by Haley Wade

     Jan. 12 marked the 13th anniversary of the No Pants Subway Ride. A celebration of laughter and general silliness that originated in New York City has now expanded to dozens of countries. It took large cities like Berlin, Madrid, Chicago, and Sydney by storm as people boarded their subways in boxers, briefs, and even thongs.

     Public exposure laws were given a little more flexibility for the occasion, as was the case in Los Angeles. As long as the pantsless passengers on the LA Metropolitan Transportation were clothed appropriately from the waist up, they were cited for indecent exposure. “If they’re walking around naked, that’s a different story,” spokesman Marc Littman told the LA Times.

     The success of this year’s No Pants Subway Ride was due largely to expanding Facebook groups in major cities. Chicago’s Facebook group recommended that participants wear more modest underwear. Despite Chicago’s recent exposure to the “polar vortex,” subway passengers braved the cold and bared their backsides to the chilly weather.

     The No Pants trend started with the New York City theater group, Improv Everywhere, in 2001.  The day was intended to inspire silliness and curiosity in unexpected places.

(Sources: Fox News, CNN)