Didn't say it was an excuse - but it might be an explanation.
If you were to be put on a spacecraft - without any tuition - and folks were mostly talking to you in a language you did not understand?
If you were from a village operating an interesting combination of 21st century mobile radio phones - but societal norms of the 19th century - how would you know how to behave in an aircraft?
IF IN YOUR VILLAGE it was customary for males to do that?
As I said, he may have been an intelligent man, regular traveller who set out to antagonise. Or not.
There are usualy two sides to the story and, as 99.99% of press sotires, we'll only hear one side.