After reading and seeing this story – you’ll always remember to lock your deadbolt.
That’s what Josie Bowers learned when she was just 15-years-old and staying at a Hilton in Ocean City, Maryland. The now 19-year-old posted her story to TikTok and it has since gone viral. The simple tip she shared from her police officer stepdad may help to keep others safe in the future as well.
Keep your deadbolt locked.
Josie’s story begins with her on vacation with her family. She was alone in the hotel room and just about to hop in the shower when she started to hear all these noises. As she looked toward where the noises were coming from, she was shocked by what she discovered.
“Before I could shower I heard these noises, I went to go see what it was and it was this contraption. I was just standing there in my towel and this man opened the door,” Josie shared in one of her videos.
Josie slammed the door shut as fast as she could and secured the deadbolt.
“My main thought was holy s*** I’m in a towel right now and someone is about to break in and get me. So the door opens a crack, and I just slammed it back shut and put the deadbolt on.”
The intruders try to trick Josie.
Josie continued to say that the two men then began to talk to her from behind the door. They claimed they were from the hotel and were there to fix her broken door.
“So they tell me your keycard is broken and we need to get into the room and fix your keypad for you,” Josie continued. “And so I open the door a tad bit, to see if it was a worker. It clearly wasn’t, they were in jeans and a T-shirt. Hilton keeps it pretty classy, not the attire.”
Josie then remembered a tip she got from her police officer stepfather. Don’t ever let people know you are alone.
What did Josie say to make the intruders go away?
With the two men trying to convince her they were there to fix the door, Josie’s response led them to believe she was not the only one in the room.
“So I think I’m very smart for this one, my stepdad is a police officer, he taught me never to let people know you’re alone.”
“I yelled ‘Hey dad, there’s someone here to fix the door.’ As soon as they thought that I wasn’t alone – and potentially my dad was there – they ran, they were gone.”
With that clever response, Josie had averted the danger.
Josie shares her story.
Josie says she’s happy to share her story and hopes that it will help others. She reiterated that it is always a good idea to lock your deadbolt.
“I’m glad I had this experience so I can teach people about it. Obviously, I’m safe but it could have ended up a lot worse,” she said. “Be safe, you can get door stoppers, always put on the deadbolt.”
Josie’s story has gone viral online. The most popular video in the series has already been viewed over 12 million times. The advice she got from her cop stepfather will likely help protect others in the future now as well.
Watch more about Josie’s quick thinking (and dad’s advice!) came in handy in the video below.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
https://www.tiktok.com/@josiebowers10/video/6965194766908689670?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Fshareably.net%2F&referer_video_id=6965194766908689670&refer=embed
