Canadian solo traveller recounts her terrifying encounter at New Delhi railway station: ‘Got my blood boiling’
A Canadian solo traveller’s trip in India took an unsettling turn when she was allegedly harassed and nearly scammed at the New Delhi railway station, despite having a valid train ticket. Travel content creator Klaudia Falenta shared the incident on social media, revealing how the encounter left her shaken, angry and racing against time to catch her train, while also sparking a wider conversation on the darker, unspoken side of solo travel. (Also read: ₹46 lakh! Inside ‘world’s biggest nude cruise’ where you can sail the seas without any clothes”>Travel nude for ₹46 lakh! Inside ‘world’s biggest nude cruise’ where you can sail the seas without any clothes )
Travel vlogger’s experience at New Delhi railway station
Falenta, who has nearly 40,000 followers on Instagram, said the incident occurred on her fifth day of travelling alone in India. She was scheduled to catch an early-morning train from New Delhi to Varanasi when the encounter took place.
“Another crazy travel day in India, but this one definitely got my blood boiling, so let me tell you about it from the beginning,” she shared.
In the video, she explained, “I got an Uber to New Delhi station, and as I got to the entrance, a man stopped me and asked me to show him my ticket. He was telling me that this is the wrong ticket and basically tried to scam me.” She added that the man tried to take her to an office far away, seemingly to stall her and make her miss her train.
Unfiltered side of solo travel
The two reportedly argued for nearly 10 minutes before the man backed off. Falenta said she was only able to move on after showing him multiple train tickets from previous journeys, all of which appeared similar in format. The experience left her shaken and stressed, especially as she then had very little time to locate the correct platform and board her train amid the chaos of the busy station.
Reflecting on the video, Falenta said, “I almost didn’t want to include these clips, because it’s so out of my character to be angry like this, and I don’t like seeing it. But then, I wouldn’t stay true to what I wanted to do, which is to show travel for what it really is. The unfiltered and real travel is not always positive and happy, and that’s when you grow the most as a person.”
How internet reacted
Falenta’s video quickly garnered attention, drawing a flood of reactions online. Many users expressed concern over her safety in India. One wrote, “Stop solo travelling in India. India is not safe, sister.”
Another added, “Stop going to Delhi for tourism. NOBODY in India goes to Delhi for a vacation.” Others echoed similar sentiments: “People need to stop going to Delhi, internationally there should be awareness, don’t go to Delhi,” and “Glad that you are overcoming challenges which sometimes we Indians cannot even imagine.” Some comments specifically warned solo female travellers: “Delhi is not safe for single foreign women,” while another user cautioned, “India is not safe for foreigners, please avoid Indian tours.”
Safety tips for female solo traveller
In an October 2025 interview with HT Lifestyle, content creator and solo traveller Rida Tharana, who has journeyed alone to destinations including Bali, Lombok, Turkey, Italy, Japan, Lakshadweep, and the U.S., shared her top 10 tips for safe and empowering solo travel.
She advises always sharing your location, keeping your phone charged, staying in central areas, booking smart, choosing Airbnbs for privacy, walking to discover hidden gems, using packing cubes, carrying essential items like hooks and electrolyte packs, connecting genuinely with locals, and embracing the mindset that fear is natural but surmountable. For Rida, solo travel is about independence, trusting yourself, and growing through challenges, turning each trip into a lesson in capability and self-discovery.
