10th Anniversary No Trouser Tube Riding in London
Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of No Trouser Tube Riding in London, join organisers Stiff Upper Lip Society tomorrow to have a fun tube ride sans trousers! The idea is to join the fun group and then ride the tube with no trousers before joining the party back at The Chandos pub in Trafalgar Square. Another one of my old haunts. It is supposed to be a fun gathering and as people are wearing attire, so you are not breaking the law.
Event Details:
Timings: 2:30-5pm
Date: 13th January 2019
In front of the National Gallery
The No Pants Subway
The No Pants Subway Ride is an annual global event started by Improv Everywhere in New York in 2002, the which has now expanded to dozens of cities the World over.
Every year many people have gathered, forming into groups on the tube, having a great day out. The fun ride is then followed by a Sunday Funday after-party!
So what’s going on?
Where:
Assembling in front of the National Gallery (not in Trafalgar Square itself, above the steps, or in The Chandos pub 29 St Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4ER).
When:
By 2:30 p.m., for troop division, Sunday 13th January 2019; potential Troop Leaders should meet in the Chandos pub, upstairs, by 2:00 p.m.
Wear:
Regular clothes, it is early January after all, with underwear underneath (until given the signal, aboard the first train), flashy or plain are all fine.
Please do try to avoid thongs/budgie-smugglers/anything see-through though, as we aim to amuse, not offend, fellow Underground users.
Who:
Anybody, really. Over the years people have come by themselves, and made new friends, come in groups, adding more to those, even come as families with their children.
What to bring:
Oyster card (charged for at least zones 1-3), Travelcard/other suitable pass, and do please remember to bring a suitable bag/backpack in which to carry trousers/skirt/kilt/whatever you were wearing when riding/participating.
The Plan:
2:00 -2:30: Troop Leader selection, upstairs, at The Chandos pub, 29 St. Martin’s Lane, WC2N.
2:30: Riders/participants divide into Troops, making for different Underground stations, remaining dressed until given the signal aboard the first train.
2:30-5:00: Troops travel the Underground, spread through different carriages of the same train, following safety advices of Troop Leaders, popping above ground to take photographs is fine, please do not take photographs of anybody unwilling mind, afore returning to The Chandos pub for the afterparty.
5:00 onwards: after-party ’til closing; meet new people, have fun, play safe.
FAQs and Comments:
‘Is this legal?’
Yes, it is. ‘The Sexual Offences Act 2003′ applies only to aggressive genital exposure with intent to shock those who do not want to see the genitals’.
We want this event to be fun and safe for everyone, for many more years to come, so anybody found to be removing more than their trousers, or acting out personal fantasies in public, will be reported to the British Transport Police, and station authorities.
‘So I can wear a skirt instead?’, or, ‘Hey, no problem, I was gonna wear a dress anyways!’
You’re very clever, but you’re missing the point, in trying to be too clever. This is for the fun of it, and articles of clothing like skirts, shorts, kilts, and dresses don’t count, because people are encouraged to revel in the absence of trousers, and not replace trousers with other clothing. The point is to relax and enjoy the humour inherent in people not wearing trousers.
UPDATE: Please don’t wear anything overly close-fitting (so no thongs, banana hammocks or mankinis), nothing see-through, nor so flimsy one is falling out of it, or kilts without anything underneath. We don’t want people to be disgusted, I (Farhan) personally do not wish to be arrested, and we want to stage this event for decades yet.
‘Won’t you be cold?’, or, ‘It’ll be freezing outside!
The trouserless part of the event is all underground, and it is warm down there. The only chance you’ll have to be cold is when we meet up at Trafalgar Square at the beginning, any surfacings Troop Leaders select, and when we walk to the pub at the end.
‘I am not going to be in London on that date’
Since New York kicked off the event in 2002, dozens of other cities the World over have joined in (some on trams/light rail/buses/etc.), most city rides starting by people organising their own event in their own locale, and Improv. Everywhere maintain a list of known rides internationally (their 2018 list gives some idea)…
‘I’m a professional blogger/journalist/photographer/video person and I’d really like to take pictures/video/interviews from the event?’
Do please feel free to contact the organising Stiff Upper Lip Society, or me personally.
Merely a formality, just so that we are aware who you are, and those wishing to cover the No Trousers Tube Ride 2019 can be assigned designated Troops.
Every year riders take pictures in trains, we would not stop that, but please be discreet, no photoshoots, nor floorshows, please people? so that we do not put fellow passengers off, nor attract their complaints about any of us.
This is a great event, every year, and one that attracts regulars, recommended folk, and complete first-timers all united in the spirit of having a top time, making new friends, and adding an unforgettable memory to yours.
Join our Facebook page at for more London-based events like this throughout the year!
Disclaimer: All facts are taken from information shared by The Stiff Upper Lip Society. Have fun tomorrow!