Police Arrest Pricy and Arrogant Street Food Vendor After Tourist’s Video Goes Viral

• Wildlife parks, archeological sites etc; openly charge tourists’ exorbitant rates in comparison to locals
• Street food vendors on the dock from following suit

The street food vendor, who was captured on video quoting a price much higher than normal for a famous Sri Lankan dish named ‘Koththu Roti’ and subsequently who chased away a tourist after he questioned the price, was arrested yesterday by the Aluthkade Police in Colombo, as the food stall falls under its jurisdiction.

The arrested man is expected to be produced in court by the Aluthkade police on Wednesday the 17th of April 2024.

This entire incident was captured by a tourist named Emeka Iwueze, a social media influencer who used his personal video camera to do so.

The subsequent video posted online soon went viral due to the manner in which Iwueze was treated by the street vendor, sparking outrage among many social media commentators, particularly over the tourist’s mistreatment.

Emeka’s video posted on YouTube titled ” I can’t believe this happened to me in Sri Lanka” has garnered over 150,000 views since the incident.

This is how he described what took place on his YouTube channel “During this exhilarating street food adventure in the vibrant Aluth Kade area of Colombo, Sri Lanka, my objective was to immerse myself in the local culinary scene and forge connections with the community. As I traversed the bustling streets, my senses heightened by the aromas of sizzling delicacies, I was drawn to a particular stall that piqued my curiosity. Approaching the stall, I was met with a man whose demeanor exuded hostility, later revealed to be the manager. Despite his unfriendly disposition, I engaged him in conversation about the array of food offerings. However, when he disclosed the prices, I couldn’t shake off a nagging suspicion that I was being overcharged. In a bid to clarify, I sought confirmation from the cook regarding the actual cost. To my dismay, this seemingly innocent inquiry provoked the manager’s ire, leading to a terse exchange and an ultimatum to vacate the premises. Feeling unfairly treated, I couldn’t help but question the ethics behind his reaction. In my view, seeking transparency in pricing shouldn’t warrant such hostility. If I was wrong, I do apologize.”

It was barely a couple of days ago when another similar selfie video made by another tourist also went viral on social media platforms. This was after another food seller in the Kalutara area charged the tourist a whopping sum Rs 800 for one small vadai (savoury fried dough made from lentils, potato etc) and a cup of black tea.

However, the arrest of the street vendor by the Aluthkade Police is bound to raise many legal questions.

Firstly, did he cheat or steal from the tourist? No.

Secondly, did he physically assault the tourist? No.

Then on what grounds was he arrested by the Aluthkade Police?

It must be noted that Sri Lanka has thousands of unregulated street food stalls, where vendors are at the liberty to charge the public as they wish. Sadly, the Consumer Affairs Authority is not pro-active in ensuring that regulation is adhered to by street stall vendors and or other food stalls. Hence this incident also falls within those boundaries when it came to price.

The probable emotional issue associated with this incident is more behavioral as to how he was spoken to verbally and emotional as to how he was made to feel, especially as a tourist in an foreign country.

Many also stated that this type of video brings about bad publicity and it would be a deterrent for tourists to visit the country. The Ministry of Tourism is currently running a huge campaign to increase the inbound tourism sector and bring in much needed foreign currency that the country badly needs at present. It may be in the best interest of Sri Lanka if the Minister of Tourism Harin Fernando can get down the YouTube influencer Emeka Iwueze to the Ministry of Tourism and offer him a taste of true Sri Lankan hospitality.

There is however one more important question that needs to be asked.

Is it permissible then for the Government of Sri Lanka and or permit certain other business entities to charge tourists exorbitant rates compared to locals, when visiting places of interest such as archeological sites, wildlife parks, elephant orphanage or bird sanctuaries etc; when on holiday? If the answer is Yes, then why would it be any different for a street food vendor to charge tourists a rate higher than locals in a similar manner?