They said “tidal forces,” not “tides.” Tidal forces refer to the differential of gravitation between two points on an object. It applies in any situation where gravity is a factor, although typically only very large massive objects experience noticeable effects. That said, the concept of spaghettification (objects being stretched out as they approach a black hole’s event horizon) is based on the fact that tidal forces near a black hole would be so enormous they would be observable for even small objects like people.