Delhi man stunned as Australian couple gives ‘racist compliment’: ‘You smell good, unlike other Indians’

A Delhi man was left perplexed after a strange encounter with an Australian couple at Connaught Place. According to his post on Reddit, he was approached by the tourists, who were looking for directions to Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

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While assisting them, he was taken aback when the man in the couple complimented him on his “good smell.” However, the remark quickly turned awkward when they went on to say that smelling good was uncommon among Indians. The tourists even referenced online stereotypes about Indians being smelly, leaving the Redditor unsure of how to react.

The bizarre compliment

Detailing the incident, the Redditor, who goes by the username ‘southdelhi-snob,’ wrote, “I was in Connaught Place a few days ago when I bumped into an Australian couple trying to find their way to Terminal 3 of IGI Airport. They asked me for directions, so I guided them to the metro that goes to New Delhi (it was the next station from Rajiv Chowk) and told them to take the Airport Express Metro, in the Orange Line from there. While we were at the station, the man commented that I smelled really good—unlike every other Indian they had met. He went on to say that the internet was right about Indians being smelly, and the woman nodded in agreement.”

The man shared that he was momentarily stunned, torn between responding to the comment or ignoring it. “I was taken aback and couldn’t decide whether to thank him or defend my country. In the end, I did neither. I simply told them to take the Orange Line from New Delhi Metro Station and went on my way. It was a really weird interaction—while I was complimented, my fellow countrymen were subjected to a racist remark.,” he wrote.

Check out the post here:

Social media reacts

The post quickly gained traction on Reddit, with users expressing their outrage over the tourists’ insensitive remark.

One user commented, “That’s not a compliment, it’s a blatant racist stereotype. You handled it well by just walking away.” Another added, “Imagine going to a different country and making such sweeping statements. The audacity!”

Some were amused by the bizarre nature of the interaction. “They really thought they were being nice? That’s insane,” one user quipped. Another sarcastically wrote, “Wow, what a ‘lovely’ way to talk to someone who just helped you.”

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A few users, however, noted that the Redditor could have called them out. “You should have told them how offensive their comment was. People need to be told when they’re being ignorant,” one person remarked.