TikToker goes off on creepy men invading her personal space and women cheer her on

A woman’s plea against two strangers that invaded her personal space has been sparking conversation about creepy men, cringe behavior, and threats against women’s safety throughout the Internet. In a viral TikTok, a woman and her friend are asking two strangers that have sat at their table at a restaurant to leave. Instead of going to sit at a clearly open and clear table, the men stay seated, making the women feel uncomfortable. This left the woman little choice but to make a spectacle for her safety.

“Go, I’m begging, on my knees, go!” she pleaded. “Go to the table where there’s no people! It’s right there, go!” The men continued to ignore her, even though she and her friend made it clear that they were uncomfortable. Not that they should need to explain, but they even stated that they were both in relationships when one of the men expressed interest in her friend. When the men continued to refuse to leave, the women tried to leave to an empty table with the men still trying to follow them. She even yelled “WITCH!” and pointed at the men as an effort to draw attention.

The woman’s actions brought praise from Redditors and commenters along with shaming the creepy men.

“Damn, even dogs understand the words ‘go away.’”

“They think it’s funny and it’s a little cute game which is the most annoying part.”

“Absolute losers.”

Other commenters were angry that no one near the women stood up to help them.

“What’s shocking is they are in a crowded public place yelling and nobody stepped in. I would have thrown my drink on them after the third time of telling them to go.”

“I mean, I know about the Bystander Effect but I'd like to think if I was in a bar with people obviously yelling in distress I would at least say something.”

“Where's the staff? Where's her server? Where's humanity? Person in the background, yo, is there life in you?”

Other contributors pointed out how the woman did every “correct” thing women have been told to do in such situations and how it didn’t work.

“Why don’t girls just say no” she’s SCREAMING it.”

"’Just say no,’ ‘don't give them mixed signals,’ ‘have you tried telling them you are not interested?’ 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄”

“Girl tried - kind approach, funny approach, blunt approach, clear approach, leaving themselves approach. WE AREN’T THE ISSUE.”

Sexual harassment in public spaces has continued to be an issue, especially for women, even after the advent of the #MeToo movement. A 2024 report found that out of a sample size of 3,300 U.S. adults over the age of 18, 73% of women stated that they experience sexual harassment in a public space. These spaces included gyms, beaches, streets, parks, stores, buses, subways, or bars like the one shown in the TikTok video.

While there are pieces of advice to women on how to get out of an uncomfortable situation, the onus shouldn’t be on them and it doesn’t always work, as the video and commenters pointed out. There are several ways men can approach women with respect as well as teach fellow men how to not be creeps like the two in the video. Ultimately, one piece of advice works best and it’s obvious: If she tells you to go away, GO AWAY. She doesn’t need a reason, just respect that and move on.

In terms of the situation those women are in, they were loud enough in their protests that they were definitely heard by onlookers that didn’t get involved. If you witness a woman being harassed, bring attention to the problem to the staff and make sure a manager, security guard, or whomever is an authority figure swoops in to ask the offending party to leave. Other experts teach bystanders tips on how to help, such as approaching the victim to ask for the time or directions while ignoring the harasser in order to provide a distraction. To combat creeps and help make women feel safer in public, it takes diligent attention, action, and education for everyone involved.