An Indonesian university lecturer has sparked public outrage after allegedly spitting on a 21-year-old minimart cashier in Makassar following a disagreement over queueing, according to local reports.
The incident reportedly occurred on Dec 24 at about 11.30am at a minimart, where a dispute broke out after the cashier asked the man to return to the back of the queue.
The lecturer claimed he did not cut the line, saying he had moved from a long queue to a cashier counter that was empty at the time. He said the cashier’s remark made him feel disrespected, particularly because of his age, and that the situation was a misunderstanding.
Addressing the spitting incident, the man admitted his actions were driven by anger and frustration but insisted that the spit was not intentionally aimed at the cashier’s face, claiming it landed on her clothing instead. He added that any contact with her face was unintentional.
The cashier, however, gave a different account, saying the spit landed on her face, leaving her shocked and traumatised. She said she immediately ran to the toilet to wash her face after the incident.
Following the incident, the cashier lodged a police report, supported by her family. Police have confirmed that investigations are ongoing.
Amid widespread backlash after the incident went viral, the lecturer was dismissed from his position by his university’s disciplinary committee, which said his behaviour violated ethical standards and professional conduct. The institution also issued an apology to the cashier.
