Women spots alarming lock on the outside of women's restroom at Texas gas station
“This is a perfect example of see something, say something. Probably helped save girls and women!"
Everyone should be aware of this.
An alarming video is making rounds on TikTok, showing an external lock fitted to the women's restroom in a Texas gas station. Only on the outside. And only for the women’s restroom.
In the nearly six-minute clip, which has been viewed six million times, a woman named Shelby detailed the unsettling “contraption” she spotted at an Exxon in the city of College Station.
“Maybe I’m crazy but if I am, I would love to know what this contraption is for,” she wrote in her caption. She then demonstrated how the lock could automatically engage once the door closed, leaving a woman trapped inside unless someone from the outside releases it.
“You have no way of getting out,” she said. Even more disturbing, she also filmed the outside of the men’s room, which obviously did not have such a device.
Shelby recalled that filming her video apparently made the gas station employees “irate,” and kept giving her gestures to indicate they were watching her.
Rightfully, Shelby contacted the police. When they arrived, the workers insisted that the lock was there as protection, to inhibit a “large group of hispanic men” from “destroying” the facility, which supposedly happened in the past.
As you are probably thinking, and as both Shelby and the police agreed, the explanation was incredibly “sketchy” and “didn’t really make sense” since the lock in no way prevented the facility from being destroyed, nor did it keep anyone from entering the restroom.
Considering that Texas is ranked as the second state in the country with the highest rate of human trafficking victims, and that there are many “vulnerable young girls” who live nearby at A&M University, Shelby was right to be alarmed and send out a video as a warning.
She was far from the only one concerned. It wasn’t long before other women began applauding Shelby for taking action.
“This is a perfect example of see something, say something. You went with your guy and probably helped save girls and women! Thank you!"
“A remote controlled lock on the outside of a women’s restroom is absolutely NOT NORMAL! Always always always trust your instincts.”
“As someone who stops in public restrooms all over the country I truly appreciate this post! I will be checking every door I go into now.”
While the police officer Shelby talked to told her that legally there was nothing the department could do (which set off a whole conversation as to whether or not police officers are normally secretly “involved” in this type of activity), she did end up contacting the local Fire Marshal, who did remove the lock.
In a different video (around 55 seconds in) we hear the Marshal telling an employee, “You can call your boss, but no matter how he feels about it, it’s coming down today in front of me, with my tools or yours.”
Of course this is something women should not have to deal with. But in lieu of eradicating every bad guy out there, raising awareness on things like this can at least keep us a little safer.
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An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids…
Imagine having to go so badly but being out of euros. 
Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie?
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Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."