You hear about men invading women’s personal space quite a lot these days — at the gym, in stores, and especially in clubs and bars.
But to actually see it for yourself is a whole different story. This is what viewers saw in one 18-year-old girl’s TikTok video when an older man approached her.
The experience is pretty chilling.
What was the scariest night of your life?
For 18-year-old TikTok user @maassassin_, it was the interaction she had with a random stranger in a hotel courtyard.
The video, which has been viewed more than 12.2 million times, starts with a man coming over to the table she was sitting at.
He interrupts her recording something and asks how she is.
She initially thought he just wanted to take the extra chair.
But you can see the complete shock and discomfort on her face when he takes the chair and proceeds to sit down next to her unwarranted.
“Oh, I didn’t mean you could sit there,” she says with her eyes wide.
“I thought you said I could take this,” the guy responds. She looks severely uncomfortable as she clarifies what she had told him.
When he asks if he could sit there, she lets out a long, “Umm,” and says, “I don’t know you.”
Instead of respecting her personal space, he stays.
“How are you doing?” he asks again. She continues to look extremely uncomfortable and even glances at the camera for a quick moment as he asks her name.
She does the smart thing and gives him a fake one.
When he says his name is Ted, he holds out his hand. She says, “no, thank you.”
Despite mentioning her “hesitancy,” he hits on her when he says that he “couldn’t help but notice” her sitting there.
The uncomfortable interaction continues on in the girl’s second TikTok video.
“My heart at this point is beating out of my chest,” she writes on the video.
She tells him that she’s currently on a live video with people with the hopes that he’ll leave.
Thankfully, this does the trick, as he says, “I got you” and “I won’t interrupt.”
You can see the relief on her face when he finally gets up and leaves.
Since her friend had been watching the interaction from the balcony, he asks her if she’s okay.
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This prompts the random stranger to explain himself, saying, “I was just saying hey to her.”
Podcaster Chris Evans (no, not Captain America) helped the video go viral by sharing it with his Twitter followers.
Since that move, there has been an outpouring of support from people to the young girl.
“Oh my gosh, my heart is racing after watching that. And she’s so damn polite to him,” one wrote .
“What woman has never felt like this girl? My stomach hurt with hers,” tweeted another user.
The scary ordeal hit home with many women who could relate.
“My heart was racing with hers. Why can’t people read the room? She was obviously not interested in talking to him. Sadly I and many women have experienced this same type of situation,” tweeted this user .
There were some good guys in the comments who shunned the man’s creepy approach.
“Anytime I see a woman with this level of anxiety or discomfort with a man I always try to check on her in the least threatening (to her) way I think of,” this user wrote .
You can watch the video for yourself.
Some will be glad to know that the teenager spoke to the hotel’s front desk. They assured her that they’ll talk to the man about his behavior.
Here’s part two and three . Let us know what you think in the comments.
@maassassin_ also made a follow up video discussing her reaction.
The girl explained that the reason she was doing the live video in the first place was to inform her followers that she wouldn’t be online for the next few days.
It was at this time that the strange man approached her in the courtyard.
According to the teen girl, the man who sat down next to her appeared to be in his mid-20s to early 30s.
@maassassin_ goes on to say that although she isn’t a child, she’s still only 18-years-old.
In her final video update, @maassassin_ pleads with her friends and followers to stay safe and protect themselves.
Always trust your instincts. If a situation ever begins to feel uncomfortable, go on LIVE, call a friend, scream for help — do whatever you have to in order to separate yourself from a potential threat.
Unfortunately, this kind of behavior happens more often than you’d think.
Earlier in the month, TikTok user @sabsmokessss posted a viral video of herself confronting two men whom she caught red-handed taking photographs of women on the beach.
The men appear to be in their 50s.
The young woman approaches the two men and demands that they delete the photos.
As she scrolls through their phones, dozens of pictures can be seen of unsuspecting women in their bathing suits.
The men try to tell her to go away , but she stands her ground.
The same thing happened to TikTok user @bailzherb when she was walking through the airport.
The two young women behind the camera confront a strange man whom they’d been told had been following them and taking pictures.
As they turn to confront him, he attempts to flee.
Luckily, the two women are able to stop him before he’s able to make a clean getaway.
The man tries to brush it off as if he wasn’t doing anything. A quick look at the man’s photo reel reveals that he had indeed been following them for quite some time.
The two ladies make a point of filming the man’s face, and send out a warning to all women who may be watching.
Sadly, these aren’t isolated incidents. They happen every day.
No matter where you are or how safe you feel, you have to always be on the lookout for potential threats and danger.
Be sure to always look out for yourselves and for one another.
