A Black TikTok influencer used her platform to blast a man for what she claimed was his texting homophobic and racist comments to family about her and others on the flight.
The quick-thinking travel vlogger videotaped the man’s text conversation before posting it online, raising questions about one’s right to privacy while communicating on a personal device.
Taila Rouse, whose TikTok and Instagram handle is Taila.thecreator, said she recorded the conversation with the white passenger sitting next to her on a flight to Atlanta from Puerto Rico because he made her feel uncomfortable.
The woman apparently glanced at the man’s phone while he was texting a person named “Mommy” and saw exchanges that she considered racially derogatory and anti-gay.
In a caption, she wrote, “He and his family went on and on about the woes of being stuck sitting next to Black and gay people.”
Seemingly upset, she videotaped herself as she decided what she should do. This video, while she did not specify when it was recorded, shows her silently looking back and forth while sitting in a window seat at the man, rolling her eyes and twisting up her mouth. The caption said, “Me literally going back and forth with myself, trying to decide if I was going to say something to the racist beside me.”
Another video which had over 15 million views on TikTok at the time of publishing, shows her decision.
Rouse documented her exchange with the man. With her camera apparently close to her lap and looking upward toward her, she said to the middle-seat passenger, “I wasn’t going to say anything, but I decided I want you to feel as uncomfortable as I do, and I want you to know that I saw your text messages and I think you’re disgusting.”
The man originally asked her what she was talking about, questioning, “What text message?”
Rouse quickly snapped back, “You know exactly what…
Read the full article here
