Creep Leaves Water Bottle On Woman's Car And Another Woman Explains How Human Traffickers Use This Tactic
It's good to know that things like this exist. We need to be able to protect each other.
A simple parking lot errand turned unsettling fast for one Cincinnati woman, and her TikTok video struck a nerve for good reason. Haley West, known online as Haleywestco, said a man kept trying to get her attention outside a supermarket, then left her feeling uneasy enough to head into a nearby store for help.
When she came back, she found a water bottle sitting on her car's hood, and that detail sent the story in a very different direction. Another TikTok user, Ellessb423, later weighed in with a warning about why that kind of object can make people nervous, especially when it appears after a stranger has been hovering nearby.
The video quickly turned into a bigger conversation about safety, awareness, and why small details in a parking lot can feel anything but small. Here's the full story.
Towards the end of her story, Haley mentioned how a suspicious guy randomly left a water bottle on her car's hood
Haley recounted what happened to her:
“I’m leaving Fresh Thyme and I’m parked in this big parking lot. This guy was walking kind of close to me, kind of not, but you could tell he was staring at me while he was walking, and he yells over to me, ‘Hey, what’s your name?’”
“This man walks right up to my car and he’s like, ‘Come check out my car, it’s nice, it’s a Lexus, do you like it?’ Like it’s my car! Though, I didn’t react to that, because that would have given away that it’s my car, although I think he already knows.”
After that, Haley started feeling uncomfortable, so she went to a nearby store and asked for help. She had to make sure that the guy wasn't still lurking in the parking lot.
“I then went across the street to this TJ Maxx. I got help; I made sure he wasn’t still out here.”
Right after that, she found the water bottle on her car's hood.
That was the moment the whole situation got even stranger.
“When I came back out, there was a water bottle on my hood. I don’t want that to correlate, but that’s never happened to me. I just wanted to say, be aware of your surroundings at all times, especially if you’re a woman; be careful out there.”
Haley’s original TikTok video in full:
Haley’s situation got Elle's attention, so she felt compelled to explain it
Elle revealed what the intention behind the water bottle could be:
“This is a tactic used by traffickers and kidnappers to get you to exit your vehicle and take whatever is on top of the car.”
Elle's advice is to immediately drive to a police station if you ever feel threatened. A second option would be to go to an auto body shop so they can check if there's a tracker on the bottom of your vehicle.
“If you feel extremely threatened by a person who’s following you, drive to a police station or an auto shop; they can look underneath your car and see if there are trackers there. Yes, believe it or not, GPS trackers can be placed on the bottom of your car, and they can give out your location for a certain amount of time. Never go straight home.”
GPS trackers are a real thing, so don't think you're paranoid.
“Traffickers don’t care how old you are; they don’t care what you’re wearing; they don’t care about your size. If they want you, they’ll try to get you. Always be aware of your surroundings, try to shop with a friend. I know it’s hard during COVID; keep pepper spray or a protective device on you. Please stay safe,” Elle warned.
It’s a lot like the dilemma in the case of a best friend who’s unsure whether to tell her crush’s clingy behavior.
People's reactions to the video:
People had plenty to say after watching the clip.
Before you judge, read about whether someone should break a promise to protect a friend from harm, even if it means revealing her past abuse to her partner.
