Hundreds take part in first No Trousers Tube Ride since pandemic

James Hockaday
Updated ·2 min read
6

Watch: Londoners strip off for 'No Trousers Tube Ride'

Making eye contact on the London Underground can already be pretty awkward, so imagine if your fellow commuters were in their underwear, too.

For the first time in two years, the No Trousers Tube Ride returned to the capital on Sunday, the name of which is pretty self-explanatory.

Despite the chilly winter weather, hundreds of commuters boarded trains in their pants with the hope of giving travellers something to giggle about.

The annual event, which first came to the capital in 2009, had been postponed since 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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People take part in the annual 'No Trousers On The Tube Day' (No Pants Subway Ride) on the London Underground in central London on January 8, 2023. - 2023 sees the 12th annual No Trousers Tube Ride in London. The day is now marked in over 60 cities around the world. The idea behind
Ever have a dream about forgetting to wear trousers to work? (AFP/Getty Images)
People take part in the annual 'No Trousers On The Tube Day' (No Pants Subway Ride) on the London Underground in central London on January 8, 2023. - 2023 sees the 12th annual No Trousers Tube Ride in London. The day is now marked in over 60 cities around the world. The idea behind
Hundreds of participants amassed in Chinatown before beginning their journey. (AFP/Getty Images)
Tickets are purchased by people taking part in the annual 'No Trousers On The Tube Day' (No Pants Subway Ride) on the London Underground in central London on January 8, 2023. - 2023 sees the 12th annual No Trousers Tube Ride in London. The day is now marked in over 60 cities around the world. The idea behind
Today's event was also the first since the opening of the Elizabeth Line. (AFP/Getty Images)

Today’s comeback was also the first event since the opening of the Elizabeth Line last year.

Run by the Stiff Upper Lip Society, the event does have some rules, including no thongs, see-through garments, or “anything else that might offend people”.

“Our aim is to make people laugh, not p**s them off,” the organisers said.

Participants amassed at Chinatown to start their journey, with group leaders instructing them to remove their trousers and store them in their backpacks.

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People take part in the annual 'No Trousers On The Tube Day' (No Pants Subway Ride) on the London Underground in central London on January 8, 2023. - 2023 sees the 12th annual No Trousers Tube Ride in London. The day is now marked in over 60 cities around the world. The idea behind
The event first came to London in 2009 - inspired by New York City's No Pants Subway Ride. (AFP/Getty Images)
People stand in their underwear during a
Participants were given some ground rules, including no thongs or obscene undergarments. (Reuters)
People take part in the annual 'No Trousers On The Tube Day' (No Pants Subway Ride) on the London Underground in central London on January 8, 2023. - 2023 sees the 12th annual No Trousers Tube Ride in London. The day is now marked in over 60 cities around the world. The idea behind
It's hard to tell if this made riding on the Tube more or less awkward. (AFP/Getty Images)
People take part in the annual 'No Trousers On The Tube Day' (No Pants Subway Ride) on the London Underground in central London on January 8, 2023. - 2023 sees the 12th annual No Trousers Tube Ride in London. The day is now marked in over 60 cities around the world. The idea behind
The event's organisers say they want to 'give strangers experiences of chaos and joy'. (Getty Images)

Some had formal business attire on their top halves, and others wore brightly coloured budgie smugglers with pride.

The annual journey was inspired by the No Pants Subway Ride in New York City, launched by Improv Everywhere in New York in 2002.

It caught on, and now thousands of people take part in similar events every year in more 60 cities in over 25 countries.