A confrontation between an elderly California man and a group of young women on a hiking trail has gone viral in a TikTok post after one of the women used bear spray, saying the group felt threatened by his behavior. In the clip, the man could be seen wearing a backpack and walking toward one of the women while pointing what appeared to be a fishing rod at her. Feeling threatened, one of the women reached for her animal deterrent spray and unloaded it on the senior citizen. He was seen backing away from the spray, briefly returning, then retreating again.
According to her, the encounter began after the man confronted them about where they had parked their car. She claimed he reprimanded the group, demeaned them, and continued speaking aggressively even after they told him they were leaving.
As explained in the video’s caption, one of the girls claimed that the man was not actually leaving but was instead walking toward another member of their group, since all six friends had been spread out along the trail.
In a follow-up post, one of the women provided more context about what had allegedly happened. She explained that the group had gone hiking to celebrate a friend’s birthday and had brought bear spray with them as a precaution against wildlife. Instead, she said, they ended up using it during the confrontation with the man.
She further alleged that the man repeatedly got into their personal space despite there being no visible “No Parking” signs and despite other vehicles also being parked in the same area, as shown in the video. Feeling intimidated, she decided to use the bear spray. The woman also claimed that after the group left, the man allegedly followed their vehicle and threw objects at it. She added that they filed a police report because they believed they had acted in self-defense, while alleging that the man later gave an inaccurate version of events to authorities.
California Citizens Were Divided Over The Incident
The viral video sparked intense debate online, with commenters split over who was in the right. While many supported the women, others argued for the man or felt there was more to the story.
“As a girl, dad of 3… I approve! Stay safe out there please!” one father wrote, with several other parents expressing similar support for the women. Another commenter wrote, “What was he saying? Btw I’m totally on your side with this. There’s zero reason for him to say anything beyond a basic hello, have a nice day,” criticizing the man’s alleged behavior.
Many users praised the women for how they handled the situation. “She handled him like a champ. Leave people, especially women, alone. There’s nothing to argue about in the woods, and if there is, call the law,” one commenter wrote, while others applauded them for standing up for themselves. One user strongly rejected arguments that there were “two sides” to the story, writing, “These people who are saying ‘there are two sides’ are 100% wrong. I don’t care what happened because a grown man CANNOT aggressively approach some young ladies in such a threatening manner. Her use of spray = 100% justified.”
Not everyone agreed, however. Some commenters criticized the women, arguing that the man had not gotten as close to them as they claimed. “He does have a First Amendment right to talk to people,” one user wrote in his defense. Others maintained that the short video did not provide enough context to determine exactly what had happened before the confrontation.
For many viewers, the bear spray itself isn’t the biggest question. Instead, the debate has become whether the women were justified in protecting themselves based on how threatened they say they felt, or whether the missing moments before the recording change the story entirely.
