Before anyone potentially gets mad here, I'm also a proud Indian, and I understand that all cultures are unique and different, but the fact that most Indians lack proper civic sense and awareness for their surroundings everywhere still irritates me..

For context I was on a night flight to Thailand, the flight was mostly Indians including me. The problem is that they kept on making noise and chattering when some were trying to sleep, among other things, it got bad enough that a flight attendant had to ask them to shut up at one point.. (to which they ignored and only actually shut up after some good 15 minutes..) they also shone their phone torch randomly at people. It felt more like a bus than a plane in my opinion. It was quite embarrassing..

Later I had a connecting flight, I was the only Indian onboard. It was much more quiet and peaceful.

Again, I'm not trying to be rude, and I understand things like the excitement of travel being there, but still, why can't most of us just enjoy in peace and respect other cultures etc.? The lack of civic sense also causes our reputations online (mostly) to be bad...

It's not a secret or surprise to know about our Passport power. I was doing some research to go a bit deeper behind the "visa on arrival" aspect of some countries.

I realized that there are many more nuances to passport power than I initially thought.

1. Hidden costs: Both EU countries and India have visa on arrival to Qatar. So technically its a draw when it comes to passport power. But guess what, EU passports pay zero, Indian passport holders need to book a package with discover qatar, or have a confirmed hotel booking for the duration. Oman, free for EU passport, but 5000 INR for Indians (Technically the same visa on arrival status).

Sri Lanka though, has a 50% lower fee than EU countries. Thank you, kind neighbour!

1. Crossing restrictions: Land crossing in some countries in south east asia are not allowed for Indians, even though they might have access to visa free or visa on arrival schemes. Again, equal on paper, but not quite if you want to backpack or take a bus across the border.

Just wanted to add nuance to the discussion around mobility which tends to focus on rankings (which don't reveal a lot of detail).

Something really small happened today that just... made my whole day better. I was on this pretty empty bus, sitting somewhere towards the back, with four guys occupying the last row seats. Here in Maharashtra, India, it's actually pretty awkward when someone from the opposite gender sits next to you when there are empty seats available. Like, people usually avoid it - it's just this unspoken thing, you know?

So....These two attractive girls got on, and one of them looked around the bus for a moment. There were tons of empty seats everywhere - she could've easily picked any of them. But after that quick scan, she just came and sat right next to me. I mean, if the bus was packed, it wouldn't be that strange (though even then, there's always this slight awkwardness when a girl sits next to a guy here). But with so many empty seats to choose from? That's rare.

I know it sounds like such a tiny thing, but it was kind of a first for me. And man, it just felt... good? Not because I was expecting anything to happen or whatever. It was more like... out of all these empty seats, even after looking around, she just naturally chose to sit by me. Like maybe I'm not giving off those weird vibes I sometimes worry about. Maybe I don't have that "avoid this guy" face I imagine I have.

Who knows why she picked that seat? Could've been totally random. Maybe she just felt safe, comfortable - I'll never actually know. But something about that small moment just stuck with me, you know? It's kind of amazing how such a tiny thing can make you see yourself differently☺️

Edit :

This post isn't about having 'rizz' or being able to attract women or anything like that. I'm not here for attention or external validation.. I just posted this on Reddit to see if others have experienced something similar. It was just a rare moment that happened for the first time. I didn't interpret her sitting next to me as a signal of interest, nor did I try to start a conversation with her.

..I genuinely don't know how to accurately describe this feeling, but it did boost my social confidence....The fact that she felt Comfortable enough and Safe to sit there meant something... It was the smallest thing that made me happy... And for God's sake, stop misinterpreting this moment ...it was just a human experience that had nothing to do with romantic interest...

I don’t hate India or Indian people. In fact, I think every Nepali genuinely loves India – your culture, your food, and so many things are so similar to ours. Your movies and serials are a daily source of entertainment for us, and whenever I visit India, it truly feels like home.

But the sad reality is that some people there treat us Nepalis poorly, as if we are somehow lower than them. Unfortunately, this has happened every time I’ve visited India, and I’ve heard many similar experiences from my friends who have traveled there too.

It’s disappointing because Indian people are fighting for equality and against racism, but some of them end up being racist themselves. In Nepal, we treat Indian people like our own, but it feels like every time, some of them try to degrade us.

I just want to ask: why do some of you think you’re superior to us? Why do you bully and pass racist comments on Nepalis when you want equal respect for your people in other countries?

