An American tech entrepreneur who said he was “very excited” to be in Bengaluru after landing at the airport soon received a reality check on social media. Bengaluru social media users helpfully informed Mike Horton that he was technically not in Bengaluru yet — and the airport is located miles away from the city.
Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport is located roughly 40 kilometres from the city centre, making it a long ride for travellers, especially during peak traffic hours. This distance has become a running joke online, with memes and posts exaggerating the journey as a mini road trip or comparing it to reaching another city altogether.
Mike Horton’s post from Bengaluru airport
Mike Horton, the Texas-based co-founder of Crossbow Technology and Geodnet, recently flew to Bengaluru for a speaking engagement.
He shared a photograph after landing at Kempegowda International Airport and captioned it “Arrived [in] Bangalore and very excited.”
X user helpfully informed Horton that he was not yet in Bengaluru, as the city is still a few hours away. “This is not Bangalore, it's still 2.5 hours away,” wrote one person in a post that has gone viral with 1 million views.
“Bangalore is 2 hrs away still,” another said. “This is not Bangalore, actual Bangalore is still 2 days away,” another joked.
Mike Horton reacts
{{/usCountry}}“Bangalore is 2 hrs away still,” another said. “This is not Bangalore, actual Bangalore is still 2 days away,” another joked.
Mike Horton reacts
{{/usCountry}}Horton reacted to many of these replies with amusement. He also refused to let the long journey dampen his enthusiasm for the trip.
“Bengaluru is great,” he said in response to one tweet after spending a few hours in the city.
When another X user commended him for smiling after a 20 hour flight, Horton clarified that it was actually 23 hours.
In a follow-up post, he shared a picture of himself outside a Chaayos outlet in Bengaluru and said he was excited to try chai in India.
Mike Horton will attend the India Blockchain Week in Bengaluru before flying to Delhi for the Geo Smart Conference.
(Also read: ‘India is not for beginners’: Bengaluru-based US founder reveals how he’s been scammed in the country)