‘A serious lack of civic sense’: Reddit user’s ‘honest reflection’ on Indian tourists’ behaviour goes viral

Travelling often gives a unique perspective on human behavior, and for one Redditor, a recent trip to Singapore offered some surprising insights. The user shared their thoughts on how many Indian tourists conduct themselves in public spaces abroad — observations that quickly resonated with others.

Sitting in the lounge, waiting for his flight back to New Zealand from Singapore, a user shared a post that has struck a chord with many on Reddit. 

His honest reflection on how some Indian tourists behave overseas has sparked conversations around civic sense, entitlement, and how Indians are perceived abroad.

“This isn’t a rant or hate post, just some honest reflection,” he began, setting the tone for his experience. Before this trip, he said he had only seen videos or heard stories about how certain groups behave abroad — but seeing it unfold in real time was something else.

 “Specifically, I’m talking about how a lot of Indians (my own people) tend to act in public spaces when traveling,” he wrote. Over the course of just five days, he noticed a consistent pattern that left him disheartened.

 “Almost every time I found myself around a crowd of Indians, things got loud, chaotic, and frankly, pretty embarrassing. Lots of yelling, unnecessary noise, and most of all, cutting queues. Not once, not twice, but multiple times in a day,” he wrote. What stood out to him even more was that it was often other Indians calling out such behavior — something that, as he said, “says a lot.”

He acknowledged that travel can be stressful and one-off incidents happen, but when such behavior becomes a recurring theme, it points to something deeper. “It reflects a serious lack of basic civic sense.” 

The disregard isn’t just towards others in public spaces, it’s often towards people within their own group too,” he noted.

The Redditor’s reflections went beyond the surface. He connected these observations to a larger cultural issue — entitlement. “It’s honestly disappointing. We’ve got such a rich culture and so much to be proud of, but public behavior like this really undermines all of that,” he said.

 He went on to add that what’s missing is not awareness, but intent. “I wish there was more emphasis back home on simply learning how to conduct ourselves respectfully in shared spaces, especially when we’re in another country where we’re representing more than just ourselves.”

The post sparked a lively discussion on the platform, with fellow Redditors sharing their thoughts. One commenter observed,“Entitlement and lack of civic sense. Oh, and also the fact that somehow we think that we are the most respected people around the world when we are in fact one of the most hated.”

Another shared their own perspective from Europe, “I would like to add that most people act like they have been let out of jail, especially if it’s a group of men. People have this mentality that they are just there for a vacation so it will have no consequences. I see it all the time here in Europe. Indians who live here are really nice and well-behaved. Indian tourists are the worst, followed by Americans.”