Ride the D
 A re-creation of the "Ride the D" design | |
| Type | T-shirt |
|---|---|
| Material | Cotton (ring-spun) |
| Place of origin | Los Angeles Metro |
| Introduced | February 2026 |
| Website | Official product listing |
Ride the D is a T-shirt and crop top design sold by the Los Angeles Metro that was released February 26, 2026 in anticipation of the opening of the Section 1 extension of the D Line. It features the words "Ride the D" on the front, with the "D" set inside a purple circle representing the D Line designation. The slogan is a sexual innuendo, as "the D" is also slang for penis ("the dick").[1] The shirts following the release have quickly gone viral. The stocked shirts sold out on February 27, 2026, just a day after launch.
Background
[edit]The Los Angeles Metro is the public transportation agency of Los Angeles County, California. It operates a rail network, comprising four light rail lines (lines A, C, E, and K) and two subway lines (lines B and D).[2] The D Line, which runs between Koreatown and Downtown Los Angeles, is the shortest of the six lines at a length of 5.1 miles (8.2 km).[3][4] A project to extend the D Line westward was approved in 2012, and construction on the first of three sections began in 2014.[5][6] Section 1, the segment between Wilshire/Western station in Koreatown and Wilshire/La Cienega station in Beverly Hills, is scheduled to open on May 8, 2026.[7]
Release
[edit]The "Ride the D" design was released on February 26, 2026, accompanied by the announcement of the opening date for Section 1 of the D Line Extension.[8] Priced at $21 for the T-shirt and $20 for the crop top,[9] the shirt sold out on February 27, 12:48 am, a day after it was released. It was quickly restocked hours later; the design was again available for purchase.[10] KABC-TV said of the design, "[Ride the D] might not be appropriate to wear on all occasions",[11] and Amy LaCroix of Parade called it "surprisingly R-rated".[8] Writing for Time Out, Michael Juliano characterized it as "channeling some real "Chaise Longue" energy", referring to a 2021 Wet Leg song which uses similar innuendo.[12][13] The shirt received significant social media attention from X,[14] where it received mixed reactions.[9][8]
Neal Broverman of Mashable compared it to an incident in Seattle, Washington, where a local coffee shop, Kapow Coffee, sold a shirt that was emblazoned with the slogan "Ride the SLUT", referring to the South Lake Union Trolley.[14][15]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Green, Jonathon. "D, n.⁵". Green's Dictionary of Slang. Retrieved April 1, 2026.
- ^ Juliano, Michael (September 19, 2025). "A beginner's guide to Metro". Time Out Los Angeles. Retrieved March 8, 2026.
- ^ Colleen, Shalby (July 25, 2025). "Metro D Line reopens Saturday after 70-day closure". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
- ^ Chaparro, Alejandro (February 2026). "Metro Facts at a Glance". LA Metro. Retrieved March 8, 2026.
- ^ Hymon, Steve (April 26, 2012). "Metro Board approves final environmental study for Westside Subway Extension". The Source. Retrieved March 9, 2026.
- ^ "Metro Purple Line Extension Project, Los Angeles". Railway Technology. November 18, 2014. Retrieved March 9, 2026.
- ^ Barraza, Paris. "LA Metro's 'Ride the D' shirts sell out. We wonder why". USA Today. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
- ^ a b c LaCroix, Emy (February 27, 2026). "L.A. Metro Launches Risqué 'Ride The D' Merch for New Line Opening". Parade. Retrieved March 8, 2026 – via Yahoo News.
- ^ a b Pingel, Mike (February 28, 2026). "LA Metro Wants You to 'Ride the D'... Officially - WEHO TIMES West Hollywood News, Nightlife and Events". Retrieved March 7, 2026.
- ^ Garske, Monica (February 27, 2026). "Metro's trendy 'Ride the D' T-shirts restocked ahead of transit milestone". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
- ^ "LA Metro's D Line merch goes viral ahead of extension's May opening". ABC7 Los Angeles. February 27, 2026. Retrieved March 8, 2026.
- ^ Juliano, Michael (February 27, 2026). "Metro wants Angelenos to "ride the D" when it grows on May 8". Time Out Los Angeles. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
- ^ Williams, Zoe (January 10, 2022). "'We're just little country bumpkins!': 2022's hottest band Wet Leg on songs, silliness and their surprise success". The Guardian. Retrieved April 1, 2026.
all the kids I have met have the wrong end of the stick and think it is a song about academic failure, mixed with some not-so-subtle innuendo: "I went to school and I got the big D."
- ^ a b Broverman, Neal (February 26, 2026). "'Ride the D': LA Metro has the internet blushing with new transit campaign". Mashable. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
- ^ "S.L.U.T. streetcar causing a stir". NBC News. Associated Press. September 18, 2007. Archived from the original on January 8, 2019.
Further reading
[edit]- Hymon, Steve (February 27, 2026). "It's official! D Line Extension Section 1 to open on May 8". The Source.