An Ohio TikTok creator says a routine grocery run at Kroger turned into an unexpected encounter with a stranger’s personal life. The creator, who posts under the username @lil_tachy and is known as Kirsten, shared the story in a video that has drawn 452,800 views and 102,000 likes.
Kirsten said the encounter happened while she was checking out at a self-checkout station. She described a friendly exchange with a store clerk, followed by an unusual moment with another shopper who was using a motorized scooter cart.
In her video caption, Kirsten wrote, “I never thought I would see it out in the wild.” Kirsten said a Kroger clerk approached her first, asking, “Hey mommas, did you find everything okay today?” Kirsten said she replied that she had. The clerk then told her, “Of course, baby girl, if you need anything you just let me know.”
Woman on a scooter cart reveals who she was talking to on her phone
Soon after, Kirsten said another woman using a motorized scooter cart pulled up next to her and asked if an employee was nearby to help her. Kirsten told her she had just seen the clerk and expected her back shortly.
Kirsten said the woman had her phone out, and a man’s voice could be heard coming through it, asking questions like, “Did you find help? Do you need me to find you help? Is someone there to help you?” Kirsten said she assumed the voice belonged to the woman’s husband or son, adding it was “none of my business.”
While scanning her own groceries, Kirsten said she accidentally scanned a package of chicken twice, meaning she also needed help from the clerk. As both women waited, Kirsten said she looked over at the woman and gave her what she called “a little Midwestern half smile.”
According to Kirsten, the woman then spoke to her phone, saying, “Hey, just be quiet for a second, okay?” The woman then looked at Kirsten and said, “It’s my AI boyfriend. Best I’ve ever had. Best boyfriend I’ve ever had, really.” Self-checkout frustrations can lead to unexpected moments, like when a Virginia woman waited in a massive line at Dollar General and looked over at the self-checkout.
Kirsten said she was caught off guard by the comment. In text displayed on screen, she asked, “Why did you think that I was a safe person to give that information to?”
She went on to say in the video, “Yeah, I’m p****d that you’re using tens of thousands, maybe millions of gallons of our water to have a romantic relationship with a computer.” She added, “But I’m also upset that you thought I would applaud that. What about my appearance says I want to hear about your AI boyfriend?”
Kirsten said the woman later got upset with the store clerk after being given Reese’s Cups instead of Reese’s Puffs, which she had asked for. Kirsten said the woman called the clerk “a little bit off” because of the mix-up. Kirsten ended her video by noting that the same clerk called her “baby girl” and “mommas” three more times while voiding the extra charge for her chicken, adding, “so you win some, you lose some.”
The video drew a range of reactions in the comments section. Some commenters pushed back on the water-use claim Kirsten made in her video. One commenter wrote, “water is reusable.” Another said, “Using TikTok consumes a TON of water, why are we so focused on shaming people for using AI, but not social media?”
Other commenters focused on the reveal itself. One wrote, “The way I KNEW it was going to be ai but not boyfriend… I was ready, but I wasn’t THAT ready.” Another simply said, “That was a roller coaster ride of emotions.”
Some commenters reflected on loneliness in response to the story. One wrote, “also, what does it say about the men in this world that the AI is preferable?” Another commented, “I have been a lonely person before in my life, but never once have I been pretending AI is a person lonely.” Self-checkout systems can create unexpected situations, such as when a North Carolina woman sued Walmart after claiming a freeze led to her being surrounded by security.
Published: Aug 10, 2026 06:32 am