By: Trends DeskNew Delhi | December 11, 2025 07:07 PM IST 3 min readThe footage shows a pair cooking beside their parked SUV, with utensils, vegetables and grocery bags scattered across the roadwayA video of a couple casually preparing a full meal in the middle of a highway has taken over social media, sparking fresh criticism about India’s road etiquette and safety awareness.Posted by X handle The Nalanda Index, the footage shows a pair cooking beside their parked SUV, with utensils, vegetables and grocery bags scattered across the roadway.The post was shared with a sharp remark: “Civic sense is a rare luxury in India, something not everyone seems able to afford. Take this scene for example: a family has started cooking right in the middle of road, turning the area messy.”In the video, the person filming challenges the couple, telling them that people are questioning their decision to set up a makeshift kitchen on the road. The woman, calmly rolling out chapatis, offers her justification without hesitation.“We are also aware that we aren’t supposed to cook on the roadside,” she says, pointing toward the opposite lane. “The road is all the way there. This is the rest area, this area is meant for resting and cooking.”Watch the video:Civic sense is a rare luxury in India , something not everyone seems able to afford. Take this scene for example: a family has started cooking right in the middle of road , turning the area messy. Tell me honestly, is this acceptable? pic.twitter.com/Xytjpv2DlS— The Nalanda Index (@Nalanda_index) December 8, 2025 The clip has only fuelled more arguments, with viewers divided over whether such spots truly count as “rest areas” or if the couple’s setup was still unsafe and irresponsible.A social media user wrote, “This lack of civic sense is one of the reasons why we will struggle to be in the category of ‘Developed Nations’.”Story continues below this adAnother user commented, “Traffic Police should find them as number is visible and should fine them. Definitely not acceptable at all.” A third person suggested, “Seeing people cook on the road is frustrating because it turns a public space into a health and safety problem for everyone. At the same time it shows how some families don’t have proper spaces or support, so enforcement should go hand in hand with giving people better options.”A fourth individual added, “This family resorted to such uncivilized behavior because they believed that no cars ever passed through this section of road and they weren’t worried about causing any obstruction.” © IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd