A TikTok user went viral after sharing a story about a bizarre encounter with a woman who refused to move from behind her car in a TJ Maxx parking lot.
Mary Ashlee, who goes by username maryashlee1, posted a video detailing a disturbing encounter she recently had in the parking lot after a quick visit to her local TJ Maxx.
In the clip posted on Aug. 5, Mary Ashlee details how she returned to her vehicle after the store visit and nothing appeared amiss. Mary Ashlee got into her vehicle and prepared to back out. However, “.5 seconds into backing up” Ashlee noticed something in her vehicle’s rear camera. “It was a freaking lady that stood so close to my car,” Mary Ashlee says.
@maryashlee1 So now we have to worry about hitting people?! #fyp ♬ original sound – Mary Ashlee
Despite honking several times, the woman refused to move, leading Ashlee to wonder, “Is this one of those sex trafficking things?” Only after persistent honking did the woman finally walk away—meeting a man nearby.
Mary Ashlee shared the story with her boss, whose husband had an idea of what may have happened in this situation. He said it could potentially be an insurance scam. “I’m just like, not only do women have to now get in their cars and be aware of like sex trafficking things. Now we have to be aware of hitting people.”
Amassing more than 153,000 views since it was posted, the video sparked reactions from viewers. Many shared their own experiences and and takes on the situation in the comments.
“This happened to me once. It’s like an insurance fraud thing,” one user wrote.
“Another reason I back in to park…,” another commented.
“Yup, I knew a couple that would fall in different businesses and then sue the business. They made a living doing this for years and years,” a third user said.
“Record their license plate and report to non emergency line of this fraud activity. It may alert to their insurance,” another suggested.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Mary Ashlee and TJ Maxx for comment.
