Emerging from Barcelona’s underground and suddenly coming face-to-face with the silhouette of the Sagrada Família is one of those special moments that captivates anyone. However, the obsession with capturing this moment on the escalators connecting the metro to Plaça de Gaudí and Carrer de Mallorca has led Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) to take a decisive step: turning off the escalators during peak hours to protect passengers.
This measure addresses a problem that has involved two years of warnings ignored by visitors. Despite signage prohibiting taking photos or videos while the escalator is in motion—especially the dangerous tendency to rest phones on the steps— constant crowding and the real danger of serious accidents have forced the service to be repeatedly suspended.
A must-see stop due to the crowds
The escalators are typically shut down starting at noon, usually between 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., when the area is overwhelmed by tourists. During recent inspections conducted on extremely hot days, it was observed that the escalators remained completely stationary while dozens of people continued to pose with the basilica in the background.
Even during the morning hours when the escalators were still operating normally, the sight of visitors filming themselves with their cell phones in hand or leaving them on the floor remained a common occurrence.
The signs installed by TMB in Catalan, Spanish, and English are very clear about the “risk of getting trapped” and explicitly prohibit placing devices on the steps. Metro staff and public safety officers confirm that this reckless behavior—driven by the desire to gain attention on platforms like Instagram or TikTok—has already resulted in actual injuries.
Diverting the flow to safe areas
To prevent subway entrances from being completely blocked by people taking selfies, public safety officers are actively patrolling the area. Their job is to deter tourists who are blocking the way and redirect them to areas where they are not in danger.
From there, visitors are informed that they can safely take as many photos and videos as they wish from Gaudí Square or the new plaza on Marina Street, thereby ensuring the smooth flow of traffic and the peace of mind of passersby.
