Subway travellers around the world had a laugh as they stripped off their trousers in an international practical joke. Organised worldwide by Improv Everywhere, subways and underground trains in New York and in 59 other international cities yesterday saw the remarkable spectacle of trouserless (and indeed skirtless) passengers travelling as if nothing was amiss!

New York subway scene Photo by Ari Scott, ImprovEverywhere.com website

It was the 12^th annual No Pants Day (or in England, the No Trousers Tube Ride day). The prank started as the No Pants Subway Ride in New York 11 years ago when just 7 people took part.

No trousers – 59 cities in 27 countries

As well as New York and London, participants from 27 countries joined in – from Mexico to Canada to Israel to Spain.

The practical joke group Improv Everywhere, described as a prank collective, used Facebook to gather more than 16,000 people to take part across the globe – that at least was the stated figure of people who registered. The idea was for “flash mob-type stunts” to surprise bystanders as they strip off their trousers on public transport.

One of the organisers Dan Becherano was quoted as saying:

“The purpose is to have fun and entertain people.

“The purpose of flash mobs is to show how we can get together without knowing each other and work as teams without really having seen each other ahead of time.

“The most important thing will be the victims – the reaction of people who aren’t involved.”

In Toronto, the 5^th such event there, the participants got into party atmosphere by also wearing fancy dress. But in Madrid the local police did not see the funny side and actually stopped people from entering the subway at their planned starting station.

In London some 150 people were said to have taken part in what was the third annual event, co-ordinated by the Stiff Upper Lip Society.

Entertainment and surprise

The idea was to entertain and surprise the public and to give people a good laugh during their normal dreary commute – well it was a Sunday so perhaps they weren’t commuters. Participants were encouraged to act as normal and then suddenly to undress during the train journey.

It certainly would have caused a good chuckle to ordinary passengers, although some people were clearly not amused by semi-nudity even if it was meant to be a bit of harmless fun.

Novel concept for an “international event”

As “international events” go this is quite a novel way of harnessing the internet to create an international flavour to an idea. We have seen the internet used to co-ordinate street protests and the spread the ideals of such protests abroad. But to co-ordinate pure silliness and harmless pranks…..well that’s something rather new.

Inspiring even!

Could this herald a new era in the power of internet co-ordination?

One of the funniest things I ever saw (in the absurd surreal sense) was several years ago on the Paris metro. It was the height of winter, and it was raining outside. At the Montparnasse station, I saw a young man walking nonchalantly dressed in only a skimpy pair of swimming trunks. It was a surreal sight.

Any takers?

How about some co-ordinated Random Acts of Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty?

Improv Everywhere, London Underground, New York, no trousers, pranks, Stiff Upper Lip Society, Subway Internet, News