A user’s clip on TikTok has gone viral after sharing a strange incident they say happened to them at an Aldi grocery store.
In a clip with over 3.2 million views as of Saturday, TikTok user Crystal Williamson recalls a bizarre occurrence that happened when she was getting a cart before going into the store.
According to Williamson, she was grabbing the cart when a stranger approached asking if Williamson’s young daughter could assist her in getting her keys out from under her car.
Williamson says she refused, instead offering to help her find assistance. This is when things got weird.
@westgeorgiamama Was this weird? #groceryshopping #strangerdanger⚠️ #fyp #fypシ #viral ♬ original sound – Crystal
Williamson and her daughter say the person became upset with them for not allowing the daughter under the car.
The TikToker recalls telling the stranger that they would be happy to get an associate to help them retrieve the keys. The stranger allegedly refused, saying they would get it themselves (a few moments prior, Williamson said the woman had claimed her knee hurts and was unable to get the key).
Suddenly, Williamson says a car pulled in front of the stranger’s car. Confused, the TikToker says she asked the stranger if she knew the person in the car—she allegedly responded that she “might.”
Eventually, the stranger and the man in the car retrieved the key, and the stranger was able to leave, the TikToker says. Still, the whole situation left a bad taste in Williamson’s mouth.
“I hope I wasn’t being an a** to her, but I just didn’t feel right,” Williamson says. “It may have been nothing, it may have all been a coincidence, whatever, but it’s sad that the world we live in, we have to actually think about our every next calculated step because there are just so many people in this world we don’t trust.”
Immediately, TikTok users in the comments section were on high alert.
“It was a setup for an abduction sounds like,” read one highly-favorited comment.
TikTok is full of advice about trafficking, with much of it being incorrect or misguided. Additionally, it should be noted that the kidnapping of children is exceedingly rare.
“On average, fewer than 350 people under the age of 21 have been abducted by strangers in the United States per year since 2010, the FBI says,” reads an article in Reuters. “In cases where children are abducted, it is far more common for a non-custodial parent to be the kidnapper,” and of juvenile disappearances, “only 0.1 percent are reported as having been abducted by a stranger.”
Still, “rare” doesn’t mean impossible—and TikTok users in comments commended the TikToker for her vigilance.
“You absolutely did the right thing. that sounds like a set up,” a user wrote.
“The fact when you offered to get a staff member and she said she’d do it. Implies it’s shady to me,” explained another. “Good on you for being smart.”
“Never apologize! You owe them nothing!! You and your family’s life is too valuable! if it feels wrong..it IS!!” declared a third.
The Daily Dot reached out to Williamson via Instagram direct message.
