A woman recently sparked conversation on TikTok after sharing her nerve-wracking experience while shopping at a HomeGoods store.
In her clip, which has garnered over 83,000 views so far, TikTok user Ashlynn McKay (@ashlynnmckayl) reminded women to trust their instincts when something feels off, as she recounts the incident.
“I’m running errands today and I go into HomeGoods just kind of stroll around,” she begins. “I hear somebody say, ‘Hi, how are you?’ and I look up, there’s nobody around me except a guy… He’s wearing dark sunglasses and he has AirPods in.
Initially, McKay thought he was just on the phone and didn’t give it much thought. However, as she continued to browse the store, she noticed him repeatedly appearing in the same aisles.
“It was something enough that I was like, ‘Oh, OK,’ like I’m in the candles, he’s in the candles,” she recounts. “Just made a little note in my brain.”
HomeGoods shopping trip goes wrong
But then, things took a turn when she moved to the back of the store to check out the rugs. The man approached again, this time more directly.
“All of a sudden I hear, ‘Hi, how are you?’ And I look up, and there he is,” she explains. McKay initially ignored him, thinking he might still be on the phone.
But when he repeated himself, louder this time, she gave a closed-lip smile and moved away. “I didn’t want to engage with this behavior,” she says.
The situation escalated even more as the man followed her closely, asking, “Did I scare you?” in what McKay describes as a “very weird, excited tone.”
Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, she turned to leave the store. But even then, the man wouldn’t back off, instead hurling vulgarities as she tried to walk away.
“It was to the point where one of the workers intervened and said, ‘Hey, sir, you need to leave,’” McKay says.
Even after the man was asked to leave, McKay says she was still on edge so she asked a store employee to watch her as she walked to her car to make sure she made it out safely.
“The whole time I got in my car and I drove away to a totally different store… I’m, like, looking behind me in my mirror,” she shares.
To conclude her video, she reminds women to listen to their gut and not feel pressured to be polite in uncomfortable situations.
“You do not have to be polite just because you’re existing,” McKay states. “If you feel like your safety is in danger, women do not owe politeness to anybody. Take your safety seriously.”
McKay also disclosed her specific location in the caption. “you dont have to risk your safety to he polite”, she wrote. “Plano, TX.”
How to ensure safety in similar situations
McKay is certainly not alone in her experience.
According to UN Women, 9 out of 10 women in cities worldwide report feeling unsafe while out in public. Additionally, a 2021 IPSOS study found that 80% of women had experienced sexual harassment in public spaces.
Seeing how widespread the issue is, it’s important to know what steps you can take to protect yourself.
Women Against Crime offers several tips for staying safe in public spaces. They recommend staying alert, avoiding distractions, and learning basic self-defense skills. Additionally, they advise traveling with others rather than alone and making sure to park and walk in well-lit areas whenever it’s dark outside.
If someone experiences a situation like McKay’s, where they feel followed in a store, several law enforcement agencies recommend reporting the incident, no matter how small it may seem. Additionally, it’s a good idea to inform store management and ask for an employee to accompany you to your car to ensure your safety.
Viewers share more tips
In the comments, other women shared safety tips and similar stories with McKay and fellow viewers.
“Never ever get quiet!” wrote one user. “Get LOUD, yell for them to leave you alone stop following! it’ll scare them away but also alert others of potential harm around.”
McKay responded to the comment, writing, “I felt like he was hoping I would get loud. Like seeking the attention from it and didn’t want to give him anything to get off on, he was angry I didn’t engage.”
“In Plano? OMG,” exclaimed another commenter. “A month ago I was in there and a similar thing happened. I’m 29 but people tell me I look 12-16 all the time. This man kept following me asking if I was ‘school shopping.’”
“Thank goodness you are aware of your surroundings,” offered a third. “Glad you’re safe & the worker helped.”
@ashlynnmckayl 🚨you dont have to risk your safety to he polite 🚨 📍 Plano, TX #planotexas #safety #staysafe #homegoods #personalsafety #plano ♬ original sound – ashlynn | DFW creator
The Daily Dot has reached out to Ashlynn McKay (@ashlynnmckayl) via email and Instagram direct message. We’ve also contacted HomeGoods via email for official comment.
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