Watch Bali cops clash with ‘entitled’ tourist for not wearing helmet while on scooter

Bali cops have brutally shut down a tourist as the party island prepares to ban foreigners from hiring scooters. Watch video, have your say.

Bali cops have brutally shut down an “entitled” tourist while on his scooter for not wearing a helmet in a heated exchange on the side of a busy road.

It comes as a poll of Australians found the majority support a proposal to stop tourists in Bali from renting motorbikes.

Footage captures the moment a group of officers surrounded the heavily-tattooed man who becomes increasingly agitated.

The shirtless tourist, speaking with a North American accent, protests being stopped and claimed officers were allowing Balinese locals to do the same thing.

A shirtless Bali tourist on a scooter was confronted by police for not wearing a helmet in a tense exchange on the side of a busy road.

The shirtless tourist, speaking with a North American accent, protests being stopped and claimed officers were allowing Balinese locals to do the same thing. Picture: Supplied

The unnamed man also accuses the cops of harassing him for money which provoked an angry reaction from several officers at the scene.

One cop, who filmed the tense exchange, repeatedly told the tourist: “Too much talking, you.”

At one point, the tourist reacted angrily when an officer attempted to grab and move his bike.

It is unclear what happened to the man or if he was arrested for his protests.

The unnamed man also accuses the cops of harassing him for money. Picture: Supplied

It is unclear what happened to the man or if he was arrested. Picture: Supplied

The incident comes as a poll of News Corp readers found 90 per cent backed plans by Bali officials to get tough on tourists including a ban on hiring motorbikes.

The move is part of a wider crackdown to clean up the paradise island’s image as a place to let loose.

Locals are losing their patience with tourists acting unlawfully or showing disrespectful behaviour.

Just days ago, an Australian living in Bali was filmed screaming at a local police officer after she was caught riding a scooter without a helmet.

Balinese local and Australian expat, Damian Hoo, said this week alone more than 170 traffic light offences were handed to tourists

“I do have to respect the Balinese Governor. He does have a point, foreign tourists have been badly behaved definitely of recent,” Mr Hoo told Sunrise.

“To be honest Australians behaviour and international tourists haven’t gotten worse, but what has got more prevalent is the online recording, almost the vigilante of seeing these people and outing these badly behaved tourists.

“The response by the Balinese government is a big move but that will scare away people from coming depending on how hard the laws are implemented.

If you’ve got plans to visit Bali this year, you should expect more changes.

MOTORBIKE HIRE BAN

Bali’s governor, Wayan Koster, said that under changes to be imposed this year foreigners would only be allowed to drive cars rented from travel agents.

“As tourists, (you should) act as tourists, using the vehicles prepared by travel agents, instead of roaming around with motorbikes, without wearing T-shirts and clothes, with no helmets, violating [traffic rules], and even without a licence,” he said.

Mr Koster said the policy was aimed at tackling disorderliness as the tourism sector recovers from the pandemic.

“Why now? Because we are currently tidying up, [as] during the Covid-19 pandemic we couldn’t have possibly done that because there were no tourists,” he said according to the Bali Sun.

STRICT DRESS CODE

Skimpy clothes and lewd behaviour are the target of a new education campaign in Bali.

Bali Tourism Board chairman Ida Bagus Agung Partha Adnyana said they’re currently in the “socialisation” phase.

At least 10 large billboards will be installed with English instructions and advice plastered over them, but the government anticipates replicating these in other languages once they’ve had a chance to measure the impact of the English-language signs.

The billboards and public awareness campaign materials will be put at strategic locations in Denpasar Regency and Gianyar Regency.

This would cover all of the island’s most popular resort destinations, including Kuta, Seminyak, Legian, Canggu, Ubud, Sanur, Nusa Dua, and Uluwatu.

The proposal has been tabled and officials are now awaiting public feedback.

SEX BAN

In December last year, Bali introduced laws that threaten up to a year in jail for unmarried couples who have sex or six months for those who cohabit.

After businesses voiced worries that the sweeping overhaul of the criminal code will be detrimental to tourism in Indonesia, officials stepped out to say foreigners will not be prosecuted.

“I want to emphasise for foreign tourists, please come to Indonesia because you will not be charged with this article,” Deputy Law and Human Rights Minister Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej said at the time.

A revision of Indonesia’s criminal code, which stretches back to the Dutch colonial era, had been debated for decades.

The new code, which still needs to be approved by President Joko Widodo, will come into force after three years.

Rights groups protested against the amendments, denouncing them as a crackdown on civil liberties and political freedoms as well as a shift towards fundamentalism in Muslim-majority Indonesia, where the constitution recognises five religions alongside Islam.

VISA CHECKS

Officials also have their sights on foreigners working or operating businesses illegally in Bali.

“Regarding economic crimes, including those that we forbid doing this type of business. Moreover, the visa is not for work but a visa for tourism. It is not allowed to do business activities in Bali province,” Governor Koster said.

He warned a new task force has been formed to carry out operations in all areas of Bali, especially in Badung Regency, Denpasar City, and in Gianyar.

“Because there are many cases there and the most foreigners there. But we do everything carefully so as not to be counter-productive to our efforts to restore Bali’s tourism and economy.”

Bali is also proposing withdrawing the visa-on-arrival for Russian and Ukrainian citizens.

The other 86 countries on the visas-on-arrival list may also be struck off.

Originally published as Watch Bali cops clash with ‘entitled’ tourist for not wearing helmet while on scooter