? Check out the 67 meme.
Moral of the story: always ask before you fish. Or before you assume anything is state property.
Sources: Know Your Meme, The Courier-Record.