Global No Pants Subway Ride

Subway riders in Hangzhou were surprised to find 10 men brave the winter cold – and some cold stares - to go trouserless on Tuesday.

The men seemed to have heeded the call, if belatedly, from “Global No Pants Subway Ride”, an annual event worldwide where people ride metro systems without wearing trousers. The event was held on January 8 in most cities.

In years past, only people in Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shanghai have taken part in China.

“If they had only their underpants on when they entered the station, they’d certainly be stopped,” Wu Ting, office manager of the Hangzhou Subway Group, was quoted as saying. “But then since they took off their trousers on the train, our hands were tied.”

The event was pioneered by a group in New York City aiming to inject “chaos and joy” into life by mobilising what is akin to flash mobs.

Despite the apparent nonchalance the men in Hangzhou displayed about bearing all their legs, Wu believed meticulous planning was involved, judging by the fact that they hopped only a few stops on the shortest line of the system during off peak hours.

“If they had taken Line One, I bet no one would’ve noticed them at all because they’d be overwhelmed by the passengers,” Wu commented, with a chuckle.