Recently, a TikToker posted a PSA instructing people how to recognize the early warning signs of a home invasion. In response, one woman shared her very relevant—and horrifying—experience.
Looking out for the safety and well-being of his fellow online strangers, TikToker @braccozz posted a video showing how home invaders can slip a wire contraption underneath the crack beneath the door, flip it up toward the handle and open the door from the inside.
@braccozz Visit TikTok to discover videos!
For TikToker Josie Bowers, seeing the contraption brought back some scary memories.
In a string of three videos, she recounted when a man attempted to break into her hotel room while she was there alone.
In her first video, Bowers described when she began to sense things were off.
"I was staying in Ocean City at the Hilton, right there on the waterfront. I went to go shower before my family was done at the beach."
"So I was by myself."
"Before I could shower I heard these noises, so I went to go see what it was and it was this contraption. I was just standing there in my towel and the man opened the door."
@josiebowers10 Visit TikTok to discover videos!
As Bowers described in her second video, she felt like a sitting duck.
She was in a towel, she was 15 years old, she was alone and she had no cell phone service because she's from Ontario, Canada.
So Bowers kicked into survival mode.
"So the door opens like a crack and I just slammed it shut."
"Put the deadbolt on."
"And I could kinda hear them talking—they were like, 'Oh, what just happened?'"
The men outside tried to convince Bowers they were service workers there to fix the key card device on the door, but Bowers found the story "a little sketchy."
@josiebowers10 Reply to @emmade1rey #part2
Bowers' third video revealed some quick thinking on her part.
After opening the door a crack and seeing the men were only wearing jeans and a t shirt, leading Bowers to believe they weren't Hilton employees. So, recalling advice she'd heard from her stepfather, Bowers pretended to yell to her "dad."
The guys outside the door were gone in a seconds.
@josiebowers10 Reply to @lionacreates #part3 #oceancity
TikTokers were impressed by Bowers' resourceful move.
Hannah Feldstein/TikTok
cleo/TikTok
Jasroop/TikTok
Tamara frazier/TikTok
Here's hoping you never find yourself in a situation like the one Bowers encountered.
But in case you do, perhaps her story will be useful in the moment.
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