Have you ever sat at a coffee shop, restaurant, or on a bus that was completely empty, only to have someone choose to sit right next to you? It can be a little awkward, especially if you’re someone who values personal space.
That’s exactly what happened to TikToker @sli.mothy, who says he recently experienced this situation at a Starbucks.
Feeling uncomfortable, @sli.mothy decided to document the experience in a TikTok video, which quickly went viral on the social media platform.
@sli.mothy This one triggered me🫠 #foru #triggered #howsway #whyjustwhy #personalspaceinvader #fypp #virall #starbucks #coffee #workmodetiktok ♬ None Badder – L4Lmusic
In the video, he pans around the empty Starbucks, showing the vast array of empty seats that were available, and then turns the camera towards the other customer, showing them seated right next to the TikToker.
The video is accompanied by an overlay text, which reads, “The whole Starbucks was empty and look where this man chose to sit.” He added in the caption: “This one triggered me.”
The video quickly gained traction on TikTok, amassing over 2 million views as of Friday.
In the comments section, people discussed the awkwardness of the encounter and shared similar experiences.
“I’ve just learned to get up and move. Oh it made them uncomfortable? Me too so idc,” one commenter said.
“There needs to be a study on this because WHY!!?” a second added.
“I have this theory that ppl do this intentionally to see if they can make you uncomfortable and analyze your reaction. It’s a weird social experiment,” a third commenter theorized.
Another viewer wrote, “I’d straight up tell them to sit somewhere else.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to @sli.mothy via TikTok comment.
