A Gurugram man confronted a Mercedes E-Class owner for littering on a road and shared the incident in a now-viral post on Reddit, which has since sparked an online debate about civic sense.

Questioning what it really means to be “elite,” the man – in his post shared on the ‘r/Gurgaon’ subreddit – described how he spotted the woman discarding a paper plate and napkin from her car window while parked on Golf Course Road.

“I was sitting in my car when I saw her roll down the window and throw her waste onto the road. I stepped out, knocked on her window, and politely requested her not to litter,” the man wrote in his post.

Instead of an apology, the woman reportedly replied, “So? I don’t see a dustbin around, and I can’t litter my car. You may not know, but it costs a lot to get a car dry-cleaned.” Moments later, her driver asked the man to walk away.

“Being wealthy doesn’t make you elite. True class is in respecting your surroundings,” the user said as he concluded his post.

Take a look at the viral post here:

The incident drew strong reactions online. “For next time, remind her that car bins exist,” a user said, while another added, “People here got rich by selling their land, not by education. Civic sense is something they can’t buy.”

Others pointed out that money and manners rarely go hand in hand. “You can buy your way into a top university, but you can’t buy civic sense,” read a comment.

The incident has triggered a larger conversation about the importance of civic awareness and how people treat public spaces.

– Ends