A TikTok influencer has a warning for women everywhere—and we should heed it.
Popular New York TikToker @Lyss posted a PSA to warn women of the dangers of walking in public with headphones in, using her own terrifying experience to do so.
In her video, Lyss recounts a dangerous and traumatic experience she had the previous day.
One of her friends had sent her a video on Instagram, which she was watching while walking down the streets of New York city, from a local Starbucks back to her apartment just a few blocks away.
She was so engrossed in the video and had the volume so high through her headphones, she hadn't noticed the man that had started following her.
Watch the video here:
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Lyss goes on to say, luckily, a woman on the street noticed Lyss was being followed and followed her as well to try to warn her.
The woman tried several times to get Lyss' attention and warn her a strange man was following her, but Lyss was so engrossed in her phone and had her headphones in with the volume turned up so high she didn't even notice the woman was trying to get her attention.
Lyss said she somehow managed to walk all the way back to her apartment building lobby before noticing the woman, who at this point had been screaming at Lyss to get her attention.
Once she finally heard the woman, she took out her headphones and turned to engage with the woman, and noticed the man had made it into the lobby of the building, right behind her. She also noticed the man seemed to be "holding something in his pocket."
When Lyss turned around and was startled by the man, the man fled the scene, running right out of the lobby door he had just entered through.
Lyss said this encounter left her confused and terrified.
Fortunately, Lyss' apartment complex has security systems and cameras, so she was able to bring this matter to the police. They are currently working to identify the man.
She calls the woman who warned her her "guardian angel."
She says in her video this is "one of the scariest things" she's ever experienced and she is traumatized by the incident.
She said:
"I don't even want to walk outside in New York without having a friend near me or someone next to me."
Her followers have left Lyss much support on her video, talking about common mugging techniques and lamenting women can't even seem to walk down the street without being in danger.
Her PSA has shot up in popularity, garnering more than 360,000 views.
Hopefully her message reaches other women who need it.
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