Once more, the airport is in the spotlight, but you won’t be looking at its bamboo or the hanging gardens for it. An Instagram video has gone viral of folks napping on the floor and cement at T2, and the comments are a rowdy mix of “that’s rude” and “you try it.”
Public reaction: the internet picks a side
The reel put out a wave of opinions. A few onlookers found it all rather undignified, their view being that an airport is for everyone and not for turning into a bed.
Then you have those who don’t mince words. Put in a long layover or a delay with nowhere to sit and you’ll do what you have to do to find a flat spot.
Why the visuals hit a nerve
Kempegowda’s new terminal has been lauded for its natural appeal. You have your greenery, the open areas, the fountains – it’s all very peaceful and garden-like in concept.
This clip put that to the test. To some, the end product was less of a high-end hub and more of a packed hall.
Inside the viral clip
Aafreen Ahemadi, a digital creator, put the contrast on camera. After some nice shots of the terminal’s make-up, she moves to the departure zone where you see people with their bags propped up as they lie on the seating.
There are even a couple under the indoor trees. The text on screen is a bit of a put-down: ‘No matter how international-level airport you build, we will still remain desi.’
The arguments, distilled
If you read through the replies, it’s like a back-and-forth. One person put it bluntly: ‘It’s called zero civic sense.’ Another has it in for that kind of thinking, saying you see this in any airport, not just here.
‘Have you been outside India? People sleep there too during long overhauls. On the floor, no less. But let’s make a reel to put down the locals and look good,’ one user had to say.
Put it in a nutshell and it comes down to:
– Manners or being worn out
– What the infrastructure provides vs. what you put up with
– An Indian problem or a world-wide one
What this says about travel now
On paper, flying is all glitz. In practice, you’re standing in line, watching the clock and dealing with times that don’t suit you. When you run out of comfort, you adapt.
Now we are having a talk about what matters in a terminal. Should there be room to rest, or should we be stricter with the rules?
Beyond the punchline
Some were put off by the ‘desi’ tag, others saw it as a wry comment on how we make do. The point is, the video works because it puts a lot of truth in 15 seconds.
And for the airports after the accolades, it asks: can you have your beautiful design and a place to wait without the whole thing becoming a dormitory?
What comes next
Don’t expect the video to offer any solutions. But the way people are responding makes it plain: they want to be able to sit and be told what is and isn’t okay when the wait is on.
For now, it’s business as usual. You’ll find a corner, use your rucksack for a headrest and get the 20 minutes of shuteye you need.
