Tech CEO in Miami gives his visiting friend from Seattle a Covid wake-up call

Greg P. | 7:53 AM on February 10, 2022

TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington, who recently moved to Miami, posted this exchange with a friend of his who was visiting from Seattle and this friend’s concern with COVID-19.

His friend texted, “Hey Mike. Just fyi. I just took a rapid test and I’m COVID negative. All good to go.”

But Arrington replied with, “Why the hell would I care. This is Miami. West coast has really done a number on you guys”:

Good friend in town for Seattle, having dinner with him tonight and he sends me this. God, people are sick. And I don’t mean covid pic.twitter.com/wZxD6Lh6oK

— Michael Arrington 🏴‍☠️ (@arrington) February 8, 2022

LOL. “WELCOME TO MIAMI”:

WELCOME TO MIAMI 🎶 https://t.co/Dvg40PZeub

— Kyle Kashuv (@KyleKashuv) February 10, 2022

This appears to be a theme with his friends visiting from the West Coast:

Old friend visiting Miami from California. Invited me to dinner and requested I bring my vaccination card. My friend, you are not in California any more.

— Michael Arrington 🏴‍☠️ (@arrington) November 16, 2021

Some called Arrington out for his response. . .

I think he was being considerate.

— PangolinMoon (@pangolinmoon) February 8, 2022

so I'm being rude for not doing the same?

— Michael Arrington 🏴‍☠️ (@arrington) February 8, 2022

Perhaps because I’m English, this lack of respect for a friend’s consideration of your wellbeing is jarring.

Where I live, the expected response would be to thank them for their concern and keep my other thoughts to myself – and keep the conversation private.

— $byrngar @40213 (@byrngar) February 9, 2022