‘I applaud you for not bursting into tears’: Complete stranger gets oddly intimate during subway journey

In today’s world, minding your own business has become a challenge in and of itself. At this point, we’re forced to get used to having a stranger creeping on us with a camera, or we need to pick up a camera to shoo off a creepy stranger. This time, that’s exactly what happened to TikTok user, @a_mennnnn.

The incident was captured on the subway, when the TikTok user – also known as Adelaide – shared a video with a few photographs and clips of a complete stranger who started rubbing her shoulders and even her earlobe. Yes, you heard that right. As if having your shoulders rubbed by a subway stranger wasn’t odd enough, she even got her earlobe massaged. What’s more, at some point, the TikToker even got a picture of the man attempting to grab her neck. For what reason you may wonder? Well, we don’t know either.

Naturally, netizens wanted answers. Why didn’t the user simply say something to the man? Or better yet, why didn’t they change positions on the subway? The fact that the OP didn’t attempt to reply to these comments led to many other users accusing her of faking the video, questioning its virality. Nonetheless, numerous other comments seized the opportunity to share their own stories, with several people apologizing for the fact that she was ultimately non-consensually touched by someone she allegedly didn’t know. “‘I applaud you for not bursting into tears,'” one user shared.

Whether you believe the video is real or not, one thing’s for certain: subway assaults are on the rise. Even with the increased usage of cellphones and cameras, those odd and downright inappropriate people who touch others without their consent show no signs of stopping. In fact, in 2021 alone, more subway assaults were reported than since 1997. Furthermore, in 2022, felony assaults spiked by 50 percent in just the first few months of the year. Needless to say, these are not promising statistics.

Let this serve as a lesson to anyone who even slightly considers touching a stranger – don’t. And if you find yourself in the same situation as Adelaide, perhaps don’t wait for them to get to your earlobe before moving away.