'No Pants Subway Rides' surprise metro riders in the US and Europe

「國際地鐵無褲日」驚嚇美國及歐洲地鐵乘客

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Jan. 7 marked the annual mid-winter “No Pants Subway Rides” in many cities across the world.

The annual event is organized by the group Improv Everywhere, and first began with seven riders on the New York City subway in 2002.

Over the years, the number of participants and cities with organizers has continued to grow. The day is generally announced in late December, and decided in the first week or two of January.

According to the Wikipedia article, in 2013 there were 60 cities participating in the No Pants Subway Rides event.

This year New York City and the northeastern US are in the middle of an especially harsh winter, which is why the turnout in New York City is much smaller than in previous years, reports the NY Post.

In the past, the antics of pantless commuters have drawn the attention of concerned police officers. However as the day becomes a more recognized annual occurrence, people are quicker to realize that the intention is just to make people laugh.