Teen girls were celebrating a 16th birthday at a bar when a stranger handed one a mysterious bag — they knew they had to run
For women, a night out can sometimes come with a second calculation: who is safe to trust, who is watching, and how quickly a seemingly ordinary situation could turn dangerous. When she was a teenager, Instagram user Emma and her girlfriends had gone to Bondi to celebrate their friend’s 16th birthday when a stranger approached them outside a restaurant. Recalling an unsettling incident under the handle @by.emmamae on August 10, 2026, she said that they didn’t know the area and assumed he worked there. So when he told them he could take them inside, they followed him to the bar. What happened next took the girls into a situation they desperately wanted to escape.
He offered the under-18 girls drinks, boasted about his money, and claimed he owned an apartment and a nearby bar — then handed the birthday girl a bag of substances she had never seen before. She immediately told him to take it back. But he followed them to their table, offered to pay for their meals, and mentioned spiking their drinks before inviting three more men to join them. The girls started going to the bathroom in pairs, while another woman asked if they knew the men. They said no, felt unsafe, and asked her to alert staff, but she didn’t. When the man pulled out his card to pay, they knew it was their chance. “We need to run.” They kicked off their heels and sprinted, with the men chasing them.
In another video, she explained that she and her friends ran into a McDonald’s and hid in the bathroom. They knew they should have called the police, but they were also afraid their parents would find out. They couldn’t stay there forever. When they left and saw the men chasing them again, they ran into a nearby hotel and rushed to reception. “We are in danger. There are these guys chasing us.” The woman at reception told them they weren’t allowed inside because the hotel was 18 and over.
The woman then agreed to take them out through a back door. Instead of safety, the girls found themselves in a random alleyway. They made it to a corner, where two other men approached them. “We’re under 18. We’re getting chased by these men. We don’t know where to go,” the teenagers said. Those two men ended up helping them. They showed the girls the way back toward the main beach. Eventually, the girls made it to an ice cream shop.
Discomfort itself can be a reason to leave a situation. You don’t need to wait until you know exactly what is wrong. Psychiatrist Dr. Saira Kalia of Banner-University Medical Center Tucson offers advice for women going out. She suggests not ignoring the feeling if someone makes a woman uncomfortable. The person should immediately tell a friend and leave for another location.
“Some of the main things to remember are to be aware of your surroundings and to trust your instincts,” Dr. Kalia said. She also advises keeping a close eye on drinks. Taking them along rather than leaving them unattended would help prevent the drink from being spiked. It is also safer not to accept a premade drink from a stranger.
For more stories, you can follow @by.emmamae on Instagram.