“A slap is the worst possible solution to a problem,” says counselling psychologist Kruttika Dixit, reacting frustratedly to the recent slap incident. On a routine IndiGo flight last week from Mumbai to Kolkata on August 1, a passenger experiencing a panic attack was met not with empathy but with a slap from a fellow flyer. The incident sparked outrage online, but it also raised a more troubling question: What happens when someone in a public space visibly struggles with anxiety or overstimulation? More often than not, they’re met with confusion, judgement, or outright hostility.

Whether at a packed gig, in a running local train, or mid-air at 30,000 feet, our public spaces remain poorly equipped to respond to mental health crises. 

The unfamiliarity and coldness of the airport often makes people victim to the “airport effect”. Emotions are heightened, time feels like it doesn’t exist, and one may feel disoriented. Representative pic/iStock