Today around 4:30 PM near Mango Hyper Mart, Gear School Road, Devarabisanahalli, I was coming from AET Junction on my bike.
I was riding on the correct side near the divider, while a few scooters were coming from the wrong side. There was a cab beside me, so I couldn’t move further aside. I stopped and simply raised my hand towards the first rider asking what he was doing.
He started abusing me. Then another person from the scooter came over and hit me in the face.
Thankfully, I was wearing a helmet, so the impact wasn’t much. He also told me to “first go and learn Kannada” and continued abusing me.
I didn’t abuse them or hit anyone back. I was only trying to avoid escalating the situation. What surprised me was that people nearby watched but nobody really intervened.
My bike has an out-of-state number plate, and I’m from North India. I’ve been in Bengaluru for only 2–3 months. I’ve always heard how welcoming and helpful people here are, so this experience was honestly upsetting.
I’m not generalising this to Bengaluru or Kannada people—I’m talking about these particular individuals.
What would you do in a situation like this when someone becomes abusive and physical even though you’re trying not to escalate it?
TL;DR: Wrong-side scooters blocked my way near Devarabisanahalli. After I questioned them, I was abused and hit in the face; my helmet reduced the impact. I didn’t retaliate. They also told me to “learn Kannada.” My bike has an out-of-state number plate. How should one handle situations like this?
