Subway riders got an eyeful on Sunday as thousands of commuters across several U.S. cities stripped down to their underwear in celebration of the 19th annual No Pants Subway Ride.
As 3pm rolled around on Sunday afternoon, hoards of excited participants arrived at Foley Square in Manhattan with a single goal in mind.
‘The idea behind No Pants is simple: Random passengers board a subway car at separate stops in the middle of winter without pants,’ the event’s website says.
‘The participants behave as if they do not know each other, and they all wear winter coats, hats, scarves, and gloves. The only unusual thing is their lack of pants.’
The silly tradition was created by Improv Everywhere, a comedy performance art group, in New York City in 2002.
‘The idea behind No Pants is simple: Random passengers board a subway car at separate stops in the middle of winter without pants,’ organizers said. Pictured: Participants in New York City
People in New York City stripped down to their underwear on Sunday afternoon to celebrate No Pants Subway Ride 2020. Pictured are participants at Foley Square in Manhattan
Participants of No Pants Subway Ride are asked to board several subway trains fully clothed, before nonchalantly taking off their pants for the remainder of the ride. Pictured: Participants in New York City
‘The mission started as a small prank with seven guys and has grown into an international celebration of silliness, with dozens of cities around the world participating each year,’ Improv Everywhere’s website says.
Photos taken during the eye-catching event show people casually riding subway trains and nonchalantly pulling their pants off with indifference.
‘As soon as the doors shut at the stop before yours, stand up and take your pants off and put them in your backpack,’ the group says.
‘If anyone asks you why you’ve removed your pants, tell them that they were ‘getting uncomfortable’ (or something along those lines.’
Participants in New York City will ride to different areas throughout the city before ending up in Union Square and commemorating the shared experience with an after party at Bar 13.
If asked why they’ve stripped their pants, No Pants Subway Ride revelers are told to say they were ‘getting uncomfortable’ or something similar. Pictured: Participants in New York City
The event began in 2002 as a prank, but has expanded into a national and international event that has happens in several places every year. Pictured: Participants in New York City
When asked why they chose to bare their legs on a trip across New York City, people had a myriad of answers spanning from a sense of community to a carefree delight.
‘Who doesn’t want to throw on their undies and ride the subway in the middle of the winter?’ Julianne Boucher, who rode with her husband Christopher, told AM New York.
Christopher, dressed in a grey suit and hat, agreed, saying: ‘I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s a sense of community – it’s fun to engage with other people.’
Joanne Mane and her son, Ram, boarded a train and happily took off their pants for the occasion.
‘I love taking my kid and seeing people in their underwear, it’s hilarious,’ Mane said as she sat with her son on the train drawing pictures.
Participants of the No Pants Subway Ride dance and sing at Union square after taking a ride on the NYC subway as onlookers snap photos
Pictured: two No Pants Subway Ride straphangers without pants waiting a train at Bleecker Street in New York City station on Sunday afternoon
Some people revealed they join the festivity for the thrills, saying: ‘Who doesn’t want to throw on their undies and ride the subway in the middle of the winter?’. Pictured: Participants in New York City
Two men arrived as Yankees baseball players and became the the first commuters to undress on the 6 train.
One of the men said: ‘Why am I doing this? It just reminds ourselves not to take life too seriously — it’s something kind of fun, different.’
‘Being out here on a – normally cold, but today, its pretty warm – it makes you feel alive.’
A young boy watches the 19th annual No Pants Subway Ride NYC event in confusion, as hundreds of New Yorkers joined in on the fun. Pictured: Participants in New York City
After groups have reached their final destination, an after party will be held at Bar 13 in lower Manhattan is held to celebrate a successful trek. Pictured: Participants in New York City
Boston organizer Malcolm Joseph: ‘It’s a chance to embrace your silliness and to engage with people in a way that you probably never did’
Since it’s humble beginnings, the fun event has spanned several other U.S. cities and has even gone international to include Berlin, Tokyo and Sydney.
In Boston, revelers were thrilled at the aspect of embracing the silly nature of the day.
Organizer Malcolm Joseph told the Boston Herald: ‘It’s a chance to embrace your silliness and to engage with people in a way that you probably never did.’
‘It’s amazing. Last year it was cold, it was snowing, it was chilly. This is the perfect time to do it. Give your legs a chance to breathe,’ he added.
No Pants Subway Ride 2020 reached the Bay Area in California, surprising BART director Janice Li, who was happy that to see a boost in weekend riders.
‘The fact that people are riding BART on Sunday is great and I will keep finding ways to improve service, but generally with clothing on,’ she said to SFGate.
