Woman Calls Out Men Who Followed Her In The Dark Until She Showed Them Her Used Pad

Nowadays, it’s widely understood that women can do anything men can do. They’re just as (if not more) intelligent, funny, capable, and wise. But there are, unfortunately, still some things that women don’t exactly feel safe doing.

Walking alone at night is one thing that many women still try to avoid. Not because they’re scared of the dark or aren’t willing to get their steps in, but because certain men have made it impossible for them to feel safe. So when Dallas resident Finnigan Haynes realized she was being followed, she came up with a creative solution to get the creepy men to back off. Below, you’ll find a video Finnigan posted on TikTok detailing the terrifying experience, as well as some of the replies viewers left her. 

Walking alone at night is often a frightening experience for women

Abstract drawing with a pink period pad, a purple bow, and a blue pepper spray bottle representing woman scaring off men stalkers.

Image credits: finni.haynes

So when this woman realized she was being followed, she quickly came up with a creative solution to keep herself safe

Woman wearing leopard print jacket and headphones walking at night, related to woman scares off men stalkers period pad topic.

Image credits: finni.haynes

Man standing alone at night on a dimly lit street as woman scares off men stalkers with period pad tactic.

Image credits: finni.haynes

Nighttime street scene with a woman scaring off men stalkers near a tram station using a period pad.

Image credits: finni.haynes

Woman scares off men stalkers at night by showing a used period pad while wearing headphones and a leopard print jacket.

Image credits: finni.haynes

Woman holding pepper spray at night, using a period pad to scare off men stalkers on the street.

Image credits: finni.haynes

Man walking away at night on a street while a woman scares off men stalkers using a period pad as a deterrent.

Image credits: finni.haynes

Woman wearing headphones with a determined expression, holding a period pad to scare off men stalkers for safety.

Image credits: finni.haynes

Close-up of a woman with a nose ring using a period pad to scare off men and stalkers in a nighttime setting.

Image credits: finni.haynes

Close-up of a woman speaking fiercely, showing her stance to scare off men and stalkers using a period pad.

Image credits: finni.haynes

You can watch Finnigan’s full video right here

@finni.haynesI 100000% they were all together. I WILL BE A PSYCHO CRAZY BITCH before I let a man grab me♬ original sound – Finni haynes

64% of American women report feeling unsafe walking alone in their neighborhoods at night

Woman standing on a dimly lit street looking concerned as a man in a hoodie approaches, highlighting stalker fear period pad.

Image credits: YuriArcursPeopleimages / envatoelements (not the actual photo)

If you’re a woman, you probably found this video unsettlingly relatable. Unfortunately, many of us know exactly how it feels to be alone and scared that a stranger is going to take advantage of your vulnerability. And if you aren’t a woman, you might not realize just how frightening an experience like this is. So we’ll try to help you understand exactly why Finnigan was so desperate to guarantee her safety. 

According to the Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research, 64% of women in the United States don’t feel confident or safe while walking alone at night in their own neighborhoods. And 46% of women around the world feel the same way. 

But this information comes as no surprise when you realize that one-fifth of women around the world report that they’ve been the victims of physical or psychological violence. And in Africa, 49% of women say they’ve suffered violence during the last year.

End Violence Against Women reports that women are over three times as likely as men to feel unsafe walking after dark near their home. And two-thirds of women between the ages of 16 and 34 say they’ve experienced harassment during the last year. 

Nearly a third have felt like they’ve been followed, and 44% say they’ve been catcalled, whistled at, and/or received unwanted, inappropriate comments or jokes.

But the fear of being alone in the dark isn’t just paranoia. The BBC reports that one in eight women in the UK have been assaulted or stalked in the past year. And we’ve all heard horror stories of innocent women like Sarah Everard, who was kidnapped and had her life ripped away from her while walking home from a friend’s house in London in 2021. 

It’s always better to be safe than sorry when encountering strange men

Woman scares off men stalkers using a period pad spray while standing in a dimly lit urban walkway.

