A video of a heated argument that took place in a moving express train is going viral on X and Instagram. In this, passengers “caught” a young couple who were locked in the same toilet for more than an hour.
This incident has sparked a huge debate online related to public decency, railway rules and right to privacy.
Passengers lost patience after waiting for 90 minutes
The 1 minute 42 second viral video starts with a recording of a shot of an angry passenger closing the washroom door. According to the person recording, the toilet was closed from inside for more than 1.5 hours.
When the passengers first knocked on the door and asked how long the man sitting in the toilet would be done, the man inside said he was “stomach upset” and needed more time. However, when the delay extended to more than an hour, a crowd of some people gathered outside as they felt something was wrong.
Tension reached its peak when a young man wearing a T-shirt came out and abused the people waiting, while matters escalated when another woman dressed in black came out.
Accused the couple of misusing public facilities and threatened to hand them over to the Railway Protection Force (RPF).
What did the girl say?
She strongly defended her stance on the recording issue, saying, “You can’t video record a girl without her permission; who I take in is entirely my problem.”
The passenger replied, “Stomach problems last for 5 to 10 minutes, but you were inside for more than an hour. You cannot stay in a public toilet like this.”
Privacy concerns vs public rules
As the argument escalated, the woman was panicking as she feared that sharing the altercation on social media could have a negative impact on her life, as evidenced by the comment, “If this video goes viral, what will happen to me?” However, the video was uploaded soon after the woman requested the recording be deleted, and received millions of views online.
Even though Indian Railways’ guidelines clearly state the time limit for using washrooms, words like “nuisance” and “misbehavior” in trains are punishable offenses under the Railways Act. Many railway officials clearly advised the passengers to maintain their own decorum while using the train instead of taking the law into their own hands by making videos.