We aren't pushovers: Shilpa Shetty faces racism in Sydney

By Shalini Ojha

Sep 23, 2018

01:50 pm

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What's the story

The battle for racial equality is far from over, and what actress Shilpa Shetty faced at Sydney Airport, recently, is a proof of that. On Instagram, Shilpa wrote a long post highlighting how a staff member behaved rudely with her, only because she was brown. She wrote Qantas Airlines should know brown people aren't pushovers and being rude won't be tolerated. Here's what happened.

The incident

Rude staff member raised objection over Shilpa's luggage

So here's what went down. Shilpa was traveling from Sydney to Melbourne when she met a rude staff member called Mel. Mel was extremely rude and raised objection over the luggage. "I was flying business and had 2 bags (my allowance) and she insisted and decided my half-empty Duffel bag was oversized (to check in!!)," Shilpa wrote. Only the bag wasn't oversized.

Counter to counter

Shilpa went from one counter to another, Mel remained adamant

Following Mel's instructions, Shilpa went to another counter where a well-behaved lady told her the bag wasn't oversized. "All this happening while the counter is going to shut in 5 mins," she wrote. Shilpa then went to Mel and told her colleague maintained the bag wasn't oversized, but the latter was in no mood of listening. Mel remained adamant.

Quote

Shilpa confronts Mel, tells she has issues

Upset with the incident, Shilpa told Mel it looked like she had some issues. "Another colleague joined in an reiterated my duffel wasn't oversized and could've easily been checked in," she wrote and added she wanted Qantas to take cognizance.

Instagram Post

Is this oversized, Shilpa Shetty asks

Subject: #Quantas airways @qantas This should get your attention! Travelling from Sydney to Melbourne and at the check in counter met a grumpy #Mel ( that’s her name)who decided it was “OK” to speak curtly to “US” ( Brown people!!) travelling together ,I was flying business and had 2 bags (my allowance)and she insisted and decided my half empty Duffel bag was oversized( to check in!!) So she sent us to check it in at the other counter dealing with “Oversized luggage” ..there a Polite lady(yes this one was) said ..”this ISN’T an oversized bag, pls check this in manually if u can at another counter” ( all this happening while the counter is going to shut in 5 mins) As the manual check in wasn’t going thru for 5 mins( we tried) I went upto #Mel and requested her to put the bag thru as her colleague said it wasn’t an oversized bag.. She refused again.. Just being adamant especially when I told her this is causing a lot of inconvenience .. We had no time to waste so we ran to the oversized baggage counter and requested her to put the bag through which she did after I told her that #Rude #Mel had issues !!!.... to which another colleague joined in an reiterated my duffle wasn’t oversized and could’ve easily been checked in. The point is .. This piece is only for #quantas airlines to know and take cognisance .. that their staff must be taught to be helpful and TONE can’t change with preference to #COLOUR .”WE” are NOT #pushovers and they MUST know that being #callous and #Rude will NOT BE TOLERATED 🙏✋🏼💔. Ps: Please tell me if that bag in the picture is oversized??!! @australia @visitmelbourne @travel #truthmustbetold #bemused #uncalledfor #standup #equality #whatswrongisnotright #instapic #travelwoes #shocking #nightmare

Looking back

Earlier, Richa Chadha faced a similar incident in Georgia

Shilpa's is not the standalone incident. Earlier this week, actress Richa Chadha tweeted about her foul experience in Georgia. "Met a racist AF officer at the passport control, while exiting Georgia. Slammed my passport on the desk, twice...muttered under her breath in Georgian, yelled and asked me to hurry," she wrote. It's 2018 people, when will you learn color isn't the problem?