‘There are so many potholes’: NRI couple express disappointment with life in Bengaluru after returning from Europe

They believed Bengaluru would offer practical advantages, including easier travel for ageing parents and a smoother support system.

The Redditor wrote that the couple stayed near Whitefield, a location that seemed logical due to the presence of office hubs along Outer Ring Road

An NRI couple based in a European capital has ignited a debate after sharing their disappointment with Bengaluru during an exploratory visit ahead of a planned return to India.

In a Reddit post titled “Shocked on our exploratory trip to Bangalore – how to adjust for RTI?”, the couple, in their early 30s, said they had long planned to move back to India after getting their European passports.

They believed Bengaluru would offer practical advantages, including easier travel for ageing parents and a smoother support system. However, their recent visit to the city left them disappointed. The Redditor wrote that the couple stayed near Whitefield, a location that seemed logical due to the presence of office hubs along Outer Ring Road. However, the visit resulted in a “reverse culture shock”.

“This area is just so busy and noisy even on weekends. There is constant traffic. I cannot imagine living in this area peacefully,” the social media user wrote.

They also highlighted the lack of pedestrian-friendly infrastructure. “We also tried walking around, but there are fricking no roads. There are so many potholes, we almost tripped 3–4 times and had to walk very cautiously,” the post added.

The couple visited several residential projects while house-hunting, but found new concerns. According to the post, many developments were far from metro connectivity, making residents heavily dependent on cars. The user noted that commuting to areas like Mahadevapura or MG Road could take over an hour during peak traffic.

“Paying ₹4 crore to live near slums seems awful,” the Redditor wrote, questioning whether the price matched the quality of life being offered.

See the viral post here:

Shocked on our exploratory trip to Bangalore – how to adjust for RTI?
byu/devilman123 inreturnToIndia

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The post has gone viral, prompting a wave of reactions from Redditors. “Don’t think it makes a lot of sense to move if you both are planning to do 9-5. Traffic is brutal, work culture is questionable,” a user wrote. “There is a layer of fine dust due to vehicle movement and construction activities near hopefarm. SG would be a better option over India,” another user commented.

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“You people are always debating about which country will benefit you the most while never caring about the legal citizen jobs you are displacing. We have to pay our bills and live our lives too. If you don’t like your own country, then make it better,” a third user reacted.