The woman visits the same coffee shop every morning for a latte but after a recent visit, she received a ‘creepy’ and ‘unexpected’ message that’s left her scared to go back
A woman who visits the same coffee shop each morning for her latte has been left feeling “unsafe” after getting a “creepy” message from a barista who works there. Many people visit the same spot each day to get their caffeine fix and it’s not uncommon to become familiar with some of the staff working there, especially if you’re seeing them on a regular basis.
For most people though, that’s where the contact begins and ends – the transaction is the reason for the interaction and once complete, both the customer and the worker go on with their day.
One woman got a shock when the barista who makes her latte each day tracked her down on social media and messaged her, wanting to get to know her. She was put off by this “creepy” interaction and is now concerned he’s stalking her.
Seeking advice, she turned to Reddit where she shared screenshots of the messages with the caption: “Am I overreacting? The barista from the coffee shop I frequent somehow [got] my insta. Is it creepy?”
In the first message, the barista said: “Hey, mind if we get to know each other?” The woman then replied asking who he was.
The barista then said: “Your fave barista from [blank] Coffee Shop. The one who makes your latte every morning”.
To which, the woman asked: “Oh wow… how did you even find me on here?”
He then said: ““Let’s just say I’ve got good detective skills? Lol”.
The woman replied: “That’s kinda unexpected”.
The barista added: “Unexpected good right? I mean I see you all the time. Figured it’s about time to slide into your DMs”.
She did not reply to his final message. In the comments section, fellow Reddit users were keen to share their thoughts – and they were divided.
One person said: “I would report him to his supervisor if possible, it’s unprofessional behaviour and it makes me wonder if he’s done that in the past with other women.”
Another said: “Yes it’s creepy. If I was in your shoes I will not feel safe enough to come back”.
The woman replied: “Yes I think so. Do I need to block him then never go back [to] that cafe? Or is it possible he is stalking me? Like [I don’t know] I don’t feel safe.”
But someone else had a different perspective and said: “It’s insanely easy to find anyone on social media now. It doesn’t even take minutes. I would talk to him and set a boundary. But going straight to accusing of stalking seems extreme. You can adjust your privacy settings.”
Another disagreed with this line of thinking and said: “Stalking isn’t judged based on how much effort it takes. Following someone home is easy, it doesn’t make it not stalking.”
And another advised: “Completely unprofessional from his work place’s point of view. You should report it to his workplace. He should be fired. Depends on the boss.
“I would also suggest reporting it at your local cop shop and just have a chat with them and let then know that even if there’s nothing they can do at this point (most likely scenario as he hasn’t broken any laws) you find it creepy and want the interaction on record, just in case it goes further.”
But someone else added: “For me the messages themselves aren’t creepy. He took his shot and you turned him down. A reasonable guy will go oh well and move on. Nothing wrong in this scenario.
“If he continues to bug you or hassle you or make you feel uncomfortable after you have told him no then yes he is creepy.”
In the UK, if you think you’re being harassed, you can report it to the police. You can read more about what counts as harassment on the Citizens Advice website.
