Londoners Revive Cheeky Tradition of Riding the Subway Without Pants

Inspired by No Pants Subway Ride, a global event that began in New York in January 2002 with seven men taking part in the inaugural event, many citizens showed up trouserless for London's annual No Trousers Tube Ride on January 8, 2023. The event this year was the first since the Covid-19 pandemic began, and the group's first trip on the Elizabeth line, reports BBC.

Participants paraded across the Paddington concourse, used ticket machines and escalators without trousers at stations, and rode the Elizabeth line half-suited and booted. The Stiff Upper Lip Society—the London-based group that organized this year's event—said that the event's goal was "to make people laugh" and "have fun." They urged attendees to wear humorous undergarments, but nothing "that might offend people." 

Participants in the first event pretended not to know each other and told people who asked about their pants that they had "just forgotten" the pants at home. According to Improv Everywhere, the New York City-based comedy collective that founded the international event, the prank evolved into "an international celebration of silliness" over time. The event has since then been observed 19 times. The Improve Everywhere states, "The idea behind No Pants is simple: Random passengers board a subway car at separate stops in the middle of winter without pants. The participants behave as if they do not know each other, and they all wear winter coats, hats, scarves, and gloves. The only unusual thing is their lack of pants." The mission started as a small prank by seven men and grew into an international celebration of silliness, with dozens of cities around the world participating each year.

This year's event was very similar to previous years. Participants removed their pants and boarded the trains in groups wearing funky underpants at their respective stations. "Sit in the Tube as usual for the remainder of the journey. Read a magazine or do whatever you normally would," according to the event's Facebook page. The Improve Everywhere website also provides an overview of the event's history dating all the way back to its inception in 2002.

"The seventh annual No Pants ride had 900 participants in New York and was the first year to go international, with 9 cities joining the fun. In New York, we had to use three separate train lines to accommodate the crowd. For the first time, there were at least as many women as men. This was the first year we invited other cities to participate as well. Rides took place in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Portland, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Toronto, Washington DC and even Adelaide, Australia," it states about the 2008 edition of the event. 

The 2006 No Pants Subway Ride overview reads, "The fifth annual No Pants ride was abruptly halted by a cop. All passengers, including those not participating, were forced to exit the train as it was taken out of service. 8 people were handcuffed in their underwear and taken into custody. A month later a judge dismissed all of the charges. It is not illegal to wear your underwear in public in New York City. Just ask the Naked Cowboy. The incident was reported by news agencies around the world. David Letterman made two monologue jokes, about it and staged a No Pants Cab Ride as a parody. Keith Olbermann interviewed Agent Todd about the legality of No Pants. Around 150 people participated in the ride."

Not every "No Pants" event has gone according to plan. In 2006, eight people were detained by police in New York City during the fifth annual ride, drawing more media attention to the amusing event. Over the next four years, the number of "No Pants" participants increased from 150 to 5,000, and by 2011, the annual event was taking place in more than 48 cities around the world, as per People.