A man queuing to vote in the US election in New York became alarmed when he noticed a woman standing unusually close behind him.

However, he quickly realized the true cause of his unusual behavior, causing him to reflect in the process.

New York’s Matt Martinez knows there’s something in the air as the United States decides who will be its next president. “I think tensions are always high around election time,” he said. news week.

There has already been at least one case of tension in South Carolina, where unpleasant scenes unfolded at an Orangeburg County early voting location.

Footage of a fight between a poll worker and a man trying to vote went viral, raising questions about what to expect once polls open on Election Day. There is even the danger of contracting pneumonia, according to some health experts.

Martinez said he felt “nervous but hopeful” when he went up to vote. “Cautiously optimistic, I would say,” he added. However, as he joined the line for the polls, something began to bother him about the woman standing right behind him.

“You know how you line up and sometimes people don’t have a strong awareness of each other’s personal space. I started getting upset because she kept hitting me and seemed to follow me like a shadow,” Martinez said.

Given the scenes witnessed in Orangeburg and former President Donald Trump’s claims of “arguments” Martínez’s imagination began to run wild with what the woman could be doing. Then he saw something that changed his entire perspective on what was happening. “Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her hiding in my shadow and realized what she was doing,” he said.

In a video published in Martínez tiktok@ambiguousmattwith the camera focused on his face and the woman standing right behind him, practically out of sight, he revealed the truth.

“I’m standing in line to vote and this woman is very close to me,” says an on-screen caption. “I was going to say something but I realized you’re using me to protect yourself from the sun. I got you, ma’am.”

At one point in the clip, Martínez moves the camera to show the anonymous woman hiding behind him. He said realizing what was happening gave him a “good moment of self-reflection.” The video was an extension of that.

“I thought it would be a good time to record a quick video as a reminder of the good in people and try to give them the benefit of the doubt,” Martinez said. “The funny thing is, I’m only 5-foot-7. Even though my wife is 4-foot-10, I never realized that shorter people apparently do this all the time.”

What made the moment more interesting for Martinez was that he and the woman “never said a word to each other.” at a time when The United States appears firmly divided on politicsMartinez said she hopes her experience and the video she shared helps people realize that “it always feels good to be kind.”

“I have a video that I shared about a week ago where I explain that, every day, my daughter says some things out loud as we walk to her school,” Martínez added. “One of those things is ‘do the right thing even when no one is watching.’ This felt like one of those moments.”