‘I would have called the police before I left’: Mom in Walmart parking lot warns of water bottles left behind the back wheel
In a viral TikTok video, a mom shared a public service announcement about the potential danger of seeing a water bottle behind the back tire of a car.
In the clip, Bri (@real_mom_life_with_bri) is filming from inside her car after noticing a startling trend.
"I am so angry right now, and let me tell you why," Bri starts.
She says that she's heard of car robbers tying ribbons or zip ties around a car handle as a theft or mugging setup. Several social media users have posted their concerns about these tactics related to sex trafficking, sparking mass concern. However, police have stated that there is no evidence of ties to sex trafficking, and Politifact stated that these claims are unsubstantiated.
Still, Bri claims she noticed a new alleged carjacking technique being used at her local Walmart.
The TikToker explains that she saw upright water bottles strategically placed behind the back wheel of at least six cars, several of them being SUVs that parents in her area are likely to drive.
"That just seems too much of a coincidence to me," Bri says.
@real_mom_life_with_bri ♬ original sound - Realmomlifewithbri
When she got home, Bri looked up "water bottle behind a tire" online thinking it might be a common prank since there has been an uptick in pranks in her area.
"When is this gonna stop? How are we still allowing this to be a thing? This is terrible. So if you see a water bottle behind your tire, do not pick it up. You don't know if it's laced with anything. You don't know anything about it. Don't touch it," Bri warns.
She added that the worst thing that can happen is the bottle will make a popping noise, and water will spill on the ground.
The video has garnered nearly 700,000 views and over 1,100 comments as of Thursday morning.
"I would have called the police before I left the lot," a top comment read.
"I think that happened to me yesterday. Parked no problem. Left space later [heard a] pop and felt like I rolled over something. Kept going," another shared.
According to one of Jerry's licensed insurance agents, this is a scheme done by carjackers. The idea is that oftentimes people will not notice the water bottle, and when they back up their vehicle, the tire going over the bottle will make a loud rattling sound "that's impossible to ignore."
While some drivers will hear the noise and keep going, car thieves are preying on those who will be alarmed by the noise enough to get out and check what they hit.
"The resulting confrontation could be nothing more than a startling inconvenience—or it could be a life-threatening situation," wrote Shannon Martin, a licensed insurance agent.
The agent suggests that anyone who notices this trick call and alert the police and advises them not to stay idle in the area or nearby streets.
The Daily Dot reached out to Bri via TikTok comment.
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