AND Reddit a post describing a returning traveler’s “instant reality check in India” struck a chord with thousands of people online. An anecdotal account shared by user Imsongoku7 highlights the stark contrast many Indians feel when they return home after traveling abroad – especially when it comes to civic behaviour, infrastructure and day-to-day interactions.
“Within an hour…attempted fraud, gutka spitting and sprained ankle”
The user wrote that he had just returned from an 8-9 day trip abroad and was still relishing the memory of the clean roads, organized transport and basic civic discipline he experienced overseas. The moment he landed in Mumbai and took a connecting flight to Nagpur, he sensed a shift.
He first encountered an inflated fare: “A guy near the booth asked ₹500 to drop me at Lokmat square. I just stared and said, ‘Bro, I’m from here too.'”
He then booked Ola and reached Lokmat Square – only to notice the auto driver chewing gutka and repeatedly spitting on the road.
But the worst was yet to come.
He sprained his ankle while walking with a heavy bag on an uneven path. Moments later, the driver of a passing car spat out gutka, which landed directly on his shoe.
“That was it. A total ‘welcome back to reality’ moment.”
In one hour – attempted fraud, spitting gutka, spewing and gutka on a shoe.’
He summed up the experience with a tone of resigned humor:
“I’m not even mad at this point, we’re just laughing at how brutally fast the transition was.
Internet… too relatable?
The post quickly went viral, with many users agreeing that returning to India can be appalling – especially with regards to public hygiene, road safety and traffic discipline.
Several comments echoed similar frustrations:
“Accept it. it’s not worth the effort to burn your energy thinking about it or trying to change. just make sure your own behavior is up to your standards. you can’t change lame asses, they deserve what they get,” advised one user.
“It’s one thing to be optimistic and one thing to be blindly optimistic, whatever happens will not make us go up. In fact, there are more examples of going down than going up if you follow the current scenarios and do the math.”
And living in this country, I always wish only the best for the future. But no statistics support this at the moment,” another user wrote.
“Civic sense is a foreign concept,” wrote a third user.
Others said the report highlighted why basic urban behavior should be taken as seriously as policy changes.