Image credits: LightFieldStudios / envatoelements (not the actual photo)

There’s a reason why about a quarter of women in the US carry pepper spray on them. And Dallas, in particular, can be an extremely dangerous place for women commuting alone. According to statistics from the National Human Trafficking Hotline, Dallas ranked number 8 amongst American cities with the most human trafficking cases between 2007 and 2016. 

Refuge for Women reports that Texas is the second-largest hub for trafficking in the United States, and the Dallas/Fort Worth area accounts for over one-third of commercial exploitation cases in the state.

At first glance, someone who has never been followed or threatened might believe that Finnigan took drastic measures to get those creepy men away from her. But when you understand that her life could have been on the line, it makes a lot more sense. 

Sadly, this is something women have to consider when confronted with danger. We’ll never know exactly what those men’s intentions were. But it’s much better to be safe than sorry. And if that requires pulling out a bloody pad in public, so be it.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Are you going to keep this tactic up your sleeve in case you ever find yourself in a similar situation? Feel free to weigh in. Then, you can find another Bored Panda article discussing women’s safety right here.

Viewers applauded Finnigan for her creative solution and called out the men for their disgusting behavior

Comment reading and that's on period by Faye's_SZN with a flower profile picture and 789384 likes, related to woman scares off men stalkers period pad.

Comment expressing a wish that men were as disgusted by s****l violence as they are by normal bodily functions.

Comment by Rose expressing hope that Lady Gaga sees the message and praises the creator, with 45902 likes.

Comment reading the lengths women go to scare off men stalkers, related to period pad use for safety.

Comment by Onyx with a profile picture, praising survival skills and encouraging a woman to scare off men stalkers using a period pad.

Comment with a user jokingly describing ripping off a used period pad and waving it like a flag to scare off men stalkers.

Comment by Poetic is| Apo.etic about protecting Black women and safety concerns in a city, related to woman scares off men stalkers period pad.

Comment mentioning using a stained period pad with red food coloring kept in a handbag to scare off men stalkers.

Comment by Abigail Evans praising a woman who scares off men stalkers using a period pad, highlighting quick thinking.

Comment about a woman using a period pad to scare off men stalkers and prevent being followed.

Woman holds up a period pad to scare off men stalkers as a method of self-protection shared on social media.

User profile picture with a comment reading survival instincts of a lion, expressing strength and humor.

Comment on social media by user Eliseimnotboring asking for more tips, related to woman scares off men stalkers period pad discussion.

Comment by sonjay on social media about women using period pads to scare off men stalkers, highlighting survival and non-violence.

Comment from Kris expressing relief and support for a woman who scared off men stalkers using a period pad.

Screenshot of social media comment where a woman explains acting crazy helped her survive in the city, relating to scaring off men.

Comment expressing a woman’s bold reaction involving a period pad to scare off men stalkers on social media.

Comment by user Shai emphasizing scaring off men stalkers by showing craziness with confidence and boldness.

Comment highlighting how a woman scares off men and stalkers in the period pad discussion with laughter emoji.

Comment on social media with a user named Chip praising a woman's period pad as a way to scare off men and stalkers.

Comment on social media from user kasserole03 saying you saved your own life with sparkle emojis.

Comment praising a woman who uses a period pad to scare off men stalkers, expressing sympathy and concern for her well-being.

Comment on social media post mentioning disease by Lady Gaga with crying emoji, related to woman scares off men stalkers period pad.

Comment from user ARMY saying Consider me impressed with over 198,000 likes on a social media post about woman scaring off men stalkers period pad.

Comment by Juliana expressing heartbreak with a crying emoji reacting to a post about a woman scaring off men stalkers using a period pad.

Comment from Shellybell explaining how she would scare off men stalkers by smearing a period pad on her face and yelling.

Comment from a woman expressing relief and safety with a heart emoji, related to woman scares off men stalkers period pad.

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