Since Australian accountant Michael O'Brien's historic dash at the England-France rugby match in Twickenham, streakers have tried it all. From biking in the buff to parachuting out of airplanes, nothing is considered too bizarre as an expression of self-liberation. While some like young mum Catherine Marie Maher, 28, claim to have streaked to "feel alive again", for others like 'serial streaker' Mark Roberts, it's a matter of habit. A habit that often costs them their job, their money and sometimes their dignity.

That however has not kept streakers from building up a hallowed tradition at Lords, Wimbledon and Oscars - and any other spectacle one cares to name. With Britain's Queen Elizabeth joining Sir Paul McCartney and Anna Kournikova among luminaries who have received an eyeful, it's little wonder that streaking today is primetime business.

However despite their massive visual appeal, streakers have never proved very successful as salesmen (or women). Attempts at piggyback riding have often backfired, as Vodafone discovered to its cost recently. In August this year, the mobile phone giant tendered an apology after getting more 'exposure' than it had bargained for when it dialed up a couple of streakers to disrupt a weekend rugby match between Australia and New Zealand. The fact that Telstra, Vodafone's biggest rival in the South Pacific, owns the stadium where the incident occurred could only have added to its discomfiture.

Whether it's a dare, a sudden adrenalin rush or simply a drink too many, one thing's for sure - despite streakers like Hilary Kerr, 22, admitting she's "always been a show-off", exhibitionism is only tip of the iceberg. "While streakers may not be averse to their 15 minutes of fame, they're essentially men and women who can achieve sexual gratification in no less obvious way. For such individuals the thrill of having hundreds, even thousands of eyes upon their exposed bodies can be orgasmic", says Dr Samir Parikh, one of Delhi's leading psychiatrists. However he hastens to add that even those suffering from a temporary bout of low self esteem could end up doing the Full Monty.

And cultural inhibitions (or lack of them) seem to play a cruicial part. According to Dr Parikh: "Streaking is a relatively unknown phenomenon in India since sexual taboos are too strong." A surmise borne out by the fact that in the 30-odd years since Protima Bedi's (in) famous nude run on Mumbai's Juhu beach, the closest apology for public nudity in India have been semi-clad Bollywood actresses cavorting on the screen. Protestors in underwear nothwithstanding.

So while it may be quite some time before you catch the next raunchy romper in your backyard.