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In 2002, seven passengers entered a New York subway train in the middle of the winter. They seemingly did not know each other. None of them had pants on.

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Of course, they all did know each other, they were part of a group called Improv Everywhere who’s goal is to “create scenes” by having seemingly absurd and interesting things happen in public spaces. They were taking part in the very first No Pants Subway Ride. The eleventh edition of the event took place this past Sunday.

No pants subway ride celebrates public transit with uncovered legs Back to video

From the Improv Everywhere site:

The idea behind No Pants is simple: Random passengers board a subway car at separate stops in the middle of winter without pants. The participants do not behave as if they know each other, and they all wear winter coats, hats, scarves, and gloves. The only unusual thing is their lack of pants.
Over the years, Improv Everwhere’s act seems to have become infectious. Now at its eleventh edition, the No Pants phenomenon has spread across the the world and people take part in at least sixty cities across the globe including Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, although the increasing popularity of the event means that the surprise isn’t as much a part of it.

In a 2005, episode of the NPR radio show This American Life, Improv Everywhere leader Charlie Todd explained the ethos of his troop.

I want to live in a world where anything can happen. I guess what I mean by that is- I don’t know. I guess we shouldn’t have to rely on television or movies to show us fantastic things and fantastic stories. Let’s attempt to bring some of that excitement to the real world, I guess.
In that same episode, you can hear how not all of Improv Everywhere’s stunts turn out exactly as intended. When they decided to go to a show of a small, struggling rock band, sell out the venue and sing along with the group as if they were superfans, the band reacted very negatively. The band leader Chris Partyka said in the radio piece that it was “like a blow to my heart.” You can listen to the whole piece here (it is the second story).

Below, a few pictures from the New York event and from the rest of the world.

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