What started years ago as a playful stunt meant to surprise fellow commuters is now facing serious questions about whether it still belongs in a modern city.
The annual “No Trousers Tube Ride,” where people board London’s Underground wearing coats, shoes, and underwear—but no trousers—has gone from quirky spectacle to a deeply divisive event.
For nearly 20 years, the sight has left tourists confused and families wide-eyed.
But today, critics argue the joke has worn thin, especially as conversations around safety, consent, and sexual violence on public transport grow louder.
Why Calls to End the Event Are Growing
Opposition to the event has intensified following personal testimonies from women who say the ride can be distressing, particularly for survivors of sexual assault.
Glamour writer Emma Clarke has been one of the most vocal critics, describing the event as something that may look harmless on the surface but can be deeply unsettling for others.
She explained that while the ride is often dismissed as “just silly fun,” it had a powerful emotional impact on her because of a traumatic experience she endured on the Tube.
A Personal Trauma That Changed the Way It Feels
During the pandemic, Clarke was sexually assaulted on the District line when a man began performing a sexual act over her while making lewd gestures.
She managed to photograph him and reported the incident to Transport for London staff and the British Transport Police, but the suspect was never identified.
That experience, she says, makes public displays involving partial nudity in crowded train carriages far from funny.
Why Critics Say the Tradition Feels Out of Step
Writing about the issue, Clarke argued that the event feels painfully out of touch at a time when campaigners are pushing for women-only carriages and when violence against women and girls remains a serious concern across the UK.
In her view, the ride creates yet another situation where women may feel unsafe, even if the intention is light-hearted.
She stressed that while both men and women take part, the reality is that such events can be exploited by people with harmful intentions.
For her, the tradition no longer reflects the values or realities of city life today and should be left in the past.
The Numbers Adding Weight to the Argument
Clarke also pointed to recent figures from the British Transport Police, which showed 595 sexual offences were recorded across Tube lines in the 2024/25 period.
That’s the highest number since before the pandemic, reinforcing fears that safety on public transport remains a major issue.
For critics, those statistics make events involving semi-nudity in cramped spaces feel particularly ill-timed.
Other Voices Echo the Discomfort
Independent columnist Ryan Coogan previously described the ride as turning an everyday commute into something stressful and awkward.
He noted that packed carriages increase the likelihood of unwanted physical contact, and that many participants appear to be men—something that can heighten anxiety for women already feeling vulnerable.
Social media has also been buzzing.
A Reddit thread about the event attracted heated debate, with some users calling it embarrassing, outdated, and uncomfortable to witness.
Others described it as outright repulsive and questioned why it still happens.
Not Everyone Agrees It Should Go
Still, the backlash hasn’t gone unanswered.
Some defenders argue that the ride is harmless fun and that society risks losing joy by stamping out anything quirky or unconventional.
One commenter lamented what they saw as a growing intolerance for silliness, insisting that fun for fun’s sake shouldn’t be treated as a threat.
This split reaction highlights the tension between preserving playful traditions and acknowledging how they can affect others in unexpected ways.
How This Year’s Ride Played Out
This year’s participants gathered in Soho’s Chinatown in the afternoon before heading onto the Tube and removing their trousers, revealing ordinary underwear beneath.
The event, originally launched in 2009 by the Stiff Upper Lip Society, paused during the pandemic and later changed hands.
Organisation has since been taken over by Dave Selkirk, a South African personal trainer, alongside London-based Rammi Chiratheep, who is originally from Thailand.
Rules, Responsibility, and “Just for Fun”
In online posts, organisers encouraged participants to keep their underwear plain and low-key so it looked like they had simply forgotten their trousers.
They also stressed that there were no official organisers, that everyone joined at their own risk, and that safety and awareness of others should come first.
Notably, the event isn’t linked to charity or any awareness campaign—it exists purely for amusement.
What Police Are Saying About Safety
British Transport Police have made it clear that riding the Tube without trousers isn’t a crime in itself.
However, officers urge participants to remain respectful and remind passengers that any form of harassment or intimidation should be reported.
BTP says tackling sexual offences is a top priority, with uniformed and plain-clothes patrols operating around the clock, supported by more than 150,000 cameras across the rail network.
Passengers who experience or witness sexual harassment are encouraged to report it by texting 61016, calling 0800 405040, or dialling 999 in emergencies.
Where the Debate Goes From Here
The “No Trousers Tube Ride” now sits at the centre of a broader conversation about public space, personal safety, and what kind of traditions cities should hold onto.
Whether it continues or fades away, the growing criticism suggests that what once felt like harmless fun is being re-examined through a very different lens.
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