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‘Why are we like this?’: Bengaluru CEO contrasts Indian flyers with foreign passenger

A CEO’s viral post on passengers ignoring flight crew safety rules sparks widespread debate on civic duty.

Updated on: Sep 3, 2026, 12:17:58 IST
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A CEO's LinkedIn post criticising the lack of civic sense among passengers on a Bengaluru-Delhi flight has sparked an online discussion. Detailing how travellers ignored repeated crew instructions, he questioned the nation's collective mindset, comparing their behaviour to that of a foreign traveller who followed all rules. Social media users echoed his frustration in the comments section of the post.

The CEO shared that he was on a flight from Bengaluru to Delhi. (Representational image created using AI). (Google Gemini)
The CEO shared that he was on a flight from Bengaluru to Delhi. (Representational image created using AI). (Google Gemini)

“Was on a flight from Bengaluru to Delhi today. As the aircraft was taxiing, passengers started to get up and remove the overhead luggage. Repeated pleas to sit down were of no avail as passengers nonchalantly continued to go about their sacred jobs,” Bengaluru-based CEO Vadiraj Katti wrote on LinkedIn.

Also Read: Indian woman dances Thiruvathirakali inside Costco, sparks debate: ‘Zero civic sense’

He recalled that when the flight crew requested the passengers to close the window shades to maintain cabin temperature as a courtesy to the next set of passengers, most people ignored the announcement. Even when he requested the passenger sitting beside him to follow it, they did so, but with an “irritated look”.

What did social media say?

An individual posted, “This is the least of the problems. People still don’t know how to stow their luggage in the overhead bins. It’s almost as if compliance and basic etiquette are only visible when the people are compensated for it. I wonder if the travellers should undergo a basic online training as a prerequisite for web-check-in.”

Another commented, “I think it comes down to basic civic sense. Following simple rules may seem small, but they say a lot about how we function as a society.” A third expressed, “The root cause is a lack of accountability paired with a weak sense of civic duty.”

Also Read: 'No civic sense’: Men spotted wearing Indian Railways bedsheets as shawls, video goes viral

A fourth wrote, “Faced this situation multiple times in Indian flights. The moment the ship slows down, ppl start to unbuckle their seat belts; some get up to get the bags from the overhead cabin. And not to mention the boarding queue problem- among the announcements being made that only zone 1 passengers are allowed, and you're waiting patiently with your zone 3 pass, you get to watch the entire passenger load pass through - zone 3, 2, 1 all the same.”

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Trisha Sengupta

Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.

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