We all know stopping at a gas station bathroom can be a gamble. You’re either walking into a semi-clean pitstop or a horror movie set. But for one Texas woman, it turned out to be something much more unsettling.
A woman named Shelby recently garnered attention on TikTok after discovering a truly disturbing feature at an Exxon gas station restroom in College Station, Texas. In a nearly six-minute video that’s been viewed over six million times, she showed what appeared to be a locking mechanism on the outside of the women’s restroom, and only the women’s restroom.
“Maybe I’m crazy but if I am, I would love to know what this contraption is for,” she wrote in the caption, while filming the lock and demonstrating how it could essentially trap someone inside once the door shuts.
“You have no way of getting out,” Shelby said in the video, showing how the mechanism engages externally, which means a woman could walk in, the door closes behind her, and unless someone’s there to let her out, she’s stuck. She even showed the men’s restroom, which had no such lock.
Texas Woman Finds Creepy Lock Outside Gas Station Bathroom
Understandably freaked out, Shelby noted that the employees at the gas station became visibly annoyed with her while she was filming. “They were giving me looks like they were watching me,” she said. Honestly, that alone would be enough to make anyone bolt out the door and call for backup.
Shelby did the smart thing and called the police, hoping for an explanation. What she got was… confusing at best. According to her, the gas station employees told the responding officer that the lock was there to prevent a “large group of Hispanic men” from “destroying” the restroom, an excuse that was not only offensive but made zero sense. The lock didn’t prevent anyone from entering, so how would it stop anyone from causing damage?
Even the officer reportedly agreed the whole thing was sketchy and said the explanation “didn’t really make sense.”
To add some chilling context, Texas has the second-highest rate of human trafficking victims in the country. In addition, College Station is home to Texas A&M University, where thousands of young women live and go to school. So yeah, this wasn’t just an odd discovery. It had real, terrifying implications.
Viewers were quick to back Shelby up, applauding her for trusting her instincts and speaking up. “This is a perfect example of see something, say something. You went with your gut and probably helped save girls and women! Thank you!” one commenter wrote.
Another said, “A remote controlled lock on the outside of a women’s restroom is absolutely NOT NORMAL! Always always always trust your instincts.”
The Fire Department Intervened When Police Didn’t
Unfortunately, when Shelby asked the police officer to do something about it, he reportedly said there was nothing they could legally do, which, as expected, set off a flood of speculation and concern online. Some users even questioned whether authorities often turn a blind eye in these situations.
But Shelby didn’t stop there. She contacted the local Fire Marshal, who actually showed up and got it handled. In another video, you can hear the Marshal speaking to an employee, saying, “You can call your boss, but no matter how he feels about it, it’s coming down today in front of me, with my tools or yours.”
And just like that, the sketchy lock was removed.
The whole situation is disturbing for so many reasons, but it also serves as an important reminder to trust your instincts, speak up, and don’t be afraid to make noise if something feels off. The Texas woman’s video and persistence may have prevented something truly awful, and for that, a lot of women are feeling a little more aware and a lot more grateful.
Casey James 
Sofia Bassett 
