She trusted her gut and turned back into Target after spotting a man beside her car — what she overheard moments later left her shaking
Trusting your instincts can sometimes make all the difference. That's a lesson TikTok user Megan, who goes by @meganxalexa, said she learned during a late-night trip to Target that she still can't forget. On July 25, 2026, she shared how a strange encounter in the parking lot left her terrified after she decided to listen to her gut instead of brushing off her concerns. What she overheard just moments later left her shaken, convincing her she had trusted her instincts at exactly the right time.
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Megan had to make a quick trip to Target for period supplies in 2023, even though she didn't like going out alone at night. As she walked into the store, she noticed a man lingering outside the entrance, but didn't think much of it. Minutes later, after checking out, she was alarmed to find the same man standing beside her car. Trusting her instincts, Megan turned back into the store and rushed to a staff member to help walk her outside. As they approached her car together, she overheard the man speaking into an earpiece in Spanish, repeatedly saying, "It's off. Call it off," while making a hand gesture toward someone waiting inside a nearby running car.
Megan immediately froze when she spotted the strange man standing near her car. She said that he wasn't looking at the vehicle or using his phone. Instead, he appeared to be pacing around the passenger side, making the situation feel even more unsettling. Instead of walking toward her car, she pretended she had forgotten something inside the store and quickly turned around.
She went back inside and asked an employee to walk her to her car. Although one staff member seemed doubtful, another happily agreed. As they got closer to her car, Megan noticed the man was now talking into a Bluetooth earpiece in Spanish. Since she speaks the language fluently, she said she understood what he was saying. The man's words and gesture made her believe the employee's presence had changed whatever was happening.
Megan quickly unlocked her car, thanked the employee, and drove away as fast as she could. The experience left her so shaken that she called her boyfriend in tears and avoided driving straight home because she was afraid someone might be following her. Even after arriving home, she stayed inside her parked car for a while because she was too scared to make the short walk to her front door. The incident has stayed with her ever since.
Megan's experience also matches the findings from a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, which found that many women become more alert to potential danger after experiencing unwanted attention or feeling unsafe. Researchers said this heightened awareness often leads women to be more cautious in public spaces and trust their instincts when something doesn't feel right.
In the comments, people praised her for taking the situation seriously. @alilbitnerdette suggested, "Call the cops and give them the information. It could help others." @annaf255 shared, "I tell my 17-year-old daughter that a man will never need your help. Avoid them at all costs." Meanwhile, @cherrypickedxoxo wrote, "It absolutely was as sinister as you felt it was. Don’t brush off your intuition, so glad you’re safe." Megan said she recounted this memory after a more recent encounter in another parking lot, where a stranger repeatedly tried to wave her over. Although that situation didn't escalate, Megan said it made her uncomfortable and hopes nobody gets to experience this.
Follow @meganxalexa on TikTok for more videos.