If living in Bali for 23 years does not give you a free pass to be an asshole on the island, what makes this man think that two years would suffice?
Courtesy of Idiots in Bali Instagram account, a video has gone viral showing Pecalang (Balinese traditional security officers) stopping a Caucasian couple on a custom motorbike while the locals were guarding a road closure for the Melasti Ceremony at Padang Padang Beach. The pecalang instructed the couple to find an alternate route to their destination.
Though it’s not immediately clear what triggered the altercation, the video begins with the people involved speaking in raised voices.
“Two years in Bali. I know – I respect Balinese,” the male foreigner exclaims, while his girlfriend tries her best to de-escalate rising tempers.
Soon after, the foreign man begins screaming at one particular pecalang, “You don’t touch my girlfriend!” The video does not show any of the pecalang inappropriately touching his girlfriend.
The foreigner then jumps off his motorbike and attempts to assault the pecalang as others try to hold him back before the video cuts. It’s not yet known if an assault actually took place.
Misbehaving foreigners have been under increased scrutiny in the past few weeks, as Balinese people grow increasingly frustrated at the lack of respect some travelers show while they’re on the island.
Balinese Hindus are observing Nyepi (the Day of Silence) on Wednesday, during which the entire island will be shut down for contemplation ahead of the Hindu New Year. Road closures for ceremonies like Melasti, which is a massive purification ritual, are common in the days leading up to Nyepi.
At the end of the day, everyone must remember that locals call this island home and that we must respect their ceremonies. Even Ngurah Airport is closed during Nyepi Day, so a road closure is nothing in the grand scheme of things.
