Chicago Woman Got Cornered by a Man. Then, Maple & Ash Employees Noticed: ‘I Don’t Even Want to Know What Would’ve Happened to Me’

There’s an assumption that if a man approaches a woman in a public space, she should be safe to decline his unwanted attention. But Sid (@lavendermilftea) recalled her harrowing experience on TikTok. It happened at Gold Coast, Chicago, all because a man couldn’t take “no” for an answer. If it weren’t for the help of Maple & Ash employees, Sid’s story might have had a different ending.

Her video is dated May 28th, and the incident occurred sometime in the afternoon near Maple & Ash—a fine dining steakhouse. Sid said she went out to make a smoothie video in Whole Foods. As she was walking by the street, a man told her that she was beautiful. She dismissed the comment because, unfortunately, Sid said she was used to being catcalled.

Sid told him, ‘Thank you,’ as a nicety—she feared being beaten up. But instead of leaving her alone after, he stepped in front of her and insisted on getting her number. He’s got so close to Sid that she was backed into the pole.

A strange man who doesn’t know what “no” means

She tried reasoning with him and told the strange man that she already has a boyfriend. Still, the man didn’t budge. He insisted, “It’s fine. We could just be friends.”

Sid could feel the man’s hand hover by her lower back, and she feared that he would touch her. At that point, she was considering giving him a fake number just to drive him away. She took his number, but then the man forcefully said, “Text me right now.”

Although she tried making an excuse to leave, the man said he was going to follow her home. She did not know this man, and yet he seemingly steamrolled her in every interaction so far. Sid was evidently not comfortable, and this strange man didn’t care. She was still pushed up against the pole, without any escape routes.

“I was scared to fight back because I didn’t want to be in a position where he does have the power over me,” Sid said. The man was significantly taller than her. “The look he had in his eyes literally looked like he was going to hurt me,” she added.

Maple & Ash employees save the day

Sid even started grabbing her hair because she thought he’d grab her by the hair and then beat her up. Then, she started crying and begged the strange man to stop. But before things could take a turn for the worst, a Maple & Ash employee noticed Sid’s distress.

“I’m so fucking grateful for Maple & Ash. If this could reach them, give this man a promotion. Give your whole staff a promotion,” she said. The Maple & Ash employee was a valet man, and he saw what was happening. He took photos of the incident because he was disturbed by the interaction. Then, he called on Sid, beckoning her over to his side like a friend.

She slowly extracted herself from the situation with the help of the valet. The moment she started speeding up at a distance, the strange man started chasing her. But Maple & Ash welcomed Sid in the establishment, gave her water, and promised to chase the strange man out.

Apparently, the strange man hadn’t gotten the memo, because he got in the restaurant and started charging towards Sid. The valet man got in between to protect Sid while the five other employees tried restraining him. The situation was dire, and the employees had to call the police. But by the time the authorities arrived, the man had already gotten away.

The police still haven’t caught the man, but she described him as a tall Black man with dreads. Despite her description, Sid sternly warned TikTok users not to leave racially abusive comments. Nevertheless, she thanked the employees. The valet man saved her, but the rest of the Maple & Ash employees also protected Sid. She also gave credit to one of the female staff members, who comforted her after the attack.

She did everything right and still got attacked

“It sucks because as girls, we’re told to do everything right. I tried not to agitate him, I tried to be polite,” Sid said. She also reminded TikTok that the incident happened in a crowded area—she wasn’t walking home alone at night. And yet, despite her precautions, the man still gave chase, and the situation quickly turned grim.

Sid said she wishes she had pepper spray at the moment. She advised other women to carry defensive tools and not to walk in isolated spaces. “Because you don’t want to know what would’ve happened if this guy hadn’t been there. I don’t even want to know what would’ve happened to me,” Sid concluded, tearful because of the horrific encounter. If all this could happen to her in broad daylight, she fears that the situation would have been infinitely worse without anyone else noticing and then intervening in her plight.

(featured images: Matthias Reding, lavendermilftea, loustejskal.com)

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]