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TikToker Calls A Woman Who Wouldn’t Believe She Lived In Her Apartment Complex A Karen, The Internet Disagrees With Her Judgment
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TikToker Calls A Woman Who Wouldn’t Believe She Lived In Her Apartment Complex A Karen, The Internet Disagrees With Her Judgment

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There are loads of “Karens” out in the wild—or so the internet makes it seem—but do remember that what you see on the internet has to be taken with a grain of salt. Or a good handful of it.

A video has recently surfaced, showing a conflict between a “Karen” and another woman (later, a whole mob of people) in a residential building garage after the former blocked the entrance with her car so that the latter couldn’t get inside for safety reasons.

But the question many have been starting to ask is who’s really the “Karen” here?

More Info: TikTok

While the internet loves a “Karen”, not anyone you point your finger and shout at is necessarily one

Image credits: beingerikakane

So, TikToker and blogger Erika Kane (a.k.a Erika R. Lee) has shared a video on her TikTok channel showing a woman said to be blocking an apartment garage with her car. She kept demanding Erika show her her “clicker,” a remote for opening the garage door as proof that she lives there. And the issue escalated quickly.

In short, Erika refused to show the clicker, not just because she didn’t have to prove anything to anyone, but also because it didn’t really prove anything—if you’re gonna try to enter a residential garage without a key to it, you’re gonna have to eventually leave somehow, so it makes no sense why anyone would try to do it at all.

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All while this was happening, the woman in the car was blocking the entrance, and all of the cars (at first 5, later 8) trying to enter the garage were simply waiting. The woman in the car said that she’d feel safer if folks would show their clickers and then everyone could move on.

However, since it was rather late in the day, everyone was tired, the situation got worse by the second and more people got involved in the conflict.

A video of some folks getting really angry at this one woman blocking an apartment garage entrance has gone viral

@beingerikakane Re-Upload since the Clock app deleted the original. #karen ♬ original sound – Erika R. Lee ✨

But it’s not because the woman in the car is a Karen, but rather the folks shouting at her have reason to be such

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Image credits: beingerikakane

Erika posted 3 more follow-up videos providing context (here, here, and here). It was late, around 10PM, when Erika and her boyfriend were coming back home separately. Because they share a clicker, one had to wait for the other to get there to open up the garage. However, another person—the woman in the car in the first video—got there first and hence opened the garage, after which Erika’s boyfriend simply tailgated.

Erika got there, saw her boyfriend halfway in the garage, blocked by another car, and went to investigate. The two women tried to talk it out, one asked to move, the other demanded to see a clicker, both decided to not do any of those things, and both started to get very antsy.

At this point, there were 5 or 6 cars, and one of the drivers from another car, wearing a FedEx uniform, stepped out and started fueling the conversation. Erika also points out that the majority of the folks there were black, so there may have been some racial tension there.

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He explained that her “policing” everyone at this point made no sense as there was a second, permanently open (due to maintenance) garage door on the other side of the building, so it made no sense to be in this situation. In the end, there was a lot of yelling.

Image credits: beingerikakane

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Some time, and several phone-whips (for recording purposes) later, the woman in the car moved, all 8 cars waiting got in, and everyone dispersed while the “alleged Karen” stayed in the car until everyone else was gone.

And folks were, well, not torn on the issue, but there were definitely several sides to it all and internauts made it very clear.

On the one side, there was a woman calling another woman a “Karen” because she was blocking everyone trying to reach their homes because she didn’t feel safe, or at least that’s how it went at face value. And on the other hand, there was a woman actively tackling the issue of safety and security in her building.

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But the issue here was much more complicated than one might think. Folks started pointing out a lot of unnecessary yelling and demands, namely that nobody really needed to block anyone for the issue to be resolved, and nobody really needed to refuse to show their clickers, if that’s all that there was to it.

Despite the original poster explaining the situation, folks online still think the woman blocking the garage entrance was right to do so

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Besides that, others pointed out that there are rules and regulations demanding folks come into garages one car at a time as the driver opening the door is technically responsible for everyone entering the premises, and anyone tailgating them would fall under their responsibility as well. So, the woman in the car was actually right to demand folks prove they live there.

Finally, the tide started to turn, and Erika herself was beginning to look like the bad guy in this situation after commenters began noticing that the woman in the car wasn’t mad or angry as much as she was concerned and scared that what seemed like a mob was now shouting at her.

And while it wasn’t ultimately the woman’s job to police anyone, as one commenter stated—“Not her job, not her right, not her responsibility. Photograph. Note date and time. Contact management and police and get on with it“—but she was just trying to make sure everyone was safe.

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Whatever the case, Erika’s video got nearly 5 million views, with the three other updates garnering another 700,000, coming out to a bit over 380,000 likes collectively.

You can check all of the videos here, here, here, and here, but before you go, share your thoughts—maybe there’s even more to this than what folks have been mentioning—in the comment section below!

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Robertas Lisickis

Robertas Lisickis

Writer, BoredPanda staff

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Some time ago, Robertas used to spend his days watching how deep the imprint in his chair will become as he wrote for Bored Panda. Wrote about pretty much everything under and beyond the sun. Not anymore, though. He's now probably playing Gwent or hosting Dungeons and Dragons adventures for those with an inclination for chaos.

Read less »
Robertas Lisickis

Robertas Lisickis

Writer, BoredPanda staff

Some time ago, Robertas used to spend his days watching how deep the imprint in his chair will become as he wrote for Bored Panda. Wrote about pretty much everything under and beyond the sun. Not anymore, though. He's now probably playing Gwent or hosting Dungeons and Dragons adventures for those with an inclination for chaos.

