Woman Puts Feet On Train Armrest, Sparks Online Debate On Civic Etiquette

A post on X has sparked a debate on civic sense and public etiquette in India, highlighting concerns about personal conduct in shared spaces. Shared by user @Ravi3pathi, the tweet features an image of a train's interior, where blue seats are visible. 

The focal point of the image is a woman- her face obscured- reclining across the seats with her feet resting on the armrest in front of her, a gesture widely considered disrespectful in public settings. The accompanying caption reads, "The lack of basic civic sense in India is neither a regional issue nor a class issue."

See the post here:

The lack of basic civic sense in India is neither a regional issue nor a class issue

It is simply an Indian issue pic.twitter.com/X9nVBc3Bd8

— रवि 🌼 ravi (@Ravi3pathi) March 31, 2025

The post quickly went viral, garnering over 8,94,000 views and sparking a wave of reactions. While some users criticized the behaviour, others shared contrasting perspectives, fueling a heated debate on civic etiquette in India.

A user wrote, "You must realize that ppl in general lack civic sense, irrespective of nationalities. Ppl are rude, boorish, aggressive, filthy, and also do that all over the world.
Ppl throw garbage here n there, kick it, smash it, I've seen "others" change poop diapers of their babies on the eating trays, they steal airplane accessories and whatnot. Don't tell me you haven't seen a single video of "other" ppl misbehaving on planes."

Another user commented, "this is exactly why indians are looked down upon by every other country, indians have very poor manners and hygiene in public."

"You don't "own" a seat even if you buy a ticket. What you say simply echoes poor upbringing and lack of any understanding of civic sense and social etiquettes. Acting like public spaces are your personal lounge is just bad manners," the third user wrote. 

"It's everywhere, not just Indian. The Indians just happen to be largest race, ethnicity, nationality in the world," the fourth user wrote. 

"Poor manners are a way of life in India," the fifth user commented.