A photo from Bellandur, Bengaluru, showing a footpath completely blocked by a large poster has ignited fresh anger online over the city’s public space problem. The image, shared on the Bengaluru subreddit,
shows a massive banner mounted directly on the pavement, forcing pedestrians to step onto the road to get past it. The post was titled, “Blocked footpath. Is this poster even legal to post?”
Within hours, it drew more than 1,500 upvotes and dozens of comments. The original poster also shared that a complaint had been filed via X, tagging civic authorities and flagging the obstruction as a safety issue.
Blocked footpath. Is this poster even legal to post?
byu/adrshx inbangalore
For many residents, the image was instantly familiar. Footpaths across the city are routinely eaten up by hoardings, parked vehicles, construction material and temporary structures. This one, critics said, crossed a line by fully cutting off pedestrian access.
“Legal if you have power,” users say
The comments section quickly turned into a wider conversation about power, politics and accountability. One of the most upvoted remarks summed up the prevailing mood: “The people in the poster have money and power. So, yeah, it’s legal now.”
Another user wrote, “Legality is a political word in India. If you hold enough power, almost everything becomes legal.” Several commenters argued that such posters exist because enforcement depends less on rules and more on who is involved.
Others linked the issue to electoral apathy. “We, the people, elect and give them power,” one comment read, “then we spend the next five years blaming those leaders and repeat the same cycle again.” A reply pushed back, calling elections a false choice and arguing that outcomes remain the same regardless of who is voted in.
What is this poster even for?
Beyond legality, many users were baffled by the poster itself. Several questioned why the banner featured dozens of faces while barely communicating what the event or message was about. “Why are there so many heads on it?” one user asked. “Is it for credibility?”
Another comment described it as a “flex,” suggesting the placement and design were less about public information and more about visibility and hierarchy. One detailed reply broke down what they called a political “food chain,” where smaller local figures pay to have their faces included alongside larger political heads in the hope of being noticed.
Some users even joked that the actual subject of the poster was almost invisible. “I had to rescan the poster a second time to find that competition image,” one wrote.
Frustration, sarcasm and talk of action
As the thread grew, frustration gave way to sarcasm and dark humour. Comments ranged from “Time to eat paan and spit on the poster” to “New opportunities for graffiti enthusiasts.” A few users claimed they had seen similar banners put up under police supervision in other areas.
There were also calls for collective action. “Since these billboards are illegal, can we form a voluntary group to collectively tear them down?” one commenter asked, pointing to what they saw as civic failure.
For now, the poster remains a symbol of a larger problem Bengaluru residents say they face daily.
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