Whether you are staying in a hotel for a vacation or a business trip, you would usually hope for a sound night's sleep in a comfy bed. However, one woman has told Newsweek that the unexpected detail in her room that left her struggling to sleep as she was so scared for her safety.
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As a model, Emma Fried often travels for work, and she has developed a routine to help her feel comfortable and safe wherever she goes. But, while staying a Holiday Inn in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, earlier this month, the 33-year-old was horrified to notice a gap under the door of more than an inch.
Fried, from New Jersey, felt incredibly vulnerable when she spotted it. She told Newsweek that it was alarming to have such a large space under the door. She would usually place a chair in front of the door, but she feared that the gap made it too easy for any barricade to be pushed out of the way.
Emma Fried poses in the Holiday Inn in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The 33-year-old felt unsafe as a result of the large gap under her door, which she didn't notice until late into the evening.Emma Fried poses in the Holiday Inn in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The 33-year-old felt unsafe as a result of the large gap under her door, which she didn't notice until late into the evening.@emmaclairefried / TikTok"I only noticed it once I started getting ready for bed. When I was turning the lights off, the light from the hallway made it very noticeable," Fried said. "That was the main reason I didn't ask to switch rooms because I had already gotten in bed and disturbed the room, so I felt guilty that they would have to reset it.
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"I use the chair trick to jam the door, and someone could easily push that away from the outside. Same if I were to roll a towel up and shove it under the door; what could stop someone from unjamming it? I ended up shoving a bunch of stuff against the door, which covered most of it."
Newsweek reached out to the Holiday Inn hotel for comment, and the company said that it intends to review the gap under the door and investigate potential modifications if they are deemed necessary.
One of the hotel's owners, Sam Wilsker, said: "Safety and security for both our guests and employees is of top concern to us. All rooms are equipped with deadbolts and interior latches for guest's use for security and privacy, in addition to on-site security at peak times."
After spotting the large gap, Fried didn't speak to hotel staff as she "didn't want to draw attention" to herself late in the evening. She managed to get some sleep overnight; however, she certainly didn't wake up feeling refreshed and well-rested.
The TikTok Reaction
There was no chance of relaxing, so Fried shared a video on TikTok (@emmaclairefried) on May 6 to show the reason she didn't feel safe. After showing how easily it was to slide her hand under the door, she said that someone else could do the same, or even put a camera through the gap.
The clip shocked many, gaining more than 547,000 views and almost 30,000 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
Fried said: "Most of the online reaction has been supportive, as others spoke about their fears and bad experiences. Of course, there were some responses saying I'm full of myself thinking that people want to break in and get me, telling me to calm down, or that I'm being dramatic; the usual."
Fried's TikTok video has generated more than 240 comments so far, as many social-media users shared in her horror, while others offered her tips to feel safe in hotels. One comment reads: "Omg [Oh my god] that's an excessively huge space."
Another person responded: "Omg you could open that door so easily."
A third TikTok user wrote: "I use the iron board. That's the only way I feel comfortable."
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