A stunt in which a group of performers broke out into song on Melbourne's public transport system has backfired, leaving many commuters scratching their heads.
Public Transport Victoria (PTV) organised the 'spontaneous sing-alongs' to 'delight' commuters as they made their way home earlier this week as part of its 'Autumn of Adventures' arts campaign.
Video shared to social media shows the flash-mob-style choir group accompanied by a guitarist belting out an earnest rendition of the Backstreet Boy's hit 'I Want It That Way' to a carriage full of travellers.
Some commuters can be seen smiling and snapping pictures but others visibly cringe and look away, trying their best to ignore the unexpected intrusion.
PTV shared a tweet to its account including some pictures and a caption saying the surprise was to 'liven up' people's commutes, but it was met with a flood of comments slamming the stunt.
'Just No! We just want peace and quiet on our commute home,' one person said.
'I have enough sensory issues on public transport without having to deal with this as well.' added another.
'Thank god I worked from home that week,' a third said.
Many said they could think of better ways to spend the money that the stunt would have cost, including handing out free travel passes, free coffees, or putting the cash towards upgrading the rail network.
But, at least for a few people, the concept brightened their day.
'I love a good singalong. Maybe we need to have special trams and trains designated for this,' said one fan.
PTV's Autumn of Adventures included other performance art pieces such as 'LED illuminated dancers' and circus performers.
'A series of playful surprises have been delighting and wowing our PT riders across the network, with mysterious blooms, magical thrills, flash choirs, plus the famous kazoos!' PTV wrote.
'Thanks for joining in the fun!'
They have now launched a similar Winter of Wonders campaign.