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Hundreds of people going on London Underground in their pants for no reason at all today

Hundreds of people going on London Underground in their pants for no reason at all today

Avoiding eye contact is going to be tricky

London tube journeys will be even more awkward today as hundreds of people will be travelling in their pants.

Residents of the UK capital have a bit of a reputation for avoiding eye contact at all costs while on the subway or else risk having - shock horror - a conversation.

Anyone who's jumped on the Central line at 8.36am will know exactly what I'm talking about.

The unwritten rules of London tube etiquette are well understood, but today they'll be pushed to the side as hundreds of dwellers will be travelling without their bottoms on.

The No Trousers Tube Ride is back.
NurPhoto SRL/Alamy Stock Photo

And they'll be doing so for no reason at all other than a bit of fun, as today (8 January) marks the first No Trousers Tube Ride since pre-pandemic days.

The annual event obviously had to be put on hold during Covid for health and safety reasons, but now it's back in full force.

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To take part, it really is as simple as it sounds - just ride the train with only underwear on your bottom half.

There's really no rhyme or reason to the challenge other than just being a bit of fun.

Although the London version was organised by The Stiff Upper Lip Society, the idea actually originated in New York where the 'No Pants Subway Ride' kicked off in 2002.

Now there are similar events hosted across the globe and the results are always hilarious.

London Live reporter James Dickman caught up with Ivan Markovic, founder of The Stiff Upper Lip Society and organiser of the event, to find out more about the unusual day.

"We're not raising money, we're not raising awareness – we're just creating a moment," explained Markovic.

"So I think the philosophy is to create a scene. We want people just to smile, to have a positive reaction.

"And the problem is once you start, if you start trying to make a statement or raising money for any charity, someone will always find a reason to object to whatever charity that you choose to support.

"So it's just purely an abstract concept. We just hope to make people smile and to bring a degree of levity into their afternoons on Sunday."

There's no reason for the event other than it being a bit of fun.
NurPhoto SRL/Alamy Stock Photo

To be fair, January is the most depressing time of year and, as said, Londoners aren't exactly known for being the jolliest of folk.

After the few years we've had, maybe the No Trousers Tube Ride is just the thing to lift the spirits of people on what is otherwise a regular, old Sunday.

If you do take part, just make sure that you don't strip off on a seat that looks too filthy.

Featured Image Credit: @LondonLive/Twitter

Topics: London, Travel, UK News