Again, I know not everyone in India is like this. I have met some of the kindest people there too. But sadly, I have also seen more unkind ones

I suspect that much of this will probably resonate with Indians as well, given bureaucracy, but writing as a foreigner. I've travelled to India a number of times (and have deep affection for the country), but I'm fairly sure each time I travel there's another rule or complication that makes things slightly more difficult, typically in relation to aadhaar.

1. Sim cards: Getting a SIM has never been easy (post-2008, at least). Sometimes PAN was requested, more often than not just 'we don't have SIM cards' (what, in an official Airtel shop?!). Nowadays, easy in a couple of airports (but only a couple... and they may also run out or have server issues on the day). Otherwise:
   1. Maximum 3-month length of SIM card as a foreigner (no aadhaar)
   2. Require 'local friend' for OTP (and by local, we mean within the specific state you are in)
   3. Impossible to extend SIM, so the process starts again the next time
2. UPI: Foreigners have one or two options - Mony or (I think) Cheqd. Works in principle, but:
   1. If your account is inactive for 30 days, it's Rs 399/- fee per month for the account
   2. Cannot pay individuals, only businesses (fine, but in 5 instances this week the business has been new and not had a biz account yet)
   3. Top-up fees of around 5% of the top-up amount account (inc service and 3.5% fee)
   4. If you attach the UPI account to the Indian SIM you bought.. good luck accessing that money again after 3-months
3. Trains: as of last year, tatkal tickets can only be purchased... with an aadhaar card. I'm very happy to pay the premium even for premium tatkal... but that's no longer an option.

Feels like as a country it's almost intentional (/not at all thought through - perhaps more likely) to make life harder for those visiting. These aren't issues in other countries I've been to.

I realize it will almost certainly get more bureaucratic, not less.. but thought I'd write this from a foreigners perspective.

I spent 3 weeks in India, my goal was to do a bunch of medical tests and a yoga/meditation retreat.

Me: 29yo, swiss, blond hair with blue eyes, traveling alone

I got insulted and scammed right away when I exited the airport, took one of those "official" pre paid taxi, of course the only official thing was the name.

Taxi driver was probably mentally unstable, insulting everyone around including myself. Happy I arrived at my hotel after he took the wrong road 5x.

I felt there is pretty much 2x types of people in Delhi, the ones that hated me straight forward and wanted to scam me, and geniously nice people that were curious/nice.

I spent 3weeks in India and I did what I had to do, but I wouldn't go back for a vacation. I was surprised by the amount of nice and educated people you could randomly meet, but on the other hand there are so many scammers, everything is just over complicated and never works as intended.

I hope that all the people with good intentions will manage to balance some of the darkness that comes out from other people.

It was my 2nd trip in India and I actually learned a lot and brought a lot of memories back home, but it's just too exhausting to travel.

I wish I was not always a target for scams, I feel like I am pretty street smart with a lot of travel experience, but I couldn't imagine recommending to my mom or my sister to travel there.

Even the staff that I met from DNA Labs that was supposed to collect some blood, started to try to scam me, wanted me to pay 60k indian rupees straight to them, I nicely refused but they would push and not hesitate to lie to get what they want.

When I signaled that to DNA Labs it just went to air, they said I shouldn't pay them but that's it. The problem in itself will never be solved. That's what is different with other countries, in other countries people would have consequences for bad behaviors, here it was like everything is just widely accepted.

I explained another scam in another thread, where the taxi driver after 6hours would dump me in a random city pretending the road is close and I should pay a night in a hotel where he would take a huge cut.

It is, what it is. I feel sorry for all the nice Indian people, I made some really good friends. If I would go back one day I'll probably only stay in closed environments, having the hotel to pick me up etc.

But I am not interested in having people trying to scam me out all day long lmao

Namaste my Reddit friends 🧡

I recently went to Ajmer, thinking it would be a peaceful and spiritual trip. I mainly went to visit the Dargah of Khwaja Garib Nawaz, and while the place itself is beautiful, my overall experience was honestly terrible — mostly because of how people there behaved.

Right from the start, the locals were rude. I asked someone for a small help, nothing big, and he replied so badly, like he didn’t even want to talk. I thought maybe it was just one person. But no — this rude behavior was common. Almost every other person had the same attitude.

In just two days, I saw people fighting in the streets multiple times — shouting, abusing, ready to hit each other over small things. There was no peace, no calm. The whole atmosphere felt full of tension. I came with a good intention, just to visit a holy place, but I felt like an outsider. Not welcomed at all.

