A bizarre Facebook trend of posting photographs of women eating on underground trains has put transport authorities of London in a tough position, Agence France-Presse reported.
"Women Who Eat on Tubes" attracted 16,000 members to send in their photographs and anecdotes of women eating while on London's underground transport network.
The trend has been criticized for being the latest-example of so-called "stranger shaming" on social media.
Another major concern deals with how the photographs are able to reveal specific details and information of when and which Tube line the women are taking, according to AFP.
While some women obscure their features in the pictures, most others are clearly recognizable.
Due to the outrage and criticism, Steve Burton, the director of enforcement for Transport for London, said the police should be contacted if anyone feels threatened.
"Taking photos on the Tube isn't illegal, but we ask anyone doing so to ensure that they use common sense and respect for other passengers. If someone doesn't want their photo taken, it is obviously inappropriate to do so," he said.
"If any customer has concerns about such behavior, believing there may be a sinister motive, they are advised to speak to our staff or the British Transport Police."
According to AFP, the people behind the page have defended the idea, saying in a statement the page "is observational not judgmental. It doesn't intimidate nor bully."
The statement continued, "Subjects are embraced and cherished. We celebrate and encourage women eating food on Tubes, we do not marginalize them."
But due to the popularity of the campaign, its founders posted a "code of conduct" on Monday. The directions encouraged members to refrain from using abusive behavior while taking the photographs.
Some commentators have expressed anger at the campaign.
"This 'Women Eating On Tubes' thing -- if someone takes a picture of you, take of picture of them, and I'll Tweet it," said feminist writer Caitlin Moran in response to the trend.
