Video: YouTuber Famous For Hugging Musk Criticised For Sneaking Into Bengaluru Metro Without Ticket

YouTuber Fidias Panayiotou, who rose to fame for hugging billionaire Elon Musk earlier this year, is facing severe criticism online for showcasing how to enter Bengaluru Metro without a ticket. A video shared by Mr Fidias on X (formerly Twitter) shows him "outsmarting" the public transport system for social media clout. His stunt led to accusations of unethical behaviour by netizens, with some even accusing the internet personality of stealing from the city. 

"How To Sneak Into The Indian Metro," Mr Fidias wrote while sharing the clip on X. The footage shows the YouTuber confidently approaching individuals entering the Bengaluru Metro station and asking them if they believe he can enter without paying. The commuters reply in the negative. However, Mr Fidias proceeds to jump over the barriers and enter the platform without a valid ticket or token. 

Watch the video below: 

How To Sneak Into The Indian Metro pic.twitter.com/uEJgtGGKda

— Fidias (@Fidias0) September 21, 2023

After entering, Mr Fidias then meets two commuters again at the platform, who inform him that getting out will be the real challenge. He then takes the metro to another station and repeats the process again. He hops over the ticket-checking counter while no security guards seem to be present at the scene. 

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Naturally, Mr Fidias' video quickly went viral online, drawing condemnation from viewers who accused him of stealing money from the city. "Even though i like you as a person and your content Fidias but this is absolutely wrong and unethical. You shouldn't really be doing this for content," said one user. "Good job! Stealing from the hard-working people of India," wrote another. 

"Such actions must not be encouraged by an influencer. Hope something be done about it!" commented a third user. "Don't come to India again until you want to follow our rules," added a fourth.

"Keep doing like this things...soon you will get ban from Indian embassy," said another. 

For the unversed, Mr Fidias rose to fame for fulfilling his dream of hugging Elon Musk. He spent months chasing the billionaire and even dressed up as a blue bird to get Mr Musk's attention. Finally, it was in January he revealed that he managed to meet the SpaceX and Tesla chief. Taking to Twitter, Mr Mr Fidias shared a photo of himself hugging the billionaire. The event appeared to have taken place at Twitter's San Francisco office.