Woman filmed 'proof' at her apartment door to explain being late to her boss — instead, her co-workers couldn’t stop laughing
Sometimes our worst nightmares come true in the most unexpected situations. When TikTok user Rylee Meagan (@ryleemeagan) was about to leave for work, she found herself "trapped" in a strange predicament. When she realized she wouldn't make it to work on time, she decided to film the situation as proof to show her boss why she was running late. However, when the video reached her co-workers, they couldn't stop laughing, according to PEOPLE. Sharing her hilarious account on January 16, 2026, Meagan recalled how she had to "fight" her way out.
TikTok user Rylee Meagan was preparing to leave for work when she realized that she was "trapped" in her apartment. Meagan, who usually arrives at work by 5:30 a.m., realized that her door lock wasn't unlatching, making it harder to pull open. Already frustrated by a couple of faulty repair jobs at her house, Meagan was even more annoyed when this happened. For nearly ten minutes, she tried to tug and pull the latch, but it did not budge. When she realized that she was running late for work, she did something unexpected. She took out her phone to film her situation as proof to send to her workplace.
Although she knew the "proof" might sound questionable, she decided to document it anyway. “It could be the truth, or it could be an excuse for waking up late,” she remarked. In the video, Meagan is seen repeatedly pulling on the latch, unable to unlock the door. The overlay text read, "This trend, but it's me getting proof that I was late to work because I was literally trapped in my apartment." However, after she logged her reason for being late at work, her boss did not ask for further explanation. But when her TikTok video went viral, it made her co-workers chuckle. In fact, her lead did not know it was Meagan until she recognized her from the TikTok video posted. Meagan explained that the problem was with the latch and that pushing the door inward was the only way to get it open.
Soon after Meagan's video blew up on the internet, many users reacted by sharing their personal experiences. @Whatsaname remarked, "If I sent this to my boss, she would laugh harder than anyone and never let me forget it. Months later, I would call in for illness. And she would be like, 'Locked inside?'" @craezzz7 commented, "Your guardian angel watching you. 'Girl, I’ll let you out when it’s safe. Go sit down.'" @BadWolfGermz recounted, "Happened once in my bedroom, I had to kick it open, I called my mom from her room to help me open it at first but it didn't budge and I started to panic (I was in a house fire once and barely made it out so it triggered that PTSD I've never worked out) so yeah I just kicked it like a horse to get out."