An Indian traveller's bus broke down in France at 4 AM, leaving her stranded for six hours near a petrol pump. By 10 AM, there was still no replacement bus until one finally arrived. The experience left her comparing how such situations are handled in France and India.
Dr Garima Chauhan, a content creator currently on a Europe trip, shared the experience in an Instagram video. She was travelling to Paris on a FlixBus when the bus stopped working. What followed was a long wait, a €10 voucher from the bus company and a missed opportunity to follow her plans for the day.
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In the video, Garima explained that she had been stranded since 4 AM near a petrol pump. By the time she recorded the video at around 10 AM, neither had the original bus been repaired nor had a replacement arrived.
She then compared the experience with what she believed would happen in India. "India hota toh 15 minute mein theek ho gaya hota, kyunki humare idhar gali-gali, nukkad-nukkad pe mechanic hai," she said, pointing out how easily one can find a mechanic in India.
Garima also spoke about the bus driver's ability to repair the vehicle, suggesting that the delay had left them dependent on the repair process and the arrival of another bus. The six-hour wait was not just an inconvenience. She had been looking forward to reaching Paris and seeing the Eiffel Tower, but the delay disrupted her plans.
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The bus company offered the stranded passengers a €10 voucher. Garima, however, felt it was not enough to make up for the experience. "Tumhara experience toh ruin ho gaya. Paris jaana tha, Eiffel Tower dekhna tha. Mera poora plan tha, woh toh ruin ho gaya," she said.
She ended the video by saying, "Toh India hi theek hai, bhai log," and praising the willingness of people in India to work late and find quick solutions to problems.
For her, the incident highlighted a difference in how people in India approach work and unexpected problems. "I genuinely feel Indians are wired differently when it comes to the grind," she wrote.
She added that the experience during their Europe trip made her think about how accustomed Indians are to things running at all hours. "Maybe the hustle culture has its downsides, but it definitely teaches you to keep going when things don't go as planned," she added.
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Garima's video prompted a mixed response. Some people supported her point about India's ability to find quick solutions, while others questioned her comparison and brought up the importance of workers' rights and work-life balance.
One user argued that people often judge India more harshly for similar inconveniences. "Problem is agar same delay India mein hota toh India is a third-world country bolte," the comment read.
Others were less sympathetic. One commenter wrote, "Welcome to Europe!" Another suggested that Garima should accept how things work there instead of expecting people to work around the clock.
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The discussion also brought up the cost of India's always-available services. One user pointed out that the quick availability of roadside mechanics can come at the expense of fair working conditions.
Not everyone agreed that India would have handled the situation better. Some users shared their own experiences of being stranded during bus journeys in the country. One commenter recalled being abandoned by a bus in Haryana during the peak summer heat and having to change three state buses to reach the destination while navigating disruptions caused by a farmers' protest.
One user wrote, "Come back to India sister."
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