‘This is weird Bay Area at its finest and I hope the Bay Area stays weird.’
Bostonians in their underwear parade down Boylston Street after getting off of the subway at Copley Square during the annual No Pants Subway Ride in Boston
Pictured: People in Boston walk down Boylston Street after leaving the Copley Square subway station on Sunday
A straphangers in Philadelphia said he enjoys the looks of surprise of other commuters faces when he strips off his pants.
‘My favorite reaction is the shock on people’s faces once you take off your pants and they’re like, “What’s going on? Why are people taking their pants off?”‘ said Raymond Wall, an organizer in Philadelphia, told KYW News Radio.
Wall’s company, Got Laundry, has partnered with Disability Pride Philly for the last eight years to bring attention to the homeless and the disabled community.
Pictured: No Pants Subway Ride 2020 participants partaking in the celebration in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
He said: ‘This is also a clothing drive for the homeless. People drop their pants if they’re willing to give them away, they give them away, we give them to the homeless, and we also do a drive for socks. Not a lot of people know this, but homeless people are in need of a lot of socks.’
People in Phoenix, Arizona, enjoyed the city’s version of the event, No Pants Light Rail Ride, as well.
‘I thought I would start 2020 off with something fun to do, something that looked interesting and that most people wouldn’t try to do,’ said Steven Benjamin, who is a first time participant.
Benjamin of Arizona: ‘I thought I would start 2020 off with something fun to do, something that looked interesting and that most people wouldn’t try to do’
Organizers in Phoenix, Arizona, held their own version of the event, ‘No Pants Light Rail Ride,’ on Sunday afternoon
One person was arrested by the Phoenix Police Department during No Pants Light Rail Ride because of an outstanding warrant
One person was arrested during the festivities because of an outstanding warrant around 2pm, Phoenix Police spokesman Detective Luis A. Samudio told AZ Central.
Across the pond, hundreds of Londoners have stripped down to their underwear for the annual No Trousers On The Tube Day.
Arriving in a chilly central London this afternoon, a gathering of fully clothed men and women made their down onto the underground before doing away with their trousers, skirts, leggings and shorts.
The aim of participants is to travel around town with just tighty-whities and lingerie on their lower halves in an effort to help people banish their January blues.
Today’s event started at Chinatown, before partakers split into groups and making into on several tube lines.
Hundreds of Londoners have stripped down to their underwear for the annual No Trousers On The Tube Day
Arriving in a chilly central London this afternoon, a gathering of fully clothed men and women made their down onto the underground before doing away with their trousers, skirts, leggings and shorts
There was even a hilarious gathering at Waterloo station where people in briefs, skivvies and boxers performed a group dance
Mind the gap! The aim of participants is to travel around town with just tighty-whities and lingerie on their lower halves in an effort to help people banish their January blues
The capital’s No Trousers Tube Ride originated from a small prank in New York in 2002 with seven riders taking off their ‘pants’ for a subway ride
There was even a hilarious gathering at Waterloo station where people in briefs, skivvies and boxers performed a group dance.
An afterparty was arranged at O’Neils in Soho to give participants a chance to warm up.
The capital’s No Trousers Tube Ride originated from a small prank in New York in 2002 with seven riders taking off their ‘pants’ for a subway ride.
Organisers of the London event put out a warning in advance to anyone considering taking the fun activity too far by showing more than they ought to
The group’s facebook event reads: ‘Anybody found to be removing more than their trousers will be kicked off the train and reported to the British Transport Police and station authorities’
All aboard: Addressing the reason behind the event, now in its 11th year, organisers said: ‘Surely “it’s fun” is a good enough reason?.’
It has since spread to more than 60 cities around the world, including Berlin, Prague and Moscow.
However, organisers of the London event put out a warning in advance to anyone considering taking the fun activity too far.
The group’s facebook event reads: ‘Anybody found to be removing more than their trousers will be kicked off the train and reported to the British Transport Police and station authorities.’
Wearing just underwear on the tube is not illegal under the The Sexual Offences Act 2003, but organisers encourage people to avoid more risqué ‘close-fitting’ items such as thongs, ‘banana hammocks’, mankinis or kilts.
Addressing the reason behind the event, now in its 11th year, organisers said: ‘Surely “it’s fun” is a good enough reason?.’
An afterparty was arranged at O’Neils in Soho to give participants a chance to warm up
Passengers without pants ride an escalator in a subway station in central Prague, Czech Republic
The annual event has since spread to more than 60 cities around the world, including Berlin, Prague and Moscow. Pictured: Participants at Alexanderplatz station in Berlin