Got shoved by 4 Indians today.

(TW: Race)

I'm a 21M tourist from Hong Kong. Spent most of today in KLCC (Petronas, Aquaria). I was shoved a total of 4 times by 3 ethnically Indian male children (~4-6 years old) and 1 older Indian man. (I feel like the gender necessarily factors into the equation.)

Being raised in a place like HK, I've tried my best to minimize my presence in foreign countries, minimize any disruption, and be as courteous as possible. I always gave way if I feared I was even slightly inconveniencing others, so I highly doubt I warranted 4 shoves.

It started with a family with three children at Petronas. The youngest one came barreling towards me at shin-level with clear intent to trip me over. The rest of the children looked on in glee as I stumbled slightly. The parents did not care.

Then I went over to the Aquaria, where I was first shoved by 2 children trying to see a piranha feeding (fine; they're the target demographic, not me). Then an older ~50 year-old man pushed me out of my original spot as if I were an inconvenience to his standing next to his wife. I left the feeding immediately (it wasn't even that interesting.)

Next, the piece de resistance: When I was looking at one particular exhibit in a long corridor of various exhibits, I again was pushed by a kid. This time, I told the mother that her kid shoved me. She looked incredulous, as though I had no right talking to her. She said, "He's just a baby!" (He looked at least 4), and I replied, "Then teach him not to shove people!" The mother had the audacity to say, "How dare you talk to me like that?"

Lady. I don't know you. I'm not from your culture. I have no obligation to respect you like an elder. Your son shoved me, and it's the least you can do to tell your kid, "Hey, don't push people." I ended up telling her that it happened 4 times, and she mistook it as all her son, and she at least stopped retorting and just said, "Ok." I'm sure glad THAT's the minimum it takes for her to at least feel slightly guilty about her child's misbehavior.

I've always found Indian culture fascinating, but my respect for their people is draining out of me fast. I hate to generalize behavior to an entire community, especially when it's skin color-related, but all of these signifies to me a systemic failure in their family education in civic sense and common courtesy. Just from what I've experienced so far, I hope I don't have to talk to any more Indians on the rest of my trip outside of pleasantries. I'm angry and I'm done.