TikTok's Tube Girl has everyone talking

A wave of 0.5 videos taken on public transport is known as the "Tube Girl effect".
By Meera Navlakha  on 
Three screenshots of the Tube Girl.
Credit: TikTok / Sabrina Bahsoon (@sabrinabahsoon)

On TikTok, videos filmed in public are nothing new. People record themselves on packed streets and college campuses, in coffee shops and parks. But recording yourself on public transport — especially while dancing — is enough to cause waves. London's Tube Girl has proved that.

If you've been on the app lately, it's likely you've seen a girl filming herself on London's underground trains, each video in 0.5 mode. She dances to upbeat songs by Nicki Minaj, ignores stares from fellow passengers, and touts confidence: "Romanticise your journey," she suggests in one video. "Trust me, no one actually cares."

Behind the obsession

It turns out, people actually do care about her videos, but in the best way possible.

Sabrina Bahsoon has gained TikTok popularity almost overnight for her brazen shows of confidence on the Tube. The 22-year-old from Malaysia, now living and working in London, posted her first viral Tube video in August. Now, her feed is littered with similar posts, with almost all garnering upwards of a million views. Comments call out her confidence ("How do u do this in a populated car ???? 😭"), windswept hair ("Where does the wind come from and where is this ? 😍😍😍"), and praise her style of filming ("the camerawork is so satisfying it’s scrumptiously made i rate 10/10").

Speaking to the BBC last week, Bahsoon, a law graduate from Durham University, said, "I think that the Tube Girl has already become something more than just dancing on the Tube. So I think it's about confidence and it's about being more comfortable with your authentic self."

Mashable Top Stories
Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news.
Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter
By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up!

Enter: Tube Girl Effect

Now sitting at over 400,000 followers on TikTok, Bahsoon has snagged her first runway gig (making her debut at MAC Cosmetics' show during London Fashion Show) and been credited with creating a niche TikTok phenomenon. The hashtag #tubegirl has 281 million views and #tubegirleffect has over 70 million at the time of writing.

Three creators dancing on public transport, mimicking the Tube Girl.
Credit: TikTok / @getoffmybacckk, @justlivingmylifeperiod, @jiayuejenny

In the latter camp are videos inspired by the creator. Across major cities, people are mimicking Bahsoon's distinctive videos on their own modes of public transport. Influencers like Abbie Herbert and Issey Moloney have posted their own renditions of the trend. They move the camera swiftly, use songs similar to Bahsoon's playlist choices, and often tag her in the captions.

A creator sitting on public transport in a TikTok screenshot.
Credit: TikTok / @bellasbunker

Bahsoon's original post may not have been built to spark a self-love movement but it has certainly blossomed into one. Many TikTokkers engaging with the trend write about using it to beat social anxiety, increase confidence in public, and how filming the video is changing their view of an otherwise dire morning commute.

For a while now, TikTok has plunged into the discourse of being "cringe". Some practice cringe comedy, while others propose TikTok as a way to embrace the cringe within us all. The Tube Girl effect seems to be a byproduct of this, essentially being proposed by followers as a way to embrace confidence and subvert social perceptions. It's also in line with a Very Online concept often purported by those of TikTok: the idea to not take anything, really, too seriously.

Dancing on the Tube or subway is a moment of being truly unapologetic and unbothered, say mimickers of the Tube Girl effect. It's a reflection of Bahsoon, as writes in one caption, "Personally i think I’m slaying and trusssttt nobody cares."

Topics TikTok

Mashable Image
Meera Navlakha
Culture Reporter

Meera is a Culture Reporter at Mashable, joining the UK team in 2021. She writes about digital culture, mental health, big tech, entertainment, and more. Her work has also been published in The New York Times, Vice, Vogue India, and others.


Recommended For You
If TikTok is banned in the U.S., this is what it will look like for everyone else
The TikTok app and logo are seen on a mobile device, the backdrop is the American flag.

When will TikTok be banned in the U.S.? And what can stop it from happening?
alia Cadet, TikTok creator and advocate, uses a phone outside of the U.S. Court of Appeals hears oral arguments in the case TikTok Inc. v. Merrick Garland on September 16, 2024 in Washington, DC.


Supreme Court must halt TikTok ban, ACLU argues
A phone shows the TikTok logo while resting on a dimly lit keyboard.

'The Daily Show' weighs in on the impending TikTok ban
A man sits behind a talk show desk with an image of the TikTok logo on the left.

More in Life
The best Walmart Presidents' Day deals live now
Walmart logo on gradient background


The best Walmart Presidents' Day deals you can already shop
Across an orange, swirly void various products appear, including a Nutribullet, iPad, AirPods Pro 2, Samsung TV, and Vivobook.

The Lego Magazine is available for free. Here’s how to get your copy.
Heap of multicolor Lego Blocks

Celebrate Valentine's Day with a free Slurpee. Here’s how to get yours today.
Slurpee drink on gradient background

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for February 19, 2025
A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'

Wordle today: Answer, hints for February 19, 2025
a phone displaying Wordle

NYT Strands hints, answers for February 19
A game being played on a smartphone.

How Grok 3 compares to ChatGPT, DeepSeek and other AI rivals
grok 3 app on a smartphone in front of a computer screen showing the grok 3 interface.

The 12 best sketches from 'SNL50' you need to watch
Five images of celebrities on SNL.
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!