Mumbaikar in Bengaluru shares survival hack: ‘Came with a lot of caution, but what I got was…'

Mint

3 days ago

'I came in with a lot of caution,' a Mumbaikar living in Karnataka's Bengaluru for the past 5 years said he was 'welcomed' to the city and has 'barely faced any issues' in these years, unlike the common chatter about hostility on social media.
In a now-viral Reddit post, the man busted the common beliefs about moving to Bengaluru and shared a rather simple survival hack to win over the locals.
The Mumbaikar said, 'I'm originally from Mumbai, born and brought up in a Maharashtrian household. About five years ago, I moved to Bengaluru for work, and I'll be honest, I came in with a lot of caution.'
The man said, before shifting, he kept hearing the usual: 'Bengaluru traffic will drive you mad.' 'Autos and cab guys are a nightmare.' 'Locals don't like outsiders, especially if you don't speak Kannada.'
However, to his surprise, the Mumbaikar said his actual experience has been the 'complete opposite'.
'Whether I've driven my own car or taken autos and cabs, I've barely faced any issues. People have been respectful, fair, and often more helpful than I expected. I was prepared for hostility, but what I got was patience,' he wrote.
The Mumbaikar said his 'effort' to learn basic Kannada made the 'biggest difference'.
'What made the biggest difference, I think, is effort. I started learning Kannada just basic stuff, greetings, directions, small talk. Even when I mess it up, people appreciate it,' he said.
'They smile, they help, and they correct me kindly. It's made me feel included, not alien,' he added.
This comes at a time when much hostility toward outsiders is being reported from Bengaluru for not knowing Kannada.
'This city feels like it mirrors what you bring to it. I never acted like a tourist or outsider, I just tried to belong, and Bengaluru met me halfway,' the man said.
The Mumbaikar also noted that others may have had different experiences. 'But personally, I've felt nothing but welcome. It makes me wonder: Is it possible that the city treats you how you treat the city?' he asked.
Netizens welcomed the post, saying that Bangalore does meet people halfway.
'The hostility part is blown out of proportion. The ones creating such situations are an extremely small minority. Most people here are well natured and treat everyone well,' a social media user said.
Another added, 'Never faced any problems with people here in Bangalore.'
'The sentiment that Bangalore people have met them halfway is objectively true IMO,' said a user. 'The kind of entitlement I've seen some Hindi speakers have like 'No, I will only speak Hindi' has just not been there before with locals. Even people who only know Kannada make efforts to speak English and even Hindi,' the user added.
However, a few skeptical users asked, '5 years in Bangalore and you have never faced any issues with traffic?'