A young woman’s smart thinking at a Starbucks parking lot has people talking about a scam that targets female drivers. The story, shared by Connecticut radio and TV host Vinnie Penn, shows a growing trick where strangers walk up to women and say something is wrong with their car. When the women say no, these strangers get pushy and won’t leave them alone.
Penn told the story about a 22-year-old woman who saw a man staring at her inside a Starbucks. When she walked back to her car with her coffee, the man followed her outside and stood behind her car. He knocked on her window and told her she had a flat tire. The woman said no and stayed in her car. She told him through the window that her dashboard showed all her tires were fine.
But the man did not give up. He walked to the back of her car and started yelling that she needed to get out. Penn shared the story in a TikTok video that more than 1.1 million people have watched. He said criminals use this trick on young women. “They count on a young female to think, ‘Chivalry ain’t dead.’ No, it is, and you’re next,” Penn said in the video.
What happened next shows why these moments are so scary
The good news is that the woman had not parked too far into her spot. She turned her steering wheel all the way to the left and drove away without backing up past the man. But the story made people wonder what would happen if someone was parked too far in. What if they had to reverse past a stranger who would not move?
Penn’s advice to his own daughter was simple and clear. Even if it means breaking your car, just get away. He told her to drive away even if someone cuts her tire. “Destroy that rim. They slashed the tire. They think they’re gonna keep you prisoner. You drive on that sucker. Destroy the hell out of that rim,” Penn said. He told her that you can fix a broken rim, but you cannot fix what might happen if you stay.
Police have said these flat tire scams are real. The Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia put out warnings on Facebook after getting reports of strange run-ins. They said women and young people are the main targets. In these scams, bad guys poke holes in tires or let air out to make a slow leak.
When people come back to their cars, a scammer acts like a nice person helping them and points out the flat tire. While the person is busy with that, someone else opens the car and takes purses, wallets, or phones. Just like women using smart ways to deal with men who won’t leave them alone, this situation needs fast thinking and staying alert.
The sheriff’s office says people should pay attention to what is around them and pick parking spots with good lights and cameras. They say to stay away from strangers who try to distract you. They also say you should not get out of your car unless you feel totally safe.
If someone thinks they are being targeted, they should call police right away and try to get pictures, videos, or license plate numbers if they can do it safely. These safety tips matter more than ever as scary viral trends and dangerous situations keep showing up on social media.
