A honeymoon gondola ride in Europe turned into an unexpected viral video after TikToker Rachel Marie (@rach_ontheradio) shared her husband’s intense fear of heights. The short video showed the newlyweds boarding the gondola without hesitation. At first, everything looked picturesque.
Featured VideoHowever, the mood quickly shifted as the gondola rose higher. Her husband’s grip tightened around her arm, and he repeatedly asked how much longer the ride would take. Others in the cab appeared amused, quietly suppressing their laughter just like Rachel was doing. Rachel added in the text overlay,
“POV: you plan a beautiful honeymoon in Europe just to find out your husband has a crippling fear of heights.” She added in the caption, “Now that I think about it… we’ve never been to an amusement park together.”
Although the clip attracted over 4.4 million views, many social media users argued that her laughter came at his expense.
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On TikTok, reactions were divided. Some commenters defended Rachel, saying she wasn’t mocking his phobia but simply reacting to his facial expressions. One user explained, “She’s just laughing about his face like a kid would laugh if you’re doing a funny face???” Another added that laughter could actually provide comfort, writing, “As someone who has a fear of heights, this is exactly how I want others around me to react, it makes me feel better because we must not be in danger if they’re laughing.”
Many others strongly disagreed. “Zero emotional support,” wrote one commenter. Other critics compared the situation to gender reversals, suggesting the discourse would look very different if the roles were flipped. “Switch the sexes and comments would be saying how the husband clearly doesn’t love his wife 🙄,” one TikToker wrote.
Advertisement@rach_ontheradioNow that I think about It… we’ve never been to an amusement park together
♬ original sound – Rachel Marie
Several users shared their own experiences with acrophobia, describing both the terror and the humor that can arise in those moments. One commenter said a gondola ride they decided to attempt with their boyfriend started easily enough, but turned frightening once strong winds hit. They recalled that both of them laughed later, even though it was terrifying in the moment.
From TikTok to X, criticism intensifies
The criticism intensified on X, where a repost of the video drew stronger condemnation. @srburris commented, “Now, if he filmed her having a panic attack due to a phobia, he’d be called a monster. This was messed up. Comfort that man. He’s terrified!”
AdvertisementAnother user, @pinkhavilah, echoed this sentiment, saying, “he’s terrified and instead of her comforting him she’s cackling away.”
Others focused on the relationship itself. Several questioned how two people could marry without knowing such a basic fear. “People really don’t try to get to know each other in the beginning. How do you progress all the way to marriage and not know this?” asked @TeamEvilLeft.
AdvertisementYet, not everyone blamed the couple. A few suggested that the husband may not have fully realized the extent of his phobia until faced with the high gondola ride. One person compared it to their own experience at the Grand Canyon, saying, “I always knew I had a fear of heights, but I didn’t know how bad it was until [then].”
@rach_ontheradio did not respond immediately to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via TikTok DM.
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