Anderson, Todd, Stuart, Autumn, Tynan, Grace
“Umm… I have to kick out a lot of bums and crackheads. Take this.”
It was a puzzling statement. He handed us three bags of ground coffee, worth almost fifty dollars. We thought he was a fan of what we were doing, so we smiled at him. He didn’t smile back. Then it hit — we were being kicked out of Blue Bottle Coffee for not wearing pants, and being bribed with coffee to not make a scene. That’s probably a smart idea; people who go to respected coffee establishments without pants on might be more prone to causing scenes than the other patrons.
We took part in 2010 No Pants Subway Ride, a worldwide event where people take off their pants and ride on the subway at a particular time. There’s no cause, no mission, and no statement. Just hordes of people roaming around downtown without pants.
What I really like about the event is that it takes something people really want to do– walk around without pants– and makes it okay. There were over a thousand people participating, both pretty and ugly, thin and fat. People were thongs, briefs, boxers, lacy panties, and superman underwear. It was clear that most people weren’t uncomfortable walking around in public in their underwear, they were just uncomfortable with the social stigma of it. Take away the stigma by hosting an event, and it’s fun.
Even in an uninhibited person like myself, walking around bottomless fostered a sense of adventure and excitement. After the parade part of the event, five friends (some old, some made during the parade part) and I roamed around looking for adventure. After every stop, no one wanted to go home, so we asked each other, “what should we do next?”. We went through Chinatown, visiting a fortune cookie bakery and a restaurant (an Australian girl at the table next to us asked if there was a special event, or if this was an American fad), then we walked back to the mall to visit the spa, and finally ended up at Samovar Tea Lounge.
I’ve resolved to organize more events like this. Not necessarily big group events that involve pantslessness, but fun events for my friends where we break social conventions and make scenes.
Next time you find yourself bored, skip going to the movies. Get some friends together, take off your pants, and go wander around. Or go to the movies, but take off your pants first.
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