A production crew in New York has come under fire after allegedly turning away paying customers from a local laundromat during a commercial shoot, as seen in a viral TikTok video. In the clip, a woman could be seen asking several customers to leave the laundromat. The customers repeatedly asked why they were being turned away, explaining that they had come to do their laundry and could not understand being denied access for a photoshoot.
Forced to leave, some customers were seen dragging their laundry baskets away in frustration. According to the person who shared the video, many had come on one of the few days they had time to do their laundry, only to be turned away by what they described as a corporate production crew. The TikTok creator claimed that the crew had taken over a neighborhood laundromat in Greenpoint to film an ad campaign. The poster added that the production did not provide adequate notice to customers or the surrounding community before filming.
“They didn’t buy out the business, they didn’t pay to shut it down for the day or partially, or notify the neighborhood. But they had no problem trying to physically shove us out and treat paying locals like trespassers so their model could pose,” the creator alleged. They concluded by criticizing what they described as the entitlement of production crews to treat working-class neighborhoods like private sets.
Netizens Criticized The Production Crew And Suggested Better Alternatives
The incident quickly drew widespread reactions online, with many viewers criticizing the way the production was handled. “Maybe they are just entitled rude people and would do this to anyone,” one commenter wrote.
A former marketing professional offered what they believed was a more appropriate approach, explaining that commercial shoots should ideally be scheduled before business hours, after closing, or on days when the business is not operating. “They should have booked it for a day,” the user noted.
Another user jokingly pointed out the ironic scene, writing, “She’s in a suit and sunglasses in the middle of a laundromat asking you what you’re doing 😂.” Several commenters also questioned why people dressed in corporate attire were attempting to control access to a neighborhood laundromat in the first place.
Others shifted the blame toward the business owner, arguing that the space should have been officially rented out and temporarily closed if filming was going to interfere with regular customers. “Owners fault. They should’ve rented the space and closed during that time,” one user commented, with many others sharing the same opinion.
One commenter, who identified themselves as a producer, offered an industry perspective: “Producer here. They should have bought out the location to shut it down for the day/half day or done the shoot after they closed. They could have even offered to pay people in the laundromat for the inconvenience if it was just going to be for minutes. If they’re blocking people from doing their laundry, that’s not okay or professional.”
The incident sparked conversations about customer service. It also served as a reminder that commercial productions should be carefully planned to minimize disruption to the communities they temporarily occupy, thereby avoiding a bad reputation.
