Target.
Women's safety is a rising concern in modern society. Each day we switch on the news to hear about another woman getting harassed or assaulted in public places. Even shopping centers and convenience stores covered with security cameras do not help much in dangerous situations. A woman named Nina Sotom (@ninasotom on TikTok) was out at her local Target to do some shopping, when she experienced something truly terrifying. In her TikTok video, Sotom mentioned that while she was about to make her exit after the shopping spree and reached the store's self-checkout counter, Target's security personnel stopped her from leaving.
Initially, Sotom was confused, but she gradually came to know the real reason behind the security personnel's action. While Sotom was busy browsing, the security person was actually keeping an eye on her. After clearing her purchase and collecting her payment, the Target staff informed Sotom that she still wasn't allowed to leave. Sotom thought she was possibly being detained because they suspected her of shoplifting. "I remember grabbing my receipt and holding it flat out because I know that little camera up there can read the smallest print," Sotom recalled.
Fill Up Love GIF by Target Giphy
The Target staff then spoke to another lady while Sotom waited. In time, the other woman, who turned out to be another security worker, shared a shocking revelation with Sotom: a suspicious fellow was following her around the store and sneakily taking her picture. "I’m so sorry I didn’t catch it earlier, I would have thrown him out," the security worker apologized, according to Sotom. The security worker then assured Sotom that the troublesome man was out of the shop at that point and no longer posed her any harm. To be extra safe, the security worker then escorted Sotom to her car.
Sotom was thankful for everything the Target security team did to keep her safe from what could have been an extremely dangerous situation. "Even if that man was just being creepy and sending those pictures to a random person, it makes me as a woman feel so secure and so safe to know that other people are watching out for me and it’s not just me watching out for me," she reflected in her video. In a separate comment under the video, Sotom elaborated that her mom ended up calling the police and they contacted the Target store. They were taking the cautionary steps just to be on the safe side. The comment section applauded the alert security for their vigilance and professionalism.
Security guard observing parking lot. via Canva Photos
One commenter recalled, "This happened to me. I am 9 months pregnant and I was shopping alone with my 3 boys. A man was following us around and taking pictures of my kids. The worker was telling me I couldn’t leave. I promised that my kids or I did not steal and then I was told that a man was following me." Another applauded Target security, saying, "They’re the best! When I got my husband the new Xbox. It was wild that they had two guys escort me to my car because people would wait outside to snatch it." This viewer commented, "I didn’t even imagine this is where your story would go. This is so scary glad you’re safe." Another added, "Wow that’s awesome. I was not expecting that outcome! So glad to hear she was just trying to take care of you!"
Watch Sotom's video below:
@ninasotom @target
Next time you're out shopping, rest assured there are security teams looking out for your safety, but don't let it stop there. Keep an eye out for your fellow shoppers, too. If everyone is looking out for one another, we'll all be a lot safer in this world.
This article originally appeared in September.