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'I'm Being Watched:' Tampa Woman Parks Her Mustang Near a Gas Station. Then She Decides to Stay in the Car Indefinitely

"That's what's really weird."

Tampa woman parks her Mustang near gas station. Then she decides to stay in the car indefinitely
Photo by: katydunkley & Jonathan Gallegos

A Tampa woman says a normal afternoon in her Ford Mustang turned into a tense waiting game after she noticed a man watching her. She’s convinced he wasn’t simply admiring her car.

“Alright y’all, you ready for some real [expletive]?” content creator Katy Dunkley (@katydunkley) says.

Dunkley, who’s filming from inside her Ford Mustang, shares the uncomfortable experience she was having with a man parked near her.

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“I’ve been in my car just like recording videos and stuff…. I’m being watched like this whole time this man has been staring me down.”

In the clip, she pans her camera toward a man in a nearby vehicle with his windows down.

 “Yeah, I love men, oh my god,” she says sarcastically. 

“Like why? Literally anywhere and everywhere, I feel like as a woman, we can’t even be in our car. We can’t. We can’t even be in our car like sitting here.”

Creeped Out In the Parking Lot

Dunkley admits she knows it’s “a little strange” to be sitting in a parking lot filming TikToks, but that doesn’t excuse the strange man’s behavior in her mind.


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“For you to sit there with your windows down and staring at me, and like, he’s waved a couple times, that’s what’s really weird,” she says.

While some people might feel the need to slink away in this situation, Dunkley decides to stay put. She tells viewers she’s not leaving the Mustang until she feels safe, effectively turning the parking lot into a stalemate.

While she doesn’t say if the man eventually left, her video sparked discussion about how quickly seemingly harmless situations can feel unsafe, especially for women. The clip tapped into a familiar unease—public spaces are never fully free from unwanted attention.

More Dangerous Than You Think

Dunkley’s video resonated with many online. Perhaps that is because many people have had frightening experiences in parking lots.

You’re likely in a parking lot often, especially if, like most places in the United States, you live in an area where a car is practically a requirement for getting around.

Recent data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation found that parking areas—like lots and garages—are the third most common site of violent crimes, following residences and roads/sidewalks.

“[You’re] gorgeous yes... but he shouldn't be a creep for sure,” a person said.

“Carry a cut-out of someone and put it on your window,” another suggested.

“I'd be staring at you for a little bit, too. You're pretty hawt,” a man said, exemplifying the problem.

Motor1 reached out to Dunkley for comment via Instagram and TikTok direct message. We’ll be sure to update this if she responds.

 
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