A viral post recently showcased a billboard in India defaced with 'paan' stains, sparking widespread outrage on social media. The incident yet again highlights the persistent issue of public spitting, especially in urban areas. The image showcased a giant billboard featuring a woman, defaced with paan spits, leaving the advertisement stained. The billboard, which promoted a luxury development with the tagline "One luxury haven. Curated indulgences, coming soon," was shared on Reddit, where it quickly went viral. The location of the billboard has not been disclosed.
"I came across something today that really frustrated me. I noticed a billboard advertisement with a picture of a girl, probably promoting a product or brand. Someone had spat tobacco (paan) all over her face. The red stains stood out, and honestly, it was absolutely disgusting and infuriating. Why do some people think this is okay? Is it sheer lack of respect for public spaces? Or just the casual disregard for decency? It's not just about the billboard or the girl in the ad—it's a reflection of a larger issue in our society," a user wrote on Reddit along with the image.
See the post here:
Disgusting Habits: Spat Paan All Over a Billboard Advertisement
byu/AkhriPazta inindia
"How can anyone justify such behavior? More importantly, why isn't anything being done about it? Public spaces are being treated like personal spittoons, and it feels like we've normalized this as “part of life” when it really shouldn't be," the user further expressed.
The post has sparked significant discussion among social media users, with many emphasising the need to improve the understanding and practice of good civic sense among Indians. Many users expressed their frustration, emphasising the need for stricter penalties against such actions to uphold public cleanliness. Some suggested imposing fines to mandating manual cleaning by offenders to foster better civic responsibility.
Earlier, several images of paan and gutkha stains on the red granite of Kartavya Path, previously known as Rajpath, surfaced on the internet. "We as citizens always blame the government for everything, but we don't follow basic civic behaviour and expect the government to do everything. First we should learn some basic public behaviour, and then we can complain about the government," commented a user.
