Arts and Entertainment Brooklyn Boro

No Pants Subway Ride to take place this weekend

"A celebration of silliness."

January 10, 2020 Scott Enman
Two friends — perhaps old, perhaps new — chat during last year's pantsless celeration. Photo: Todd Maisel/Brooklyn Eagle
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From Berlin to Boston, Melbourne to Montreal, the world will be stripping down to its drawers this Sunday for the 19th annual No Pants Subway Ride.

The massive prank, started in New York City by a group of seven friends part of Improv Everywhere, has slowly but surely grown into an international celebration, with simultaneous events happening in at least 19 cities.

Roughly 2,000 participants are expected to take part in the Big Apple.

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“The idea behind No Pants is simple: Random passengers board a subway car at separate stops in the middle of winter without pants,” according to Improv Everywhere’s website. “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.”

Mother Nature has agreed to cooperate this year. Sunday’s forecast, though showers are likely, is a warm 65 degrees, which is a bit better than last year’s 32 degrees.

New Yorkers show off their bare legs. Photo: Todd Maisel/Brooklyn Eagle

Improv Everywhere is a New York City-based “prank collective” devoted to creating “scenes of chaos and joy in public places.” The group has only two goals: to make others laugh and smile.

The group’s founder Charlie Todd called the No Pants Subway Ride a “celebration of silliness.”

Participants are asked to meet at Foley Square in Manhattan at 3 p.m., and then make their way to Union Square by 4 p.m. There’s then an after party at Bar 13, which should surely get wild.

Oh, and please do not confuse this event with No Pants Day, which is an entirely other spectacle taking place in May. It should be warmer then.

Follow reporter Scott Enman on Twitter.


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