Imagine setting off to catch an 8:15 PM flight at 3:30 PM in the afternoon, and still making it just in time. Despite carefully planning his airport journey hours before an evening flight, David Weinstein, an executive director at Morgan Stanley, shared his ordeal on social media which has now gone viral. He was on a work trip to Bengaluru which turned into an unexpectedly stressful race against time, with Google Maps becoming his best friend and ‘Jaldi jao’, the only instruction to his driver turning into a moment he’ll never forget!The viral traffic ordeal
Viral post
His now viral LinkedIn posts starts with:“An Englishman in Bengaluru: Hold the Plane”.As per his account, Weinstein had an 8:15 pm flight. He left his office at 3:30 pm, giving himself ample time (nearly five hours) to reach the airport. It only looked like a sensible plan. But little did he know that Bengaluru traffic had other plans.Weinstein shared how what began as a routine journey quickly became an almost four-hour ordeal involving repeatedly checking Google Maps, alternative flights options and travel anxiety.A 3:30 pm departure plan turns into a traffic nightmareWeinstein’s troubles began even before he could get out of his workplace. Although the plan was to leave at 3:30 pm, the departure kept getting pushed back. First, it was 3:45 pm, then 4 pm, and eventually 4:15 pm.He spent 40 minutes just trying to exit the science park where their office was located.With an 8:15 pm flight approaching, every passing minute mattered. Till now the situation has turned into a stressful countdown. Once they finally got on the road, he found himself watching Google Maps constantly.“At this point, Google Maps had essentially become a Bloomberg Terminal. Refresh it,” he writes.The estimated arrival time showed 6:30 pm.Then it moved to 6:45 pmThen it became 7 pm and 7:15 pm but when it started showing at 7:30 pm, the mood inside the vehicle suddenly turned all grim.“7:30 PM, PANIC”.‘Jaldi jao’: The moment their driver became Lewis HamiltonAs the situation became increasingly tense, an emergency support team was reportedly mobilised. The group began checking alternative flights, and Air India entered the discussion.Then came the instruction to the driver:“Jaldi jao!” (Go faster).Weinstein humorously interpreted the instruction as meaning: “YOU ARE NOW LEWIS HAMILTON.”For those who don’t know, Lewis Hamilton is the seven-time Formula One world champion. The comment only added another layer of humour to an otherwise panic-filled journey. Eventually, after nearly four hours of watching the journey unfold on Google Maps, the group reached Kempegowda International Airport with just 45 minutes to spare.However, reaching the airport was not the end of their troubles.From airport anxiety to ‘full Hugh Grant mode’Now Weinstein had entered “full Hugh Grant mode”, referring to the British actor’s famously awkward and apologetic demeanour.“Thank you. Thank you so much…. We’re so sorry. Really, very sorry. We’re English. We didn’t know,” he wrote. The group sprinted through security, got onto an airport golf cart that Weinstein jokingly described as the world’s slowest aircraft.They were breathless, sweaty and clearly exhausted. After all, they had spent almost four hours worrying about whether they would make an 8:15 pm flight.More surprises awaits
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The group was among the first passengers to board the aircraft. Instead of immediately taking off, they settled into their seats and waited.And waited.They had rushed through Bengaluru traffic, hurried through airport formalities and practically sprinted to the gate, only to find themselves waiting for the other passengers to board.Weinstein said they naturally returned to what he called “English tutting mode”.One year in India, and Bengaluru has taught him a lessonWeinstein’s Bengaluru experience is part of a larger journey of discovering India.In an earlier LinkedIn post marking one year since relocating from London to Mumbai, the Morgan Stanley executive reflected on how the country had gradually begun to feel like home.He spoke about travelling to Goa, Agra, Lonavala and Bengaluru, experiencing his first Indian monsoon and discovering that traffic rules sometimes seemed more like suggestions than instructions.Offering advice, Weinstein wrote: “If you have an evening flight from Bengaluru, leave yourself plenty of time. Actually, forget that. Set off the day before.”
