Pilot slams Indian men’s behaviour on flights: ‘Take secret photos, creepy comments’

A pilot's Reddit post highlights troubling behaviour by some Indian male passengers towards female flight attendants, sparking a debate.

A commercial airline pilot’s candid post about the troubling behaviour of some Indian male passengers has sparked a debate on Reddit. The pilot, who claimed to be working for an international airline, voiced his frustration and embarrassment over repeated complaints from cabin crew about how some Indian men treat female flight attendants.

The pilot emphasised that while it's not all Indian men, the pattern is frequent and noticeable enough. (Representational)

“As a pilot, I’m embarrassed by how often Indian men disrespect flight attendants. We’re talking about things like secretly taking photos of them, making creepy comments, staring, or even trying to ‘accidentally’ brush up against them," he wrote.

The pilot emphasised that while it's not all Indian men, the pattern is frequent and noticeable enough that crew members have come to expect this behaviour from Indian passengers. “It keeps happening often enough that crew members immediately recognise the pattern,” he said.

He revealed that he felt ashamed by their conduct, knowing that their behaviour added to the growing negative stereotype about Indian male travellers internationally. “I hate that we’re building such a bad reputation because of the actions of a few,” he said.

The post prompted several other users to share their own experiences. "Once I overheard a group of flight attendants in the washroom, dreading flying to Thailand from India. They despise Indian male passengers anyway, especially the middle-aged ones. They are so done with the inappropriate behaviour and touching. Plus, many get up on the flight drunk and create unnecessary drama," said one user.

Another said, "The phenomenon is far too commonplace for the blame to be put onto a 'few'. Indian men, as a community, are extremely disgusting."