Milan Poledancer on Subway

How to brighten your commute

There seems to have been a new twist on the subway busking with the arrival of poledancer in Milan. Last week, a woman in her twenties looking fairly normal with the exception of some cat ears, boarded trains wearing a long black overcoat and carrying a portable boom box. When the doors closed she ripped off her coat and danced to the stereo in a black latex girdle, black fishnet stockings, black boots and shiny, black, fingerless gloves.

After a bump-and-grind routine using the carriage's vertical poles and strap hangers she takes a collection and leaves the train.

My Italian's not good enough to tell whether Lisa Ragazza's antics were a publicity stunt for some sort of "art installation" or if she's simply a bit strapped for cash and needs some money.

However in case anyone's thinking of trying the same on the Tube, I'd put away your latex gear as soon as possible as London Underground said "We would frown upon any behaviour that would upset other passengers."

But from the look on the faces of most of the commuters, no one seems to be particularly upset. Maybe the Italians are more receptive to pole dancing commuters than the Tube think we might be. The Italian journalist who was one of the first to write about the woman said "All the passengers seemed to enjoy the show. It was not at all vulgar — everyone was smiling and laughing."


Comments from the YouTube clip above range from - outranged of the Internet to Italy you rock. I suppose the secret's in the timing. As far as I can tell she was poledancing on fairly late night trains. Problem is that those poles are crying out to be poledanced around and I'm really surprised that we don't seem to have had any known reports of this on the Tube. I've seen a few girls larking around and doing this and it's a lot harder than it looks. But maybe you've seen people doing it more professionally....