New York (AFP) - Bare legs and
briefs filled train cars from Sydney to New York Sunday as passengers
traveled trouserless -- provoking laughs and perplexed looks -- for the
13th annual "No Pants Subway Ride."
Commuters in
some 60 cities braved public transportation in their undies for the
stunt, which has gone global since its first staging by US group Improv
Everywhere in New York in 2002.
The
premise is simple: participants convene on a given route on a
designated day every year without trousers on, and ride the rails (or
road) for shock value and laughs.
"It
is just about fun, and providing a laugh and a smile," said Charlie
Todd, who created the event 12 years ago when just seven people took
part.
Act "normal. Remember to keep a straight face," Todd
instructed participants in the Big Apple -- some 3,000 to 4,000 people
this year aged three months to 71."If somebody tells you you have no pants, just say you forgot, and yes it's cold, yes it's unfortunate," he said.
Underpants
must be worn and, although flashy designs are allowed, organizers
prefer those involved to look -- at least from the waist-up -- as though
they are going about their daily lives in an effort to up the impact on
bystanders.
Uniforms and
business suits are encouraged to amplify the lower-half effect, as are
props -- bicycles, prams, shopping bags or even a briefcase.
Seven
New York subway stops were designated for this year's stunt, with the
group planning to reconvene ultimately at Union Square in Manhattan.
"It's
a bit chilly, but it is fun," said Pedro, in red underwear and socks,
wearing a hat and carrying a briefcase, as he stood on a subway
platform.
A woman in her
thirties donning briefs and talking on her cell phone prompted amused
glances from passersby, with one older woman sporting a perplexed stare.
In
Paris, the meeting point was the Charles de Gaulle-Etoile metro stop,
with pants-free passengers headed all the way to Bastille. More than
1,200 people had signed up ahead of time via Facebook.
Other
events were smaller, like in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires, where a
handful of young people, mainly men in suits, ties -- and
brightly-colored flowery boxers -- drew laughs.
In
Sydney, a small but dedicated group dropped their trousers on the city
circle loop train, packed with bemused weekend sightseers on a busy
summer's day, then switched routes for a return trip to Bondi.
"Insist
that it is a coincidence that others also forgot their trousers," the
organizers told participants, who were also forbidden from speaking to
one another.
There was a no
trousers tram ride in southern Melbourne and Adelaide and people also
went pants-less for a train trip in northern Brisbane.
On a busy Hong Kong subway, around 40 people, including Australian Bess Hepworth and her 18-month-old son, joined in the fun.
"It's the first time he will be publicly taking off his pants, although he does it regularly already," the 37-year-old said.
In
Beijing, a handful of trouserless people took to the Chinese capital's
fast-growing subway, drawing confused glances from onlookers.
"I
want to show that (Chinese people) are internationalized now," said
22-year-old Huang Li, wearing blue underwear decorated with dots.
But "people say I'm a psycho," she added.
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