The shocking Air India incident, where a man urinated on a 70-year-old female passenger after getting drunk on a flight, is making us question the lack of basic etiquette in several people in our country. And it is all the more worrying because the Air India case is not an isolated incident. In fact, earlier there have been many incidents where Indian passengers were seen misbehaving with the crew and other co-passengers.
In light of all this, a woman named Upasana Sharma took to Twitter to share an incident she experienced on an Emirates flight from Dubai to Delhi. She alleged that she had booked and paid for an aisle seat. But her co-passenger, an Indian man, asked her to sit in the middle seat. When she refused, he said, “Once I am drunk then don’t blame me if I’m on the middle seat.”
With the whole #airindia case coming to light, I cannot truly explain how tired I am of entitled Indian men on flights. On my @emirates flight from Dubai to Delhi, a man asked me to sit in the middle seat, though I had booked and paid for an aisle seat. When I said no, he..contd
— Upasana (@UpasanaSharma95) January 7, 2023
He said “aap ladies ho, aap andar baith jao.” Translating to because you are a woman you should sit inside. When I continued to refuse, he said “once I am drunk, then don’t blame me if i am on the middle seat.” He said all of this in Hindi, and while the crew didn’t understand
— Upasana (@UpasanaSharma95) January 7, 2023
When this was brought to the cabin crew’s attention, they didn’t take satisfactory action and asked Upasana to take the seat right in front of the man. The man, on the other hand, kept saying, “Don’t hold me accountable for my actions once I am drunk.”
Everyone around me told them what he was saying. The @emirates staff first tried to tell me to keep sitting there, and when I loudly refused, they asked me to move right in front of the man who said “Dont hold me Accountable for my actions once I am drunk.” All because I wanted..
— Upasana (@UpasanaSharma95) January 7, 2023
The airlines filed a report and allegedly claimed that they will be in touch with the woman but she says she never heard from them.
To sit in my own seat that I had PAID for. That is the entitlement of Indian men. On @emirates end they told me they have filed a report and will be in touch, but i never heard from them. I also told them I want to file a formal report, and was told they will be in touch.
— Upasana (@UpasanaSharma95) January 7, 2023
What’s appalling is that the man kept on insinuating that his behavior isn’t accommodative once he is drunk, but the cabin crew served him alcohol anyway.
Finally, I was given another seat, and the man who had THREATENED me that he will misbehave after drinking, was also served drinks on the SAME flight.
— Upasana (@UpasanaSharma95) January 7, 2023
On reading about her ordeal, many people online showered their support on her and slammed passengers who behave in such a pathetic way, making the entire journey uncomfortable for fellow passengers.
I am sorry this happened to you. So many drunk men on Emirates and they don’t do anything. And if you ever complain about anything, trust me nothing will be done. They don’t care about anything but profits
— Dr Jemilah Mahmood (@JemilahMahmood) January 9, 2023
After reading incident with you and this #PeeGate I think time to ban Indian Men for any kind of alcoholic drink on flights. No self control.
— Nishant Trivedi 🇮🇳🇮🇳 (@nishant_trivedi) January 8, 2023
I am an Indian man and am ashamed of the behaviour of this person. The patriarchal mentality that some men hold, even today, is both astonishing and cringe-worthy to me
— Abhishek Dey Das (@adeydas) January 8, 2023
I think this Inflight alcohol Drinking is getting out of hand, our Indian brothers don’t know how to drink responsibily.
— Tabrez Durrani (@Do_ur_bes7) January 8, 2023
So sorry this happened to you. Speaking from my own experience of being sexually harassed by a male Indian Doctor, in a full dry saudia airlines flight, I shudder to imagine what would have happened if he was also drunk! Charges needs to be filed against this person.
— Abi! (@chamathukodam) January 8, 2023
While returning from Saudi Arabia to India, whenever I took Air India, I witnessed excitement of men just after crossing the Saudi boarder…They start asking for free alcohol.. few years ago I was with my kids and the person next to me was kept asking for more n more..
— shabista (@shabista123) January 8, 2023
I think people should really take a step back and introspect their entire value system. And airlines should ask cabin crew members to behave more strictly with passengers who show a tendency to create a disturbance. Do you agree?