Recently, the senior director of content at Lonely Planet, Laura Motta, shared a time when she was sitting alone at a bar and the bartender warned her about the man to her right:
Was at a bar alone yesterday when the bartender said, “Hey, check out this text from my sister!” He showed me his phone and it said, “Do not, under any circumstances, get into a conversation with the guy sitting on your right.” Men, if you are in a position to do this, DO THIS.
"The bartender showed me his phone and it said, 'Do not, under any circumstances, get into a conversation with the guy sitting on your right.'"
After seeing the message on the bartender's phone, Laura told BuzzFeed, "I really took that warning to heart and didn’t stay more than a few minutes," she said. "I’m in New Orleans, so the nice thing was I could just take my drink with me and leave. So I did. I didn’t feel comfortable staying."
Though disarming, Laura's experience is unfortunately relatable to many, as evidenced by the hundreds of similar stories shared in her comment section and through quote tweets. Here are a few shared moments when strangers stepped in to help a woman in need:
1.
@guttersniper I used to work as a door guy. If a woman was leaving with a guy and she’s well beyond her limit and can’t stay awake, I’d stop them and tell the guy to call her phone. If he doesn’t know her number or his number isn’t inputted in her phone, she wasn’t leaving with him.
2.
@guttersniper At a funfair as a kid, we went on a ride that went through a dark tunnel. My uncle and bro had sat far away and a young man came and sat by me. The guy whose job was to give the green signal flat out refused to let the car move. He said I don't let strange men sit by girls. King.
3.
@guttersniper I was at a bar alone and got up to go to the bathroom. When I came back, the bartender had pulled my drink back towards him and placed a coaster over the top. He got a great tip.
4.
@guttersniper I was in England on an exchange program and did not know anyone that well. I took a sip from a drink at a pub and blacked out completely. I woke up the next day in the apartment of a group of girls who watched over me the whole night to make sure I was okay.
5.
@guttersniper At 13, I had a job cleaning the local card store on Sat. mornings (vacuum, etc.) Every time I went to the closet for supplies, the owner would “need” to squeeze in the tiny room too. The 16 yr old working the register started pulling everything out before I got there. My hero.
6.
@LuluMcSideways @guttersniper I was on a 1st date & went to the bathroom. When I came back a lady came up to me & said I accidentally dropped a personal item in The Loo as she motioned for me to come w/her. She was an off-duty EMT & saw my date drop something in my drink. Cops went to him as we left out back.
7.
@guttersniper I was at a restaurant for girls night out, we saw a young lady being harassed by an older guy at the bar. The momma bear in me kicked in. I went up and gave that guy a mean look and said to her Hi sweetie sorry to make you wait, Dad’s on the way. Him Bye! 👋🏼
8.
@guttersniper I was a little nervous about that. When my tire did go flat, they all pulled over with me. Friendly 50ish driver came over, told me what happened & his buddy changed my tire for me. & Followed me from Utica to Buffalo. 💖 I’ll never forget them.
9.
@guttersniper I was with a friend out for drinks and a girl we didn't know came and sat at our table and said "Hey I didn't see you guys earlier, what's up?" We just played along until she got up and said "thanks this guy has been following me since the dry cleaners".
10.
@guttersniper @Zakksu Walk me back to my hotel, and let me sit there with the ramen shop’s cat while two of the guys went to “make sure it’s okay.”
11.
@guttersniper My daughter was at Target and saw a couple of guys following a woman. They were ducking down and watching her. My daughter went up to the young woman and told her to be careful. My daughter is an attorney and was shopping with her 2 young daughters. 1/2
12.
@guttersniper I was at an Irish bar in Queens, NY. A guy wouldn’t leave me alone so the bar tender slammed a bat on the bar and said, “You heard the lady, finish your beer and get the fuck outta my bar.” I always thought it was very Irish that he let him finish the beer first.
13.
@guttersniper Instead of me taking it to their table. I was suspicious but I did it. He came to the counter and started messing with the drinks. I immediately went and said sorry I though you wanted lemonade+ice tea; forgot you didn’t want ice tea in it. Grabbed the cups before he could /2
@guttersniper Before he could argue. Dumped them. Served them drinks directly to the table while watching them closely. When he wanted to pay I said our system is down and I need cash. He was pissed but we forced him to go across the street to an ATM. Told the girl. She was super scared ../3
14.
@guttersniper My favorite was when a guy put his hand on my butt at a bar. I was trying to move away from him. Bartender: do you want his hand on your butt? Me: No Bartender kicks him and his friends out.
15.
@guttersniper to add to this, i'm not a cis man, i'm only 5'7. i look like a 14 yr old. but no matter your presentation/appearance, if you can show up and be that escape path for someone in need of it- please, please do
16.
@guttersniper …next to a windowless white box van with the driver door open. The cashier watched as I backed out of my space and then stood in the middle of the exit lane so I could leave while he blocked the “stalker” from following me. Forever grateful to that cashier.
17.
@guttersniper one more story. had a fight publicly with my husband. we were pretty heated, I wanted to leave he was insisting I talk it out. a stranger came and asked me " R U safe?" my husband was annoyed but she made me answer her. I remember her and I'm grateful
18.
@guttersniper I love this. I was once at a country bar dancing with a guy and decided I was done after he said something. He grabbed my arm as I tried to walk away. Bouncers grabbed him immediately and threw him out. So thankful for men that watch out for all women.
19.
During a meeting, a friend mixed alcohol in a mocktail without my knowledge and handed it to me. The waiter came up to me, politely took my glass and said that there’s alcohol in it and said he’d get me another instead. https://t.co/nMnwwaNfIC
20.
@guttersniper @TheRealNubian2 My sister was escorted out of Home Goods by security.There was a man following her doing lewd gestures.They wanted her to leave in her car while they made sure he didn’t follow. She didn’t ask what the lewd gestures were. If all people would look out for those in danger ❤️
21.
@guttersniper Clocked a guy following me in the mall for a while. Picked the busiest store to duck into—the Apple store. The greeter said “hello”, I told her “a man is following me” she said loudly, “sure they’re over here follow me” as soon as he saw me with her he got angry and stormed off.