‘Friend reached Dubai, I'm still in Bengaluru traffic’: Viral post mocking city called ‘not true’ by locals

A viral post claiming a friend reached Dubai while another was stuck in Bengaluru traffic sparked debate as locals defended the city.

An Instagram post about Bengaluru’s infamous traffic has sparked an online debate, after a user claimed their friend reached Dubai while they were still stuck on the city’s roads.

The post, originally shared by a travel and food influencer, featured a video of bumper-to-bumper traffic. (X/@bengalurupost1)

The post, originally shared by a travel and food influencer, featured a video of bumper-to-bumper traffic and read, “Dropped my friend at Bangalore airport as she was leaving to Dubai. She reached Dubai and I am still stuck in Bangalore’s traffic.”

A Bengaluru resident shared a screenshot of the post on X (formerly Twitter), asking fellow Bengalureans whether the story was even remotely true. The post quickly gained traction, with many users jumping in to defend the city—and its roads.

How did X users react?

“Not true!” one user shot back, explaining that international flyers typically leave home 3 hours before departure, and that the Dubai flight takes about 3.5 hours, totaling 6.5 hours. “In 6.5 hours you can pass Hebbal, Marathahalli, HSR, E-city, Silk Board, CBD and back to Hebbal, and do this round again!”

Another user, who regularly drives through Hebbal during peak hours, said they travel nearly 20 km in about 45 minutes. “The traffic is moving in Hebbal and is NOT as bad as it’s shown,” they wrote, calling the viral post an unfair mockery of the city.

While some agreed the post was clearly satirical, others warned that such exaggerations fuel negativity. “This post spreads hate against the entire city. It mocks the entire city,” one user argued.

However, not everyone dismissed the post. Some said the situation may be exaggerated, but not entirely implausible, depending on where the person started their journey. “It could be true depending on how far the house is from the airport,” one said.

Another called the post “funny but unfortunately real,” adding that Bengaluru’s infrastructure hasn’t kept pace with its rapid growth. “More can be done to ease this, like a double-decker flyover from Silk Board to Hebbal with Metro access,” one user suggested. “But guess it’s too late now.”