One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Gallery: Subway Riders Strip Down to Their Skivvies on No Pants Day
By Bethania Palma Markus / Special to LAist
If you happened to ride the Metro rail system in Los Angeles on Sunday, you might have noticed many of your fellow passengers were missing something important—the bottom portion of their wardrobe.
Roughly 300 underwear-clad Angelenos crowded trains Sunday for the fourth annual “No Pants Metro Ride 2012.” The idea was concocted by New York City prankster collective Improv Everywhere 11 years ago and caught on globally.
Thousands from cities around the world including Istanbul, Mexico City and London, took part in the daring but lighthearted underwear flash mob that briefly took over public transportation. An estimated 4,000 New Yorkers stripped down to their skivvies, despite “mild” East Coast winter temperatures of 44°F.
In L.A., swarms of bare-legged riders boarded Metro lines from North Hollywood, Pasadena, East Los Angeles and Koreatown and converged at Union Station just before 2 p.m., then departed for Hollywood and Highland. The riders were loosely instructed to act like they had mistakenly overlooked putting half their clothes on.
“It was an accident,” a deadpan, boy shorts-wearing Tiffanee Lee said. “I was in a hurry and I just forgot my pants.”
The 22-year-old Los Angeles resident also managed to forget pants for her 21-month-old, Travis, the youngest, and by far cutest, pantless rider.
Sponsored message
“Always once a year it happens to me, around this same time too,” Lee said.
David McCoy, 29, of Hollywood, was a bit more candid: “I like doing things that push the boundaries."
Some didn’t even try to keep the theatrics low key. One man, known as “the Monopoly Guy,” wore a monocle, black top hat and tails, replete with red boxers.
The exuberant but peaceful riders were left alone by Metro officials and police, who basically acted like it was just another day at work. While it seemed nye impossible for anyone to miss the giant mob of half-naked people, ride captain Laureli Srery, a.k.a. Peppermint Patty, helped keep everyone together and headed in the right direction. Once en route to Hollywood, the riders broke out into Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” though they didn’t get past the part about the “midnight train going anywhere.”
At Hollywood and Highland, they took tourists and L.A. natives alike by surprise. Even some of the costumed characters that frequent Hollywood Boulevard did double takes.
“Something new every day,” said Dwayne Robinson, 34, a lifelong L.A. resident. “I’ve seen crazy stuff but nothing like this.”
Tourists got a trial by fire of Los Angeles eccentricity when the group descended on the plaza in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre at about 3:15 p.m. If there was ever a look that plainly said “oh my God,” it was on the face of Karen Shipp, who was visiting L.A. from Winchester, Virginia.
Sponsored message
“Just when I thought L.A. and Hollywood were halfway normal,” she said after gamely posing for pictures with boxer brief-wearing young men. “Obviously these folks are just having a good time. I’m just trying to think outside the box.”
Desi Garnett, 50, Aaron Munoz, 13 and Evan Castro, 8, were down from Palmdale celebrating Evan’s birthday. They were floored, but clearly pleased.
Especially Evan.
“Best birthday ever,” he said.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