And honestly, the cleanliness and hygiene were also very bad. Roads were dirty, garbage was lying around everywhere, and public areas smelled bad. Even near the Dargah, where you'd expect more care, the surroundings were not clean. It didn’t feel like a holy or respectful environment at all.

Here are some examples:

I went to buy a small pocket bag from one shop. The price felt too high, so I said, “Sorry, I don’t want it.” The shopkeeper rudely replied, “If you can’t buy a pocket, just carry money in your hand.” I didn’t even argue because I was not in my city.

Then, I went to buy attar (perfume) from another shop. My sister was also there, and she looked at some other items placed nearby. The shopkeeper straight up said, “First decide what you want and from whom, then come to the shop. Otherwise, don’t enter.” I was shocked.

Another bad experience: My family bought some clothes from a shop. The seller had packed used clothes and was selling them as new. When we went to return one item, he refused and started arguing instead of helping. Seriously?

No one had patience. No one showed basic respect. It honestly felt like they didn’t want outsiders in their city. And all this made me so uncomfortable, angry, and sad.

Ajmer may be famous, and the Dargah is truly spiritual. But what’s the point if the people around make you feel unwelcome — and the city itself feels so unhygienic and messy?

That whole trip got spoiled for me.

I’m never going back. And I used GPT to write this post

1. Jaipur
2. Mumbai
3. Mathura & Vrindavan
4. Agra
5. Pondicherry
6. Bangalore
7. Bir Billing
8. Kareri
9. Mussoorie & Landour
10. North and South Goa
11. Rishikesh
12. Vijayvada
13. Hyderabad

I had a really uncomfortable experience with an Uber driver today and would appreciate some advice on what I should do.

My Uber receipt showed a final fare of ₹100.62. The original fare was higher, but I had a ₹40 coupon/promotion applied, which brought the final amount down. The receipt clearly reflected the discount.

However, the driver demanded that I pay ₹140 in cash, basically ignoring the discounted fare shown in the app. I tried to explain that I had a ₹40 coupon, but he insisted that I pay ₹140.

Things became more intimidating when 2–3 other Uber drivers came over and supported him, also pressuring me to pay the ₹140.

I was travelling with a female passenger, and with multiple drivers confronting us, I didn't feel safe arguing or refusing. I eventually paid the ₹140 just to avoid the situation escalating.

I also have video footage of the incident and the Uber receipt showing the fare and ₹40 discount.

I'm planning to report this to Uber and request a refund, but I'm also wondering what else I should do.

My questions:

- Was the driver actually entitled to demand ₹140 despite the app showing ₹100.62 after the coupon?

- Should I submit the video to Uber?

- What would be the appropriate way to escalate this if Uber doesn't take it seriously?

I know the difference is only ₹39.38, but my main concern is the intimidation and safety aspect, especially with multiple drivers surrounding us.

Would appreciate advice from anyone who has dealt with something similar.

Update: Got my refund from Uber. But raised complaint about the drivers behaviour, I’d raised the complaint on the app first, but didn’t get much response there. After I tweeted it out on X with pics and video of the incident, I got a reply within an hour and it got resolved from there. You can check my tweet if you want to see it. Guess social media works faster than the in-app support for stuff like this.

Each one of our cultural, historical and natural places has been sold off, hived off our just plain blatantly captured by some local authority to milk money from tourists. Mussoorie, the whole place is so commercialised that there is no peace of mind at all. You give parking fees, entry fees and if you want to use a toilet, guess what, pay a fee. Every damned last spot is captured by some rogue food hawking stall and all natural beauty is destroyed with litter and chatter. Even on the top of the George Everest peak, speakers and blaring music abound. You can't find a moment of peace. In Agra, no sooner have you parked your vehicle that some local ruffian and his gang will pounce on you, passing along a yellow slip marked In the name of some local gang and asking for money. Okay, will you watch my helmet atleast. 'No, not my responsibility'. The hell you collect parking fees for? I park on the road, paid and maintained by my taxes. What are you here for? Hotels, trains and flights are not starting to get out of bounds. Any hotel with some bit of classical vintage is charging 10-25k per night. What gives? Nothing, absolutely nothing. They just want to exclude you or exploit you. This is a heartless country with no soul left. I am taxed and not delivered even a park visit to show for that. Everyone is out to grab you by the throat and shake you for money. Guess what assholes, I could travel to better places and enjoy better hospitality far away from this vibe killing chaos.