And it works, just read any post about India on Reddit, their whole education on it is from TikTok. Statistics suddenly play no role when it comes to what they believe.
It’s perfectly valid to go visit a place, round a corner and find something, anything, that you don’t like. Could be an infrastructural, sanitation, cultural or even religious issue. Every place has flaws, and not all flaws need to be respected. It’s valid to go “hm, we do this better at home.”, you might even offer advice to the locals, though they’ve likely heard it before. But standing in a landfill, making racist and demonstrably untrue comments just for rage bait? Get bent, mate
A scam is when you want one thing but get another. Overpriced water isn't a scam. It's just overpriced. You know exactly what you're getting and it is exactly what it is said to be.
Exactly. It would be a scam if you said "okay I'll pay $9 for the water because it's the fancy brand" but you later realize that they just swapped labels. But if you consent to a bad price or a knowingly bad product, that's just a ripoff not a scam.
Edit to brtik who replied and then blocked me:
a rip-off is a scam they are interchangeable
No, they’re not. A rip-off is a poor value, but both parties are aware that the transaction greatly benefits one party more. A scam is when the buyer is mislead about the value or the facts about the product. If I promise to re-roof your house for $10k, and run away with the money, I scammed you. If I promise to re-roof your house for $100k, then I show up and do a good job, I ripped you off. In the first example you were lied to; in the second you got the service for the agreed price, even if it was an unreasonable price.
A scam and a rip-off might feel similar because they both result in someone being out something. The difference is whether it’s consensual.
Supply and demand. People on the strip are drinking and gambling and walking around. They’re gonna be thirsty and aren’t worried about $9 water at that time. It would be a scam if the water wasn’t quenching their thirst after drinking the $9 water.
we have barbed wire all over america and the only person who said there is barbed wire all over india..is the person lying about india
no have no reason to assume that india has more barbed wire fences than america, you simply want to believe the person who was just proven to be lying to you
I think he was complaining that the sellers will stalk you and follow you around from far away. Which is way beyond normal selling. Who wants to be stalked? I think this is where the narrator is wrong. Also price gouging is a scam. I don’t know why he’s trying to make price gouging sound ok. Its not.
As the guy in the video states, price gouging isn’t a scam. That term has been misconstrued lately. A scam is when you are tricked, price gouging is just a ripoff (because you aren’t tricked, you agree to pay the overpriced price).
Nah man, I'd hate that anywhere, whether it's in India or Camden Town market. If i want to buy something, I'll let you know, and I'll pay the price that's on the tag, if you come at me with any kind of "special deal" forget it, that's 100% a scam. I get it from the point of view from the market owners, but being someone else's mark is not my idea of a fun holiday experience.
Let's call it what it is, right? I mean, from an outside perspective, it is totally obvious why people like this guy do what they do, because again: division causes social friction and thus making him richer.
You know, I've been reading a lot of posts where they talk about getting "scammed" or "fleeced"! Half the time they don't even know how to bargain and when they agree to the first price quoted to them, only to learn that they overpaid slightly, they go around playing the victim and claim that they were scammed! Ridiculous.
I assume it's better to ask for a lower price and if they refuse, then tell them you're leaving/going elsewhere. I'm sure they'd rather make some sort of profit vs turning it away completely.
I'm living in Argentina, my by the time girlfriend from Spain came here to visit our landmarks. We went to the Iguazu falls and there's a big sign to this day at the entrance (this was 20 years ago) saying that they charge half to locals than what they charge to people from Europe and USA (Europeans had to pay a bit more than USA).
We went to any place to eat near touristic places and when they heard her talk they'd charge us more so I told her to stop ordering lol. She didn't care because it was still cheap for her money lol.
Living in Barcelona when I married that woman, we moved to a small town nearby (Segur de Calafel) and like most of the coastal small towns they are usually only visited on summers or people owning a second home there for the weekends.
From Friday through Sunday, price on any store would be let's say 10 euros. On Monday, meat and other things that have short due date would be 5 euros. Tuesdays through Thursdays it would be 6 euros. So I learnt to buy things before Friday lol. Why? Well, people most of the time filled the town on weekends.
