British Citizens Riding Subway Without Pants... "No Shame Allowed"

'Recommencement of "Riding the Subway Without Pants" After 3 Years'

Passengers wearing only underwear boarded the London subway. AFP=Yonhap

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] The "No Pants Subway Ride" event, which had been suspended due to the spread of COVID-19, was held again in London, UK, after three years.

On the 8th (local time), the UK Daily Mail reported that the "No Pants Subway Ride" event took place on the London Underground's Elizabeth Line, where hundreds of passengers rode the subway wearing only their underwear.

The event originated in 2002 in New York, started by the comedy performance art group "Improv Everywhere," and has since spread to 60 cities worldwide, including Berlin, Toronto, and Lisbon, becoming an international event.

Passengers wearing only underwear boarded the London Underground. AFP=Yonhap

One of the key rules of the event is that participants should not feel embarrassed despite not wearing pants and should behave as usual. Participating citizens wore shirts and ties properly on top but only underwear on the bottom while using the subway.

They appeared wearing only underwear on the lower half, paired with socks and shoes or sneakers, sitting expressionlessly as if nothing was unusual. Some onlookers were seen deliberately suppressing laughter and turning their gaze to newspapers or mobile phones.

In New York, where the event began, eight people were once arrested in 2006 for public indecency due to not wearing pants in public places, but the charges were soon dismissed. At that time, the New York court ruled that riding the subway without pants was not illegal.