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Foreigner left stunned after Indian shopkeeper tells her to litter on the street: ‘He kept telling me…’
A foreigner’s viral video of an Indian shopkeeper encouraging her to litter sparked debate on cleanliness.
A foreign tourist's disbelief turned into a viral moment after a local shopkeeper in India repeatedly told her to throw her ice-cream wrapper on the ground, even as she kept asking for a dustbin.
The tourist, Amina (@amina_finds), shared the incident on Instagram, where she appeared puzzled and uncomfortable by the shopkeeper’s insistence.
“Why are some people like that ?” the caption of the post reads.
Tourist refuses to litter:
In the video, Amina can be seen holding the empty wrapper and politely asking, “Where is the bin?” The shopkeeper, instead of helping, points towards the road, signalling for her to drop it there.
"He kept telling me to throw it on the floor," she adds.
Refusing to give in, Amina calmly repeats that she doesn’t want to litter. After several awkward exchanges, the shopkeeper finally takes the wrapper from her, only to toss it under a refrigerator inside his shop.
A visibly shocked Amina turns the camera towards the littered corner, showing how the man had thrown the wrapper under the fridge.
HT.com has reached out to the user for a comment. This report will be updated when they respond.
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Check out the post here:
Social media reacts:
Instagram users were quick to react to the video, with many expressing embarrassment over the shopkeeper’s behaviour.
One of the users commented, "Don’t worry, they’ll put it in the bin later (it will end up in the closest river)"
A second user commented, "Cleanliness is a crime in India."
Another user commented, "Wish somehow they would learn. How hard is it to put out a trash can?"
The video was shared on November 1, 2025, and since then, it has gained 78,000 likes and numerous comments.
Also Read: 'Utterly shameful': Viral video of foreign tourist cleaning waterfall in Himachal sparks debate
Recently, a similar video from Himachal Pradesh showed a foreign tourist picking up plastic wrappers left behind by visitors at a scenic waterfall in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh.
Such incidents often highlight how outsiders often show more care for India’s cleanliness than many locals do.
