In a recent TikTok video, a woman on vacation in downtown Dallas encountered a situation she certainly did not foresee. While with her friend, she was approached by a young girl (16) in pajamas with only a pillow. She was trying to get to her aunt’s house and asking for directions to a different Greyhound bus stop. She was dropped off at the wrong stop by an Uber which was set up by someone she knew, despite her aunt’s instructions.
By the time she got to the right stop, she missed the bus by a minute. This left her alone without the things she needed like a reliable device to reach her aunt. What happened after that is what caused such a controversy.
Why The Video Has Caused Controversy
According to the video, the Greyhound customer service was not helpful at all. Even the supervisor was rude to the woman trying to help the girl. After multiple efforts to arrange a different plan, the two women attempted to get the girl on the 7 p.m. bus that night.
The employees refused to let the girl on the bus even when the women offered to buy the girl’s ticket. After five hours, the employees agreed to watch the girl and allow her to get on the midnight bus to Houston. However, this resolution was not enough for the kind women who were looking after the sixteen-year-old.
Where Viewers Feel Greyhound Employees Got It Wrong
Much of the controversy that viewers discussed was about the way Greyhound employees treated those involved. The TikToker talks about the company’s disrespectful responses and lack of care toward the stranded young girl. Many viewers weighed in on the safety level of the area, which posed a threat to the young girl’s wellbeing.
The situation also raised some concerns about respectability politics. The woman who describes the incident on TikTok even goes on to explain how “because of her” she was not allowed to purchase the girl a different Greyhound bus ticket to reach her aunt. She was passionate about the well-being of the young girl but this seemingly was looked down upon. Employees laughed and even went out of their way to make the situation harder on the two helpful women. Only when the narrator of the video exited the premises and her friend approached the employees separately were they allowed to settle the situation.
What Happened?
Although the girl eventually made it to her aunt’s house and was accompanied by the two women, there is plenty of room to question how it all went down. The girl was seeking her aunt’s house as a refuge which makes the situation that much more dire.
According to recent announcements and the comments on the video, the Greyhound location is already supposed to be shut down. Although there is communal relief about that news, plenty of people are worried about safety as the country has consistently not protected Black girls in the ways that they should be.