Saulė Tolstych

Saulė Tolstych

Author, Community member

Read more »

Saulė is a photo editor at Bored Panda with bachelor's degree in Multimedia and Computer Design. The thing that relaxes her the best is going into YouTube rabbit hole. In her free time she loves painting, embroidering and taking walks in nature.

Read less »

Saulė Tolstych

Saulė Tolstych

Author, Community member

Saulė is a photo editor at Bored Panda with bachelor's degree in Multimedia and Computer Design. The thing that relaxes her the best is going into YouTube rabbit hole. In her free time she loves painting, embroidering and taking walks in nature.

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David Andrews
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Erika needs to get over herself, and stop trying to create drama she can post online. This women is not "blocking them from their garage", they are demanding this woman gives them access through her clicker. It's a garage where the access is restricted. Her boyfriend was trying to tailgate into the garage because he did not have a clicker. The woman was perfectly entitled to stop someone else getting access through her. They could have just said sorry, his girlfriend had the clicker and either shown it, or asked her to allow the gate to close and then they could open it themselves.

Cathy Lee
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He must have not wanted to get in very badly or Erika would have unlocked the gate when she got there. But no, she decided decided to record another 10 minutes! The 8 waiting should have been mad at her.

Load More Replies...
StarmanWaitingInTheSky
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I live in a secure building and keep getting other tenants piggybacking to get in and racing up behind people who are unlocking the door. It is uncomfortable and it's against mgmt policy to allow people in without a key or buzzing them in. I can understand when it's -30C or below. But as a tenant it is uncomfortable. If someone who seeps in does something wrong, who's responsible? ETA. The lady blocking should just remind Erin and the others of the rules and that she would feel more comfortable if everyone enter the garage the same way, with their clickers. Rather than demanding to see their clicker, in a confrontational manner, that causes defensive reactions. Erin added fuel to the fire taking out her phone to record this lady who is just trying to enforce the rules. Although this was not the right approach. It sounds like it happens often with this lady, too.

Vivian Ashe
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's a no-win situation. If the "piggybackers" are criminals, then you're putting yourself in danger by stopping them. But if they legitimately live there and have just forgotten their clicker or something, then you're a "Karen" and your neighbors now hate you. But if you don't do anything to stop them and something bad happens, then the management will hold you responsible. I was so happy when I was finally able to buy a house and move out of my "security" building.

Load More Replies...
Alex Qu
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So tell me if I'm wrong but Erika's boyfriend waited near the garage till someone he doesn't know arrived and wanted to follow the woman into a place where no other people are. A place normally locked for everyone, like him apparently, without the permission to enter in form of a clicker. Dude that s**t sounds like the beginning of a horror movie where she gets assaulted or murdered. Or he is a crazy ex that wants to burn down the house his ex lives in. That is basic assault prevention. Also he clearly showed he didn't have the permission to enter and tried to get in with coercion. He should have asked if he could tag along and if the answer is no cause the woman felt unsafe he should have waited for his girlfriend. Instead he pulled a creep behaviour.

Load More Comments
David Andrews
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Erika needs to get over herself, and stop trying to create drama she can post online. This women is not "blocking them from their garage", they are demanding this woman gives them access through her clicker. It's a garage where the access is restricted. Her boyfriend was trying to tailgate into the garage because he did not have a clicker. The woman was perfectly entitled to stop someone else getting access through her. They could have just said sorry, his girlfriend had the clicker and either shown it, or asked her to allow the gate to close and then they could open it themselves.

Cathy Lee
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He must have not wanted to get in very badly or Erika would have unlocked the gate when she got there. But no, she decided decided to record another 10 minutes! The 8 waiting should have been mad at her.

Load More Replies...
StarmanWaitingInTheSky
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I live in a secure building and keep getting other tenants piggybacking to get in and racing up behind people who are unlocking the door. It is uncomfortable and it's against mgmt policy to allow people in without a key or buzzing them in. I can understand when it's -30C or below. But as a tenant it is uncomfortable. If someone who seeps in does something wrong, who's responsible? ETA. The lady blocking should just remind Erin and the others of the rules and that she would feel more comfortable if everyone enter the garage the same way, with their clickers. Rather than demanding to see their clicker, in a confrontational manner, that causes defensive reactions. Erin added fuel to the fire taking out her phone to record this lady who is just trying to enforce the rules. Although this was not the right approach. It sounds like it happens often with this lady, too.

Vivian Ashe
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's a no-win situation. If the "piggybackers" are criminals, then you're putting yourself in danger by stopping them. But if they legitimately live there and have just forgotten their clicker or something, then you're a "Karen" and your neighbors now hate you. But if you don't do anything to stop them and something bad happens, then the management will hold you responsible. I was so happy when I was finally able to buy a house and move out of my "security" building.

Load More Replies...
Alex Qu
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So tell me if I'm wrong but Erika's boyfriend waited near the garage till someone he doesn't know arrived and wanted to follow the woman into a place where no other people are. A place normally locked for everyone, like him apparently, without the permission to enter in form of a clicker. Dude that s**t sounds like the beginning of a horror movie where she gets assaulted or murdered. Or he is a crazy ex that wants to burn down the house his ex lives in. That is basic assault prevention. Also he clearly showed he didn't have the permission to enter and tried to get in with coercion. He should have asked if he could tag along and if the answer is no cause the woman felt unsafe he should have waited for his girlfriend. Instead he pulled a creep behaviour.

Load More Comments
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