Woman Leaves Starbucks When Stranger Insists Her Tire Is Flat And To Get Out Of The Car, But What Her Backup Cam Revealed Potentially Saved Her Life

A young woman’s smart thinking at a Connecticut Starbucks may have helped her avoid becoming a victim of what police are calling a growing scam that targets female drivers. The story was shared by radio and TV host Vinnie Penn in a TikTok video that got more than 1.1 million views, and it has started important talks about safety and trusting your gut.

Penn’s 22-year-old daughter told him about what happened to the woman. She first saw a man staring at her inside the coffee shop. After she left with her coffee and got into her car, she realized the same man had followed her outside and was now standing behind her car. He started knocking on her window and telling her she had a flat tire.

The woman would not get out of her car and yelled through the window that she could check her tire pressure on her dashboard. When the man kept going and went to the back of her car, still saying she needed to get out, the woman used her backup camera to see that her tires were fine. She then turned her steering wheel all the way to the left and drove away.

This Isn’t Just One Weird Thing That Happened

Penn said that this type of thing is becoming a real problem in Connecticut and happening at different places including red lights and parking lots. He said that bad guys often make up problems with cars, saying things like the tailpipe is hanging or there’s a weird noise, hoping young women will think they’re just trying to help. “They count on a young female to think, ‘Chivalry ain’t dead.’ No, it is, and you’re next,” Penn said in his video.

The Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia has backed up these worries, putting out warnings about flat tire scams after getting reports of weird encounters in their area. Their Facebook post said women and young people seem to be the main targets. The scam usually works like this: bad guys poke holes in tires or let air out to make a slow leak. 

When people come back to their cars, one scammer acts like a nice person offering to help while another person steals stuff from the car like purses or wallets. While this scam targets people in parking lots, not all strange parking lot finds involve criminals, as shown by a rare Honda that turned up in perfect condition at an Illinois junkyard that left car fans confused about how it got there.

Penn’s advice to his daughter and other young women is clear and straight to the point. Even if someone has really cut your tire, drive away no matter what. He told a story from when he was young and drove home on a flat tire and messed up the rim. “Destroy that rim. They slashed the tire. They think they’re gonna keep you prisoner. You drive on that sucker. Destroy the hell out of that rim,” Penn said, pointing out that you can replace a messed up rim but you can’t replace your safety.

Police say to stay aware of what’s around you, pick parking spots that are well lit and have cameras, and don’t open your door unless you feel safe doing so. If you think someone is trying to target you, call the police right away and try to safely get information like a license plate number.