Normal Men Don’t Ask Women They Don’t Know for Help — TikToker Says in PSA on Girl Safety

A young woman attributed her love for crime-centric TV shows as the reason she may've saved her and her friend from a fishy interaction with an older man in a Target parking lot.

Maya Cherry (@mayacherry10) posted about her experience in a viral TikTok that's accrued over 1.9 million views on the popular social media application.

She begins her video by speaking directly into the camera, sharing her storytime on women's safety. Her friend had just gotten her driver's license, and the two of them were excited to head to Target by themselves because they thought that they "were grown."

After spending some time in the store they headed outside and saw that it had gotten dark out.

This is where things, unfortunately, took a scary turn. "We're leaving, about to get into the car and we see like an old man a couple spots next to us getting into his van. But before getting into his van, he's like struggling and trying to put groceries into his trunk. And he looks at two — us — two young girls and says he would you guys be able to help me really quick get these groceries into my trunk," she says.

It kind of sounds like the kind of setup that Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs would pull. She continues, "And my friend goes to be like, 'Oh sure we can help you.'"

Maya, however, says that she wasn't so quick to assist the gentleman with his grocery quandary: "I grew up watching Criminal Minds, SVU, that don't sound right."

She tells the gentleman that she can't help him, but that she and her friend would be "more than happy to find someone that can." The man immediately started saying that the help he required with his groceries "would be quick" because there weren't "that many groceries." And that they could "all do it, just the three of us."

Maya persisted in her reluctance to help the man. "And I'm like no. So I go with my friend back into Target find a male employee and I say, 'Hey there's an old man in the parking lot who needs help putting groceries into his trunk. Can you help us?' And he's like, sure. All three of us walk out, what do we walk out to? The man is gone."

It appears that Maya's initial instincts were correct. "The man is gone, the van is gone. The groceries are gone. Now here's the thing — immediately I thought about this video that I listened to ... I saw when I was 15. It was this father telling three of his daughters that were, I think in college at the time."

The TikToker shared the lesson she heard this father was attempting to impart to his children. "He said, listen. This is something I want you to always remember — in terms of safety, as adults in the world, men and women, no normal respectful, respectable man, who cares about women's safety, cares about women's livelihoods, has any cognizance of the world around him, is ever going to choose a woman to come to his aid in a dangerous situation."

She then adds, "Or like a weird, hectic, chaotic situation. Of course emergencies happen, but realistically, nine times out of 10, men are not going to ask women for that. And it reminded me some things are male jobs," she states.

"Now, when I was 16, that man in the old, in the parking lot, listen he could've been fine. He could've been someone's sweet old grandpa and by the time that we went inside and walked out, he figured out a way to put the groceries in his trunk himself. And he went on about his way. That could've happened."

But, she counters that point with an example that advocates for the age-old adage — it's better to be safe than sorry. "Or, we could've ended up on the five o'clock news. Now, I'm just saying I'm not someone to gamble. Because what did I say? I grew up watching Criminal Minds and SVU. I don't have time for my family to be on the five o'clock news. It's not a job for me."

There are a litany of resources online that recommend ways to teach your children to be wary of strangers. Of course these methods and talking points should evolve with time, along with the examples of what kind of dangerous situations your children can find themselves in as a result of being overly trusting.

Scholastic echoes Maya's advice when it pertains to being overly polite — they should abandon all manners if they feel threatened. Running away, screaming at the top of their lungs, kicking, biting, punching, and eye-gouging are all encouraged. Running and finding a "trusted adult" such as a mother with her child, or locating a group of public and attempting to get to a public place is also a top priority if your kids feel they're in danger.

The outlet goes on to say that when your child is old enough to go outside on their own, you can teach them the "three W's," which includes "who I'm going with," "where I'll be," and "when I'll return home."

Moreover, Scholastic encourages parents to role-play scenarios that reinforce safety and correct decision-making in these situations.

Additionally, monitoring their internet activity and ensuring they aren't engaging in conversations with strangers and giving out their personal details is another way to keep them safe.