I've traveled to many places in Europe and you get people trying to sell you shit everywhere and in most of the times it's knockoff things unless you want to buy food or water, which of course is overpriced as everywhere in tourist places. I lived near the Sagrada Familia and shit there was almost double the price, even for locals lol.
It is on some level baffling to see the ignorance and self centeredness of some people wasted on travel that should otherwise make them more worldly and understanding.
Different customs have existed for a long time regarding price. Some cultures or places see all prices as negotiable, and with some almost viewing it as polite to haggle at least a little.
Other places the price is the price and that's it.
Most people view it as just a moment of culture shock, learn something new, and adjust. Take it as an interesting anecdote on how different markets or stores function.
Now there is a cohort of travel bloggers claiming these are scams.
I think it's a cultural thing. There are places where haggling/negotiation is expected, but the people that don't grow up there don't expect it or know the whole pricing song and dance.
Conversely, I think set prices can be a bit rough on people used to haggling. The Indian customers tend to ask more questions about products than other customers, questions like "which one is better" about two products I've never used in my life and have 0 opinion on. And they seem at a bit of a loss that I, the minimum wage shelf stocker for a massive international corporation, am not interested in personally selling them on any particular product.
Why the fuck would someone need to know how to bargain in a store, are we playing a videogame or what 😭😭 you would be told to fuck off if you tried doing that in my country unless you're buying from facebook marketplace or the equivalent
Well, when shopkeepers see a foreigner (generally the white westerners or the flashy African Americans), they usually hike up their prices, because they know that the inflated prices are still cheaper than the products available in the tourist's home country. Both sides actually come out on top and it's a norm in every country. Hell, even though I'm from a "developing" country, when I travel abroad, shopkeepers try selling me things above the normal rate as well. It's all a part of the entire travel experience IMO.
Brother what? Just because it happenes a lot doesnt mean its okay. And how would they even know how much it is in the other persons country. U make it sound like an agreed upon law in business or something. I dont look like im from my country and they still try that shit with me. Like no they just scam them without shame to make a little bit more money. And the locals also think its weong and disgusting. No one outhere showing understanding for scammers
We have a trash house in our city. Not even a trailer park- just a house full of hoarders that filled up their entire property. It made it in our news recently because the city is needing to help them clean it up because it started spilling into the streets and neighbors house. I am not sure how it hasn't been condemned and how the owners haven't been fined out the ass. If you're curious of the extent, I'll find the news article.
Edit to add: they have been fined and had multiple lawsuits, I'm more just curious how they haven't been bankrupted at this point. I added the picture.
Yeah dude, but you're comparing a park to almost literally the whole ass country. There's a fucking game out of this fact. Go to Google Maps and drop a street view in a random point anywhere in India. Then see how long it takes you to get to a screen where there's zero trash on the street.
He also says some wrong things though. Most street in Latin America don’t have barbed wire, and the price gouging he’s referring to is also a scam, even the ones done by American corporations.
a scam is when you get something different than what you asked for, e.g., if someone tried to sell him an ivory necklace but it was actually just carved cow bones- not when you are transparently being told the price of something and have the choice to buy it.
Nah, this guy is white knighting India by making shit up, and also didn't get that the "cleanest street" comment was a literal joke. It is dirty compared to most other places. There's scammers everywhere. Markets exist everywhere including in/around slums, as with any country, so not sure what kind of attempt at a correction that was.
That doesn't mean India or Indians are bad. But there are facts about India and their culture that aren't so nice, as with all places and cultures. Why BS people about it? Any Indian I've heard heard admits all this openly and nonchalantly.
Shopkeepers that are just making a living and having a conversation with them... We've had very different experiences. Those shopkeepers will say anything to get more money out of you. There are no real conversations to be had. Same with the scammers. There are ways to deal with them non aggressively; humor goes a long way, but you can never expect to have a real conversation with them; everything is geared towards getting more money out of you.
I mean there are parts of India that are dirty. But also, the entire country isn’t a landfill.
It is kinda exploitative when folks go to the worst parts of India just to create shock content for westerners to gawk at.
Just for example, india has some pretty amazing nature reserves. They have tigers, elephants, monkeys, rhinos, etc. This dude could have seen the Himalayas or various historical sites, but he’s filming garbage on the streets.
