A young man sparked fiery reactions online for his encounter with two women hogging up an escalator for some viral content.
Some called him “rude” while others saw him as a symbol of the public’s growing frustration with influencers turning everyday spaces into their TikTok sets.
“Do you really think the world stops for your video? Wake up,” one commented online.
Highlights
- A man became an unlikely internet hero after brushing past two women filming a TikTok video.
- The women were seen filming on a busy Barcelona escalator at the Sagrada Familia metro station.
- The man’s reaction sparked a heated debate, with some calling him “rude” while accused influencers of treating public spaces like their private studios.
- Authorities issued warnings about recording inside the metro station because the trend was getting out of hand.
A young man sparked fiery reactions for his encounter with two women hogging up an escalator for their viral content
The two women in question were filming the viral Sagrada Familia escalator trend in Barcelona, where tourists use the escalator to film the famous Sagrada Familia Basilica in the backdrop.
Influencers have long been using the metro escalator to get the perfect shot as they ride up the moving staircase. But this leaves commuters trying to get home or to the office with little patience.
The women were in the middle of filming on the busy escalator when a man came up behind them and brushed past them.
As the man walked on, one of the video-makers looked visibly annoyed by his uninhibited interruption.
One X user shared the clip online with the caption: “Why don’t men understand they need to stay out of the way in public?”
The video sparked a heated debate, with one saying, “Invade all influencer spaces.”
“People nowadays think that once they start recording they now own the land they’re standing on until they’re done,” one commented online
“Cos of your video I gotta be late for my interview, or my grandma last words... or wherever he was in a hurry too,” one said.
“Our city and our everyday life aren’t a cardboard backdrop for tourists to use as a photo set,” one commented online.
Another wrote, “People nowadays think that once they start recording they now own the land they’re standing on until they’re done.“
“Getting to the point where people should get city permission whenever they want to record. Because this sh** is so annoying,” they added.
Many influencers and tourists have received backlash for filming on the escalator at the Sagrada Familia metro station
Others said the man was being “rude” and called out the “double standard.”
“This is a very popular spot people take videos. It’s known by tourists,” one said. “There’s stairs next to the escalator if he wanted to walk up. He did this to be rude and ruin it, not bc they were in the way. Anyone cheering this is an incel.”
“Men literally block entire sidewalks filming their own dumb tiktoks but suddenly an escalator selfie is the end of civilization,” wrote another. “The double standard is so obvious it hurts.”
Over the years, many influencers and tourists have received backlash for filming on the escalator at the Sagrada Familia metro station.
The trend became so popular that it caught the attention of Barcelona’s transport authorities, who were against tourists placing their phones on the escalator to capture the perfect shot.
Local complaints and safety concerns led to warnings in 2024 about people filming in the metro station, as people could injure themselves.
TikToker @thatonegirldarcie posted about the warnings, saying, “POV: they put a sign saying no filming with a man telling you off for doing it, so you can’t do the viral TikTok escalator video.”
In 2024, authorities warned visitors about recording in the metro station to avoid injuries and inconveniences to other commuters
At the time, the Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), the agency which is responsible for public transport in the city, said the warning was a direct response to the TikTok trend and was not decided by the Basílica of the Sagrada Família.
Beyond the warning sign and an employee telling visitors they cannot film, no fine will be imposed on people.
“To avoid a security problem and any accident, because there are many visitors around the Sagrada Família, the sign has been put up and security personnel have been placed on site,” the TMB spokesperson told Thrillist at the time.
Even though no injuries were reported, the TMB imposed the warnings to keep it that way.
The decision has “nothing to do with” the Basílica of the Sagrada Família as it’s “something that happens outside the premises.”
Filming people in public is usually legal in most countries. In the U.S., the general rule is that one can legally film people in public places, like streets, parks, sidewalks, transit areas, and so on. This is protected under the First Amendment (freedom of speech and press) because the key idea is that people in public have no reasonable expectation of privacy.
However, that right isn’t unlimited. Even in public spaces, filming can cross into legal trouble if it interferes with others or violates existing laws. Blocking walkways, escalators, or entrances can be treated as obstruction, while persistently filming someone in a targeted or confrontational way may amount to harassment. Filming on private property—even spaces open to the public, like malls or certain transit areas—can also lead to removal if it violates property rules.
“The world doesn’t revolve around influencers,” commented bodybuilder and fitness influencer Joey Swoll
