A man has gone viral for all the wrong reasons this week after filming himself urinating on a mountain during his travels.
Of course, Travis Upright isn't the first person to answer nature's call when out in public. The trouble is, the mountain he decided to relieve himself on was Mauna Kea; a landmark that's especially sacred to Native Hawaiians.
In the video, which Travis uploaded to and very quickly deleted from his Instagram, he's seen urinating from the summit of the mountain before holding up his middle finger and strutting off-screen.
Advert
It wasn't long before the video went viral, from people who were furious at the disrespectful move.
When the clip made its way as far as KITV, Hawaiian locals explained just how upsetting Travis's actions were.
"This is very disrespectful to 'aina, land and to the cultural practices of Native Hawaiians here, myself included", one resident said.
"It was just the sense of entitlement and privilege, it almost says, 'I don't care about my choices and my actions here'."
Advert
Soon after he took down the video, Travis issued a lengthy apology.
"I’m so sorry… to all of you," he wrote in the dramatic post.
"I was so arrogant and I just didn’t get it. I’m beginning to and I humbly ask for your forgiveness for my entitlement and for me not knowing what it means to hold something so sacred that you would die for it.
Advert
"I wasn’t raised with that belief and now I know and am starting to feel what is means to hold something sacred. I was raised to believe the world is yours for the taking.
"Traditional white upbringing. It was so unconscious within me that it took this to bring it to the surface. And I am so sorry that I hurt so many people."
The rambling apology continued: "I want to understand what it means to hold life and the land so precious and sacred that I would protect it with my life.
Advert
"But not for me. But so I can teach it to the next generation after me. So that the pain ends with me. No more. The entitlement ends with me and I pray for the opportunity and the privilege to ask forgiveness from the Elders and from the mountain.
"I have asked for the ground I’m standing on to forgive me but I know it’s bigger than that. If I have to spend my entire life understand this and change my beliefs I will."
Let this be a lesson to all hikers. Be very wary of where you pee, or you could find yourself grovelling like a fool on social media.
Ali Condon