In a viral TikTok video that was posted two days ago, a man explained how he helped a woman who said she was being followed inside a Walmart. That video was later shared to Reddit and led to people sharing their own experiences of strangers stepping in during uncomfortable situations.
The clip was originally posted by TikTok creator @voycebutler5 and later shared on Reddit's r/JustGuysBeingDudes forum. In it, the man says that he was shopping in a Walmart store, and that's when a woman approached him and asked, "Can you pretend you came here with me?"
The pair approached a Walmart employee together. The man said he believed the two men who had been following her left the area after that. The video quickly spread across social media platforms, as users praised the response and shared stories of similar moments involving what commenters called "fake friends" or "fake boyfriends."
These kind strangers who briefly pretended to know someone helped them leave an uncomfortable situation.
@voycebutler5 A woman walked up to me in Walmart and quietly asked me to pretend I knew her. Once she told me why, I understood exactly why she was scared. #fyp #storytime
♬ original sound - voycebutler5
One commenter described noticing a man following a woman late at night and choosing to sit with her while she waited for a ride home. Another person said that at a bar, a woman introduced him to a patron as a friend to end an unwelcome conversation.
“I’ve been a fake boyfriend in nightclubs on two occasions,” one commenter wrote. “It’s a very nice feeling to make somebody feel safe.”
Commenters described stepping in at libraries, bars, and other public spaces when they noticed someone being approached repeatedly.
Many commenters said involving store staff, security officers, or other employees could help create a safer situation. In the Walmart video, for example, a number of the users said that going up to an employee not only helped to create a safer situation but also made sure that the staff was aware of all sides of what was happening.
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A number of commenters said that people should be conscious of their environment when helping strangers. They pointed out that public employees or security personnel could provide extra help.
Even with those concerns, the discussion's main point was the value of small acts of kindness and awareness in public spaces. One highly upvoted comment on Reddit read: "SOCIETY OUT THERE DOING WHAT SOCIETY IS SUPPOSED TO DO."
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the events described in this video or the personal experiences shared by Reddit commenters. The details above reflect the account shared on TikTok by @voycebutler5 and the responses on r/JustGuysBeingDudes.
