Lindsay Patton
When Josie Bowers was 15 years old and on a family vacation, she used some quick thinking and her wits to evade men attempting to break into her hotel.
Now 19 years old, Bowers is sharing her experience on TikTok, and the way she outsmarted the two men is getting a lot of attention.
Bowers utilized TikTok’s “Duet” feature to share the story. Duet allows users to do a side-by-side video with another previously posted video. The video Bowers chose for her duet was from the user @braccozz. It showed a long device come in under the door and curve to grab the handle.
You slide the tool under the door, turn it up and catch the handle with the hook.
Then, pull down and the door is unlatched.
Bowers began her duet by saying her family was staying in Ocean City on the waterfront. (Bowers, however, does not mention if she was staying at the New Jersey or the Maryland Ocean City.)
While she was getting ready to shower, she heard noises.
Then, she saw the same contraption used above and in her TikTok duet. Bowers was standing in her towel when a man opened the door.
She explained what happened next in a part two video. As soon as she saw the door open, she slammed it shut and put the deadbolt on.
She could then hear there was more than one man and he was talking to another man.
They noticed she was in the bathroom and said “Hello, miss? Services. … We came to fix your door.”
Um…
Bowers asked them what was wrong with her door and they said her padlock wasn’t working. They then asked to come in so they could fix the keypad.
Bowers admitted she didn’t have a lot of time to process things as they were happening.
They keep pressing the keypad issue, so Bowers opened the door a crack and noticed the person was not an employee. Remembering a tip from her police-officer stepfather, Bowers yelled “Hey, dad! There’s someone here to fix the door!”
As soon as she said that, they ran.
Never let them know you’re alone.