Portuguese Tourist Says Man Followed Her To Train Toilet, Tried To Open Door: "Felt Unsafe"

Portuguese traveler and vlogger Ines Faria shared a video detailing a distressing incident during a train journey through Jodhpur. While traveling in a 3AC coach, Faria and her friend noticed a group of men staring at them constantly and changing seats to watch them. "Sometimes travel isn't always comfortable. We were on a 3AC train in India, which is usually very safe and the class we normally take. But during this ride, a group of boys sitting across from us kept staring, changing seats and watching us constantly. It started to feel really uncomfortable," she wrote on Instagram. 

To avoid passing the group, Faria chose a washroom in a different compartment. However, she alleged that one of the men followed her and tried to open the door about 30 seconds after she entered. Her friend, who noticed the man following, waited outside the washroom. The travellers then reported the matter to the Ticket Examiner (TTE), who relocated them to a 2AC coach for their safety.

"At one point I needed to go to the bathroom. Instead of using the one right next to our seats, I walked to another compartment because I didn't want to pass directly by them. About 30 seconds after I entered the bathroom, one of the boys followed me and tried to open the door. Luckily, my friend noticed he followed me and came to wait outside the bathroom for me," she added.

Watch the video here:

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A post shared by Ines Faria | Solo Traveler (@lost.with.ines)

Despite the "super uncomfortable" experience, Faria thanked the railway staff for their swift assistance and noted that most of her other travel experiences in India remained positive. "Most of my experiences traveling in India have been amazing, but moments like this are a reminder to always trust your instincts and look out for each other while traveling," she said. 

The post sparked several reactions, with many users calling for forgiveness and showering sympathy. One user wrote, "Sorry you had to experience this! FYI, women in India deal with people like this on a daily basis."

Another commented, "I'm so sorry you had to go through this. No woman deserves this for simply existing in a public place." And yes, you said it right. They haven't seen women before. They see objects when they see women because that's the way they're conditioned in some parts of India, and sadly, I don't know how many generations it's going to take to correct this."

"Don't be scared of them. Take help from local safe people or authorities. They will help you every time," said a third while a fourth added, "Because of some people, we all Indians have to face problems around the world. I am heartily sorry that you have gone through this tough time. Believe me, Indians are really very nice, humble, and fun-loving."