There’s never a dull moment in Ohio, and one local Dollar General proved that grocery runs can get downright chaotic. A man named John says what should’ve been a simple trip to grab laundry detergent turned into a bizarre showdown with an employee who refused to leave him alone, and the entire ordeal was caught on camera.
According to John, the drama began long before he ever set foot in the Ohio Dollar General. He claims that an employee named Tara had already confronted him earlier that day on a public bus after he refused to sign her petition. Things apparently went downhill from there. When John later entered the store to pick up laundry soap, Tara allegedly spotted him and immediately reignited the confrontation, this time, with an audience.
In a video posted to TikTok by user @jdquarlesiv, John films himself walking through the aisles while Tara follows just a few feet behind. “You see this?” he says into the camera, panning over to reveal the Dollar General worker tailing him. Tara doesn’t deny it. In fact, she leans right into the camera moment. “Hi, my name is Tara. I work at Dollar General. Hello. How you all doing?” she says with a grin and a wave, as if she’s auditioning for Retail Nightmares: Ohio Edition.
Ohio Man Records Dollar General Nightmare Shopping Trip
John explains to viewers, “This lady cussed me out on the bus because I wouldn’t sign her petition. I’m trying to find some laundry soap and she’s following me around.” Meanwhile, Tara keeps up a running commentary in the background, loudly pointing out where the laundry detergent is while refusing to give John any space.
At one point, another customer asks for help, but Tara isn’t about to break her focus. Instead, she shouts across the store for a co-worker named Daniel to handle it so she can keep shadowing John. “Tara, back off,” Daniel can be heard saying in the video, clearly trying to defuse the situation. But Tara doesn’t seem interested in stopping. When John threatens to post the footage online, she doubles down, shouting, “Put it on social media! Hi, my name is Tara. Put me on social media!”
Eventually, the situation boils over, with John raising his voice in frustration before storming out of the store. Later, in a follow-up video, he revealed that he had contacted Dollar General’s corporate office to report the harassment. He also claimed that employees at the Ohio location were now accusing him of being a shoplifter, something he insists is completely false.
John says he’s not just looking for an apology; he wants accountability. “I’m waiting to hear back from corporate,” he told viewers, adding that the entire encounter left him feeling humiliated and targeted.
He Just Wanted Some Laundry Soap
Whether this was a case of personal grudges gone too far or a total misunderstanding, one thing’s clear: this Ohio Dollar General has become the latest unlikely stage for small-town drama. And as TikTok viewers pour in with reactions ranging from disbelief to outrage, it’s safe to say this isn’t the kind of customer service moment Dollar General wants making the rounds.
“She’s playing with her job in this economy,” one person commented. “She is getting on my nerves,” said another. “Tara you’re a weirdo,” a third comment read. “This lasted WAY too long. I have zero patience for this,” a fourth comment read.
All this Ohio man wanted was some clean clothes. However, it seems that even laundry soap can come with a side of chaos.
Sabrina Russell 
Kenna Raye 