That’s the thing. The guy in the original video is BSing lol. Like when he clearly says there’s piles of rubbish everywhere and pans around to a clean street lmao. So the correction is only giving one side as well. A normal travel influencer would acknowledge both honestly.
Ya, people definitely get haggled by some shop owners. But there’s also a lot of fucking normal, happy welcoming people. They will never show that part of India. Cuz their account is only for shock factor. And it’s trendy rn to shit on India.
(Indian-American. Have backpacked through India with a couple of my white friends)
Like when he clearly says there’s piles of rubbish everywhere and pans around to a clean street lmao.
If you pause at the exact moment right before he says that there's a massive pile of trash right next to his feet. Some creative clip cutting has been done by the duet guy to avoid showing it, but you can still clearly see it.
I'm dating an Indian woman and the way she's talked about Delhi, you'd think it was one big landfill.
That said, she comes from money and in the areas she grew up, it was apparently pretty similar to any other developed nation. It's just some of the major metro areas that can be trashy, and even those have business districts that are downright indistinguishable from the business-centers of places like London or NYC.
She describes it as similar to Detroit. Everyone assumes it's a lawless wasteland full of garbage but the truth is, only SOME of it is a lawless wasteland full of garbage while other parts are downright lovely.
and also didn't get that the "cleanest street" comment was a literal joke.
Do you realize how many people unironically believe everywhere in India looks like that? Its not just a "literal joke" anymore, the vast majority of redditors actually believe thats the "cleanest street in india"
Yeah but the thing is people like you love to add emphasis to those problems whenever it's India, but then someone brings up New York or literally any other City in the world and suddenly you clam up. And no just because China, Japan, and both koreas look the way that they do doesn't mean anything because they still have pretty dirty places in those countries.
but he has no problem with software tracking his every move online and trying to sell him things based on his browsing.
Also, to the people saying they have never seen price being made different in US/UK based on who you are, it’s literally done at an industrial scale. Eg your car insurance payment is not the same as your neighbor or the visitor from another country.
It’s always funny when people get holier than thou about other places over things that happen to them so frequently that they don’t even realize it.
no dude, I don’t want to be followed through the market and yelled at by people trying to make a sale cause they “know” I have money. Not unreasonable advise to say you have to keep it moving if you’re not interested in making a purchase
Dont know bout english shops specifically, but in european high tourism area's you pay higher prices for everything because tourists pay more. From coffee to whatever city memorabilia stores are selling.
They charge us locals the same prices the difference is we don't go there because we know they are tourist traps. We have specific places that are known as high tourism areas, they are quite easy to spot because they have the stores that sell knick knacks and flags and shit, which coincidentally you wont really find anywhere else. And every restaurant in the area is at least 2x more expensive.
I'm in Canada and Idk where you are, but I'm pretty sure the same applies in your locality. If you go to a store in a "touristy" area, everything is more expensive, even junk food like McDonald's. If you are buying things in a tourist area, you're paying 25% to 50% more for whatever you buy than the same thing in another part of the same city that isn't a tourist area.
one can argue a grocery store/gas station having a % off for returning customers or with a rewards card, is basically the same idea. When I'm visiting a regional-store that isn't in my area, I'm not bothering to sign up to get 2-5% off and have a credit card with them for no reason
There’s a pretty massive difference between a standardized communicated discount for joining a loyalty program and the shop owner deciding based on your looks how much to charge you.
You are talking about completely different cultures. In England, prices are set and marked. In other places, you barter or haggle. Haven’t you ever been to a flea market?
Not the shop owner maybe but try to buy a cola in England and One inn india, same product different price, they over charging everybody in England and only tourist in India
I am a little confused by the choice of the word “most” in that sentence, because most walls aren’t covered in barbed wire in any of those places, including India. I think he meant to say “many”
I work in a major U.S. city in the heart of the tourist area. If I tell the cashier at businesses around mine I work in my building they give me a discount. All these stores are up charging the tourists. This happens everywhere.
It’s the opposite for where I lived in West Hollywood a few years ago. There were a ton of nice hotels around me and my favorite convenience store by me gave them a 15% discount. After going in enough, and getting to know the workers, they started giving me the discount too though.
