A German TikToker known as Streichbruder has sparked online backlash after filming himself dancing and performing backflips on Barcelona's metro, drawing indifference from passengers and criticism from internet users. The 17-year-old influencer, real name Simon Both, visited stations including Urquinaona on L4, Drassanes on L3 and Diagonal on L3, according to his TikTok profile.
In each video, he stands inside a metro carriage with a portable speaker emitting loud music, lights flashing in sync. He offers a fist bump to unresponsive passengers, dances briefly, then exits at the next stop. Once on the platform, he performs a backflip after clearing space around him, a routine repeated across global cities.
Commuters on board largely ignored him, with few looking up from their phones or making eye contact. None applauded or approached him, a reaction he appeared to gesture at with visible confusion. The scenes, later shared widely on the social network X, prompted dozens of users to condemn the disruption.
Many criticised the intrusion on daily travel, with one commenting that passengers returning from long shifts simply want to be left in peace. The response echoes earlier controversy when Streichbruder filmed similar acts on Tokyo trains last year, where playing loud music in public transport violates local laws and requires prior permission.
Pattern of Public Transport Performances
Streichbruder, whose alias combines the German words for 'prank' and 'brother', has built a following across platforms with nearly one million Instagram followers. He holds a Guinness World Record for completing 19 backflips from a standing position in 30 seconds, achieved last year.
While crowds in Tokyo once cheered his flips, Barcelona commuters showed no such enthusiasm. His acts fall into a broader pattern of digital content creation that increasingly clashes with public space etiquette in cities like Vienna and Tokyo, where transit authorities have previously criticised such behaviour.
"Imagine you worked a 12 hour shift, you’re super tired and just want to relax on the train, then this German TikToker shows up and ruins your peace for clout."
- Online comment on social network X, following the video's circulation
No Official Response from Transit Authority
As of now, Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) has not issued a public statement regarding the incidents. TMB regulations prohibit behaviour that disrupts passenger comfort or safety, though enforcement typically depends on real-time reports by staff or users.
Passengers affected by loud music or intrusive filming on the metro are advised to report incidents via the official TMB website or app for review by transit security.
Primary sources: Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona. Reported by elperiodico.com, El Periódico, Matthew Hernon, ovb-online.de, Streichbruder / TIKTOK, oe24.at, El Periódico Barcelona.
