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A man shopping at a Trader Joe’s in Hermosa Beach, California, might have taken things too far when he decided to confront a woman whom he alleged was rude to him inside the store. He believed her behavior was racially motivated and said he couldn’t let it go unchallenged.
According to the man’s narration in the caption of his TikTok post, he had been standing alone in the salad section deciding what to buy for lunch when the woman came close to him and told him to “move over.” Because there was plenty of space in the aisle, he replied, “You’re good.” But she allegedly responded with an attitude, saying, “I know I’m good,” and continued standing there as if she deserved the space more than he did.
Feeling disrespected, the man said he looked at her and asked, “Excuse me?” to which she repeated, “I know I’m good, you’re the one in the way.” He claimed her tone and demeanor made him believe she was being intentionally rude, so he decided to start recording the interaction.
More on What Happened
In the clip he uploaded, the man followed the woman through the aisles as she continued shopping, telling her to repeat what she had allegedly said earlier. “No, you want to have a problem? I’m the one brown person in the whole store, and you want to come up to me and try to do something, right?” he said, while she tried her best to ignore him.
Another customer tried to intervene when the woman paused at an aisle, but the man refused to back down, telling the bystander they didn’t understand what had caused the issue. The person replied, “It doesn’t matter. It’s eight o’clock,” before walking away when it became clear the argument would not de-escalate.
As the man continued following the woman around the store, she appeared to meet with an employee and began explaining her version of events, which the man insisted were false. Her own side of the story, however, was not shown in the clip because, according to the man, he had accidentally stopped recording while she was speaking to the employee. He resumed filming shortly afterward, once she had finished and was walking away with the worker.
Here’s What Netizens Think About the Hermosa Beach Store Confrontation
Reactions to the video were divided. Some viewers praised the man for standing up for himself, with one writing, “They can’t handle when energy is matched 😂.” Another added, “She probably won’t be doing that again. Good for you.” Someone else commented, “Yasssss finally 😩 say it. Match it, I’m tired of these racist people.”
Others, however, felt that the confrontation went too far. “Matching the attitude is one thing, but following her around the store harassing her is going too far,” one person wrote. A second said, “Having an attitude doesn’t make her racist,” while a third remarked, “It’s not that serious bro.”
A few people also questioned whether he would have reacted the same way if the roles were reversed. “You did this to a woman who you know wouldn’t be a threat to you but would you have done this to a man… It’s not worth it!” one comment read.