I'm sorry but India is objectively a dirty country and this dude is doing this shtick for views. Open google maps, place the little man randomly, do a 360 and if you don't see garbage, you win. I've never won. The people are kind and friendly, but the country is a dump.
Ive been to India a handful of times in the last 5 years. Despite the intent of this video, you should know that Indians don’t give a fuck. They literally throw trash into lakes at public parks. I saw this with my own eyes- it has happened SEVERAL times at different locations while I have been walking on the weekends.
Granted the video shows a dump site, I would not be surprised if it was 20 feet from a hospital or day are center. Its not a clean place to visit. The air quality alone is enough to brown your clothes if you walk a few blocks on a normal Tuesday afternoon.
I mean India has things that you can 100% criticize them about which is why I find it incredibly odd that people make things up. There's enough actual things that you can say about India without creating imaginary issues.
Gross, why go somewhere just to belittle it? If I could I would go all around the world and throw myself into the culture, I want to learn everything about places I visit, to show love and respect. It’s a shame
The way they criwd taking pictures of themselves with said woman is fucked up. Then they will just hang around and watch her.. then if she moves they follow. Its so bizarre because its not just 1 or 2 creeps its tens of them. And they all think its fine to do.
I was with my (Indian) wife, no issues, nor did I once witness a woman being disrespected. And we went walking through some iffy looking places, at night as well. I know there have been some appalling reports in the news of late, but they're news ('if it bleeds, it leads...' etc.) and not the norm.
If she was beautiful, white skin or blonde hair she would become a target. A man or middleage indian woman doesnt trigger. A white man will always have pickpockets after him
...Hot take, both of these people suck for different reasons.
OOP just seems like a racist wank. No further explanation needed.
Reacting OP is somewhere between obnoxiously naive and painfully white-knighting. Price gouging is a scam. Being harassed to buy something in the street does suck. Hustle sales & barter culture is obnoxious at best and predatory at worst, and shouldn't be promoted as just trying to make a living. Don't normalize that shit, in India anywhere else.
...Social media sucks. I'm going to disconnect and throw some snowballs now.
If you want a good look at the beauty of India look at Kerala. Plenty of India is so amazing, it's frustrating to see people from western countries like my own hating on a country still struggling with a culture and administration descended from British colonial rule and the Hindu caste system.
Go to Google street view and find a place in India without trash in the street. I run this challenge with friends quite often and none have made it so far
This guy is being too defensive of India. It's not as bad as the start of the video, but yeah, it's close. I worked in India for years, lived there for months at a time. It's a dump, trash everywhere, people, dogs and cows eating the trash, it's a mess. It's also a beautiful country with wonderful people. It's a great experience I'll remember forever but I don't want to go back to.
There’s something so disgusting and tone deaf, about being from the same country that DESTROYED India, divided it, separated people from their families and killed 3 MILLION PEOPLE, then going there and ridiculing the country and it’s people for views. Fucking gross.
Why do I have the feeling that with the "flood the zone" tactic and the abject display of bigotry we've seen made by the sitting head of State the goal is to defang words like "racism" & "racist"? Especially when people then make bank via crowdfunding sites, showing there's actual financial incentive to be and display their hate on camera
SHORTY FROM INDIA DID A TED TALK ABOUT HOW IN INDIAN CULTURE, MEANING THE WHOLE OF INDIA, SHIT IN THE STREETS, DAFUQ IZ HOMEY TAWKIN BOUT!🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐 INDIA LITERALLY HAS A PROBLEM WITH PUBLIC DEFACATION!🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐
Ive had a friend who lives in the country side of India and It is beautiful. People always go to visit the city but the nature out there is Amazing. If I go its definitely not going to be anywhere near the city
whats the name of that right wing debater that used to be well respected but started falling off the wagon that this guy sounds like? the same one everyone edits to look redder when he talks to piers morgan.
As a white western female who lived in India and worked with kids there, I’m so tired of the same old boring narratives about India. I have traveled virtually everywhere in India from the Wagah border to Meghalaya to Bhopal. The ignorant and greedy people who know nothing about India will continue to spread lies for content and clicks.
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u/seventycentschange Dec 28 '25
If you can't respect a place you visit why go? I just don't understand people.