The Video Of An Indian Family Caught Stealing Hotel Accessories In Bali Makes Indians Look Bad. When Will We Learn?
Ross Geller has met his match and it’s a family of unsuspecting looking Indians!
With the rise in purchasing power of the average Indian family, our destination vacays have gotten more elaborate, and we are leaving local shores to explore foreign destinations. We often jet off to Singapore, Bali and Dubai to partake in what is sold to us in brochures as the good life. And what’s interesting is that we often come back with renewed energy but also an appreciation for the the cleanliness, rules and how disciplined people living there are. But being a foreigner tourist in a country is not just about fun and games. Like it or not, our conduct reflects heavily on the rest of the country. And one Indian family’s behaviour abroad is going viral for all the wrong reasons!
A video that’s been making the rounds on social media shows an Indian family leaving a Bali hotel. The video, shared extensively on Twitter, shows the hotel staff ripping apart their luggage, only to find hotel property that you are not supposed to take!
Look, all of us taken the moisturiser and shampoo bottles. We’ve all whisked away the dental kits provided. But very few of us, Indians or otherwise, will walk away with ceramic containers and the like. But, a few us do, and in this case, they happen to be an Indian family. Here’s what happened…
This family was caught stealing hotel accessories. Such an embarrassment for India.
Each of us carrying an #IndianPassport must remember that we are ambassadors of the nation and behave accordingly.
India must start cancelling passports of people who erode our credibility. pic.twitter.com/unY7DqWoSr
— Hemanth (@hemanthpmc) July 27, 2019
An Indian family is about to leave the grounds of their resort. When the video starts, the staff is pulling out stuff from their bags. On closure inspection, we can see the staff retrieving things like hair driers (!) and decor items from their luggage. They also talk about the defensive stance the family took when they were accused of stealing. Apparently, the family got rude and confrontational about the accusation, only to apologise later when the staff pulled the things out. The family members can be seen apologising and offering to pay for the things. And that certainly didn’t help. A member of the hotel staff can be clearly seen saying that it’s about “respect” and not about the money.
The viral video showcases just how entitled some tourists feel towards hotel property. It is also disgraceful in terms of how the family boasts about being able to afford luxury items. Needless to say, the incident has garnered a lot of media attention., with Gul Panag giving an interesting take on the whole thing.
Was shocked but not surprised to see the Indian tourist theft video. Having interned at a hotel briefly, and then with lots of friends in the hospitality business, I'm privy to some pretty bizzare stuff. And then when you travel a lot and make friends with hotel folks- more so
— Gul Panag (@GulPanag) July 28, 2019
I understand this happened in #Bali. Having lived in Indonesia & visited Bali, I can personally vouch for Indonesians being the gentlest, most respectful people I have met. They hold India & Indians in very high esteem & its gut-wrenching to see us in such a compromised position.
— Hemanth (@hemanthpmc) July 27, 2019
This is exactly the reason why Indian railways had the foresight to attach a toilet mug to a chain.
But there is still theft of blankets and pillows taking place.@acjoshi knows best.
— Halwa-e-Hind (@e_halwa) July 27, 2019
It's so embarrassing to watch this video from Bali
What sort of image of Indians are such people portraying to the world?
Culture is habits and values that are shared by members of a society.
Our culture doesn't become great by self-proclaimation. We must better ourselves! pic.twitter.com/7lRIQUnO3z
— Srivatsa (@srivatsayb) July 27, 2019
This story comes days after businessman Harsh Goenka called out a Swiss hotel for being racist towards Indian guests. The hotel apologised for the same, as they should, in that case.
However, at what point do we start taking responsibility for our own actions? It is one thing to grab the luxury soap or moisturiser that these hotels give away as complimentary goods, a whole other to steal the decorative items. People travelling to other countries should be mindful of their behaviour. It takes a while to build a good reputation…and just one family to tarnish all of it! And it’s not like Indians already have a great reputation everywhere. This video really didn’t help.
What are some of the ways you try to be sensible while travelling abroad? Let us know!
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