Woman picks Planet Fitness because it’s ‘the cheapest option’. Then she confronts a stranger after finally reaching her breaking point: ‘I’m so scared’

A young woman shared on TikTok that she confronted a man at her gym after he repeatedly stared at her. The video was posted by user @emsecret051, who said in the clip that she goes to Planet Fitness because it’s “the cheapest option” and she likes saving money.

According to the woman, there aren’t many people in her age group at that gym. She said men there “relentlessly stare” at her, which she said hurts her motivation to go to the gym.

She compared this to her college gym, where, in her words, there are no older men, calling that experience “very refreshing.”

Woman says she confronted the man on her way out of the gym

In the video, the woman said a man was staring at her in a way that made her uncomfortable. She explained that she made sure he was actually looking at her before doing anything, because she didn’t want to make false accusations.

She said she usually deals with this by glaring back or no longer smiling at men who stare. Adjusting from being friendly to being short with people “sucks,” she said, adding that men still act this way regardless.

By her account, she decided to walk up to the man on her way out of the gym. She described being nervous, saying, “I’m so scared,” but said she felt she had to say something. The woman recounted that she approached the man and said, “Hi, sorry, I have a question.” He replied, “Yeah?” She then asked him, “Do you have a husband or wife?” He said, “Yeah, I do.”

Her next question, as she described it, was, “Would they be okay with you staring at a 20-year-old?” He replied, “No.” She then told him, “Well, maybe don’t,” and he responded, “Okay.”

She noted that the man did not deny staring at her. Reflecting on the exchange, she said it “felt really good to stand up for myself for once.” She encouraged other women to speak up in similar situations if they feel safe doing so, adding that it “feels really good to finally say something.”

In her caption, the woman included a side note telling others to “be safe” and to “try to stand up” for themselves in public settings with people around. She wrote that “men don’t hesitate to get violent.” For Planet Fitness, customer complaints extend beyond confrontations, as a Missouri woman was shocked to find showers locked before a holiday. 

The video included on-screen text that read, “it feels so good to stand up for yourself as a woman.” She also mentioned in the video that she believes she is shadowbanned and that her followers are bots, but said she wanted to share the story anyway. Her warning comes as Planet Fitness has faced other customer complaints, such as a woman who was charged $500 without explanation. 

Viewers responded to the video in the comments section. One commenter asked, “Have you tried a different time of day?” Another wrote, “Props to you for confronting him!”