Today in society, unfortunately, there are many stories of women going on vacation and undergoing some form of harassment or dangerous situation, especially when they are traveling alone.
Sometimes at hotels and resorts , things can happen to women who are traveling to new places. However, with the right information, lives can be saved and women can protect themselves from attackers both at home and overseas.
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Josie Bowers was just 15-years-old when she was on vacation with her family and something strange happened to her.
The now-19-year-old shared her story on TikTok, showcasing that things can happen in a hotel room without many women noticing.
The 19-year-old student’s video has now gone viral worldwide on the platform, helping other women stay and remain safe while traveling.
Bowers said that she was about to shower when she noticed something strange by her hotel door.
The device, which she later recreates in the TikTok video for viewers to see, is a wire-like object that is slid underneath a hotel room door in order to unlock the door from the inside.
People use this to open locked hotel room doors that otherwise need a room key to enter.
The hooked end of the metal rod is designed to catch the door handle.
Given the opportunity, even an inexperienced thief is able to open a locked door from the outside after just a few tries.
Speaking to BuzzFeed, Bowers shared her own experience at just 15-years-old.
“I quickly wrapped a towel around myself and went into the living room to see what [the noise] was. What I saw was very similar to the device shown in my TikTok,” Josie said to BuzzFeed .
It took a moment for Josie to process what was happening.
“I quickly realized that this contraption was being used to open my hotel room door from the inside,” she continued. “And launched forward to slam the door shut as it started to open a crack.”
In the video, she advises others to “always use the deadbolt.”
While many hotel rooms are locked from the inside, there are also those that have deadbolts on the door that can further prevent anyone from coming into the room, even if they are able to unlock it with such a device.
At the time, the men had told her they were working for the hotel and were “there to fix the door.”
Bowers shares with BuzzFeed that she “cracked the door” and noticed they were not hotel staff, and remember something her police officer father had told her — never let them know you are alone.
“I pretended to call out to my dad by saying, ‘Dad, there are people here to fix the door,'” Josie said.
“I’m guessing once these men realized I was not alone and they might potentially come face-to-face with my father , they bolted,” she shared.
Good thinking, Josie!
Sharing her story has brought a lot of feedback and popularity to Bowers on social media.
The reason behind sharing her story was simple: she wanted others to be safe in similar situations like hers.
Josie believes that if her experience can help just one other person then it’s worth it.
Because the sad fact is that sometimes, even when you think you’re safe — you aren’t.
“I think it just goes to show that even in places that are supposed to be secure, such as hotels, there are always situations that can occur and jeopardize your safety, which you’d never even think about,” Josie relayed to BuzzFeed.
She went on to say how the experience has affirmed her belief that women should never travel alone.
“I think it’s important as a woman to never travel alone and to consider investing in special devices that prevent things like this from happening,” she explained.
Her TikTok video has been viewed over 12 million times.
Many people were skeptical and questioning Bowers on “why she didn’t just pull the device” from under the door from the people.
Some TikTok users came to her defense, saying that in that kind of scenario and situation, it takes time to actually process what is happening.
Others who are frequent travelers shared some of their own advice.
Other TikTok users who travel often, such as one flight attendant, began sharing their own tips in the comments.
One said that she “carries an internal lock” that attaches to the hotel room door and also has a siren alarm in case it is unlocked.
Despite some of the negative feedback Bowers has received, she’s happy to share the knowledge to help others.
“I am happy in the long run that I went through this experience, so that I could share it with 10 million people and perhaps save someone’s life, or make someone aware of a threat they never would’ve considered before seeing my video,” Bowers shared.
These types of hotel instances happen more often than you might think.
Last month, an 18-year-old TikTok user named @maassassin_ was approached in a hotel courtyard by a strange man.
She tries multiple times throughout the video to make him go away but is unsuccessful.
When he realizes that the young teen is on a live chat, he quickly exits the courtyard.
Afterward, @maassassin_ puts her hand in front of the camera to show that she’s visibly shaking.
The young teen went on to describe the encounter as one of the scariest nights of her entire life.
So if you ever happen to find yourself alone in a hotel room, make sure you lock the door.
Not only should you lock the door, but make sure to also make use of the deadbolt.
That way, you’re doing everything in your power to keep safe from a would-be intruder.
