Today's RMT strike means some commuters face a denuded service, but London Underground was totally pants over the weekend. Hundreds of pranksters stripped down to their underwear for the annual No Trousers On The Tube Day.
A woman stands on an escalator in her underwear during No Trousers On The Tube Day at Liverpool Street Station in LondonBen Stansall/AFPA Central Line train arrives as people take part in the annual No Trousers On The Tube Day in LondonBen Stansall/AFPA man reads a newspaper at Liverpool Street Station in London as he takes part in the annual No Trousers On The Tube DayBen Stansall/AFPPeople brave freezing temperatures during the No Pants Subway Ride in New YorkEduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty ImagesSemi-naked passengers mingle with fully-dressed commuters during the No Trousers on the Tube event in LondonSimon Dawson/ReutersA commuter takes a picture of trouserless passengers on the Central line in LondonBen Stansall/AFPPeople wearing no trousers use cash machines at Liverpool Street Station in LondonBen Stansall/AFP
Known elsewhere as the No Pants Subway Ride, the event began in 2002 in New York with only seven participants and has grown into a global phenomenon, with events in more than 60 cities. The day is coordinated by Improv Everywhere, a global flash mob, who call it "an international celebration of silliness".
The idea is for trouserless participants to board a train and maintain a nonchalant air, listening to music, reading newspapers, while keeping a straight face as if all were perfectly normal. The participants wear typical winter clothing on their top half such as hats, scarves and gloves and do not acknowledge each other's similar state of undress. IBTimes UK presents photos commuters taking part in the annual No Pants On The Subway Ride around the world.
People participate in the annual No Pants Subway Ride in New YorkElizabeth Shafiroff/ReutersTwo women wearing stockings and suspenders wait for a train in New YorkTimothy A Clary/AFPA man takes his trousers off on a train during the 17th Annual No Pants Subway Ride in New York CityTimothy A Clary/AFP'Mike Hot Pence' poses in a New York City subway stationTimothy A Clary/AFPA man (half-)dressed as Spider-Man participates in the annual No Pants Subway Ride in New YorkElizabeth Shafiroff/ReutersA fully dressed passenger looks bemused as people travel on the New York subway in their underwearTimothy A Clary/AFPA member of the New York City Police Department looks on as a couple kiss during the annual No Pants Subway RideElizabeth Shafiroff/ReutersA man poses for a picture in his undies after braving freezing temperatures in New York CityEduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty ImagesPeople brave freezing temperatures during the No Pants Subway Ride in New YorkEduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty ImagesA man taking part in the annual international No Pants Subway Ride travels on a train in JerusalemAhmad Gharabli/AFPPeople taking part in the annual international No Pants Subway Ride day wait for a train in JerusalemAhmad Gharabli/AFPIsraelis travel on the light rail train in their underwear during the annual No Pants Subway Ride in JerusalemRonen Zvulun/ReutersPassengers travel on the Berlin underground in their underwearCarsten Koall/Getty ImagesPeople take part in the annual No Pants Subway Ride in BerlinHannibal Hanschke/ReutersPeople take part in the annual No Pants Subway Ride flashmob in BerlinHannibal Hanschke/ReutersConventionally dressed passengers sit with others in their underwear on a train in BerlinHannibal Hanschke/ReutersA passenger not wearing trousers waits for a subway train in PragueDavid W Cerny/ReutersPassengers wearing no trousers wait for a train in PragueDavid W Cerny/ReutersA man wearing no trousers and no shoes walks down an escalator in PragueDavid W Cerny/ReutersA woman boards an escalator in her underwear in PragueMichal Cizek/AFPTrouserless passengers pose in a Prague Metro stationMichal Cizek/AFPPeople wearing no trousers travel in a subway train in WarsawWojtek Radwanski/AFPParticipants in the No Pants Subway Ride walk through the a Metro station in Washington, DCAndrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP
