A Reddit user has sparked online outrage after sharing a photo of a public walkway that many say has been overtaken by advertising — igniting a broader debate about whether anything in public space is still safe from commercial messaging.
The image was posted to Reddit's r/sydney community, where users quickly identified the location as the Martin Place Metro Station tunnel in Sydney, Australia.
The original poster captioned the photo simply: "Isn't anything safe from advertising?"
The post struck a nerve, gaining attention as commuters and locals shared frustration over what they see as the loss of a rare, peaceful civic space.
According to commenters, the tunnel was previously home to an art installation. It was a place where people would sit quietly, eat lunch, or pause during their commute. That artwork has now been replaced by large-scale advertising panels.
The shift has reignited anger over advertising saturation in shared public infrastructure. Critics argue that constant exposure to ads doesn't just clutter visual space — it actively fuels overconsumption, encouraging people to buy more goods that require energy-intensive production and ultimately contribute to overflowing landfills and planet-overheating pollution.
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Public backlash to changes like this has become increasingly common, including outrage over policy decisions that degrade pedestrian spaces and frustration when shared environments are treated as disposable or commercialized.
As advertising expands into more corners of daily life, some people are seeking alternatives — from thrifting and Buy Nothing groups to simply choosing to walk without being sold to at every step.
The comments on the post reflect a mix of sadness, anger, and disbelief.
"Ugh. That tunnel was a genuinely cool/beautiful place. Shame to see they've ruined it," one user wrote.
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Definitely 👍 Another added, "Wow this is really sad seeing an artwork was changed to an ad placement."
One commenter put it more bluntly: "…seriously. An art installation that was touted to be a spiritual experience about sky country from a Gadigal perspective, lasted maybe a year before becoming ad space."
The original poster agreed, responding, "I know — it's an art work. People sit here quietly to have lunch or just chill. And now you have this giant advert ruining the place."
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