Viral video of man dipping feet in the Thames sparks debate on social media

A video of a man dipping his feet into the River Thames in central London has gone viral, prompting cultural arguments online and fresh scrutiny of the river’s well-documented pollution levels. The clip, circulated widely on X, shows the man—believed by some users to be of South Asian origin—standing at the water’s edge near a popular tourist spot and periodically lowering his feet into the river.

Indian Man Seen Washing Feet In London's Thames River People Angry. why are indians doing this type of stupidity. pic.twitter.com/erGeJ2UReB

— Praveen ???? (@wtf_praveen) November 14, 2025

The footage has triggered a flurry of reactions. Many users questioned the rush to identify the man as Indian, with one commenter asking how viewers had concluded his nationality when people from neighbouring countries share similar features. Another user argued that Indians themselves should avoid assumptions that could unfairly tarnish the country’s image.

Others suggested the criticism was selective, noting that such an incident might have gone unnoticed had a white tourist done the same. Several users defended the act as a common cultural habit of wetting one’s feet in rivers or oceans, while some remarked that people swim in rivers frequently and that the man might simply have been resting sore feet after sightseeing.

The conversation soon moved from cultural stereotyping to environmental warnings. Social media users highlighted the severe pollution in the Thames, calling the water filthy and pointing out the lack of visible cleaning efforts. Reports from the BBC and The Guardian underline these concerns: water-quality tests last year detected E. coli levels as high as ten times the Environment Agency’s threshold for the lowest bathing-water classification. River Action, an environmental charity, has blamed sewage discharges and misconnected properties for the contamination.

The issue forms part of a broader national problem. Across England, a record number of designated bathing sites have been rated “poor”, with multiple stretches of the Thames failing to meet safety standards.