As with most things on Twitter, unless you see photographic evidence or some kind of verification, you have to take it with a pinch of salt.
After all, media literacy isn't taught in schools and sophisticated disinformation campaigns are being waged across the internet that are intent on subverting democracy with oligarchal rule and fascism.
There are also people who, it seems, make stuff up because it's fun and why not. This story, however, from Shiv Ramdas comes with enough detail and humour to it that it's got to be real. Now, if you're wondering how it's all so lucid and real, it's because Shiv Ramdas is himself a writer.
The whole thing kicks off when Shiv's brother-in-law in India, tired of having to trek back and forth from the shop for rice, decides to come up with a way of bulk-buying a load of rice. Wires cross, and somehow, an entire truck filled with rice appears in front of his sister and brother-in-law's house.
From there, it gets worse. Much, much worse.
OMG my brother in law, the gift that never stops giving, was tired of being sent to get rice every day so he decided buy in bulk, talked to the shop about it, wires got crossed, now there is a literal TRUCK FILLED WITH RICE outside the house and my sister is losing her shit lmfao
— Shiv Ramdas Buk Riter (@nameshiv) September 3, 2020
To clarify, this is India so when I say truck, I don't mean SUV, IT IS A LITERAL LORRY FILLED WITH RICE
— Shiv Ramdas Buk Riter (@nameshiv) September 3, 2020
Update 2: BIL wants everyone reading this to know that I'm dick for livetweeting it and this is not helping
— Shiv Ramdas Buk Riter (@nameshiv) September 3, 2020
Update to Drama: BIL had come in to explain that driver insists they'll have to take the rice(and pay) but midway through thouht better of it and is now negotiating with driver again. An excellent demonstration of the flight instinct in mammals when confronted with mortal peril
— Shiv Ramdas Buk Riter (@nameshiv) September 3, 2020
Also all of you enjoying this need to join me in thanking Mom for going above and beyond the call of duty and carrying phone between locations & also relaying key info while somehow also social distancing so we can continue bringing you our live reporting on this unfolding crisis
— Shiv Ramdas Buk Riter (@nameshiv) September 3, 2020
BIL Update: Warehouse Owner still not taking calls but they have reached some chappu of his who told them to call someone called Manu, he'll take care of it. Thats all we know about him. He's Manu, this his number and he'll take care of it. He is the Mr Wolf of warehouse cockups
— Shiv Ramdas Buk Riter (@nameshiv) September 3, 2020
Mom is scolding dad for demanding to speak to Manu. Dad has been banished back inside as punishment.
— Shiv Ramdas Buk Riter (@nameshiv) September 3, 2020
BREAKING NEWS: Manu Is Coming
— Shiv Ramdas Buk Riter (@nameshiv) September 3, 2020
Right there is where we're going to stop because, honestly, it becomes so much more funnier as it goes on. If someone hasn't thought about buying the filming rights to this, do it now and you've got yourself a crossover comedy caper hit for 2022 or whenever they start making movies again.
Again, what's sceptical about all this is that there are - near as we're able to ascertain - no imagery of said truck or anything that can be construed as photographic evidence. From people chiming in during the thread, huge rice delivery lorries are common enough in India - but them arriving at someone's house is less so.
Not only that, our guess is that Shiv Ramdas - who was dutifully live-tweeting the whole thing - is not actually in India, but rather is on the phone to his mother and he's live-tweeting this on to us.
Either way, it's comedy gold.