Woman filmed eating rice with her hands at airport sparks heated online debate

SINGAPORE: An American woman was none too pleased to sit beside another woman who was eating rice with her hands at an airport. And when the US woman posted a video of the incident over X (formerly Twitter) on Jan 7, the clip went viral, garnering over 25 million views.

But not everyone shared the sentiments expressed by the woman who posted the video. The video, which partially concealed the face of the woman—who appeared to be Asian—had been clearly been posted without the subject’s consent. Further, for millions of people all over the globe, eating with one’s hands is a cultural norm.

Y'all, why this lady sat next to me eating with her damn hands? In a nasty airport. pic.twitter.com/qzw3NeyZqI

— JusB🦋🇺🇸 (@jusb_nice) January 6, 2024

For the OP, who goes by @jusbdonthate on X, the issue is one of hygiene. She captioned her post saying, “Y’all, why this lady sat next to me eating with her damn hands? In a nasty airport.”

But her video sparked a heated debate, with many rushing to defend the other woman.

One X user pointed out that Americans eat with their fingers as well. “If it was an American having fries you wouldn’t bat an eye. It’s not like she’s sharing it with you either it’s her own portion and how she culturally does things and it’s less wasteful in terms of cutlery.”

Another wrote, “You forget that different cultures exist? if somebody was eating fries with their hands, I highly doubt you’d be secretly videoing them. all of this whilst you have India’s national flower in your display name.”

The OP, however, defended her stance. She said, “Culture aside. Is rice really a finger food? Shoving grains into your mouth with saliva at an airport is appalling. At least with a French fry you don’t have to eat the portion you touched. You wouldn’t believe the number of ppl who don’t wash their hands.”

An X user took the point one step further, posting photos of Caucasians eating pizza, chicken wings, and a burger with their fingers.

But the defiant OP argued back by saying that it would be better if people who eat with their hands do so at home, since they touch other things—such as tables and chairs—in a restaurant.

Another commenter gave the woman a four-point lecture.

Eating with one’s fingers is not just part of everyday life in Asia, including Singapore. In many parts of Africa, the Middle East and South America, this practice is still common. /TISG