No Pants? No Problem: New Yorkers Take Part In 14th Annual No Pants Subway Ride

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- If you noticed more than a few scantily clad subway riders Sunday afternoon you weren't imagining things as New Yorkers took part in the 14th Annual No Pants Subway Ride.

The pantsless participants met at seven different locations throughout Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan around 3 p.m. and were dispersed throughout the subway system in groups.

Founder of the event, Charlie Todd, told 1010 WINS an estimated 4,000 people took part this year.

"In New York City it's not too weird to see one crazy person on the train. So seeing one person in their underwear in the middle of January is not that weird for a New Yorker," Todd said. "But seeing different people enter at separate stops along the subway line would be exceptionally weird."

Anyone was welcome to join the annual tradition. All that organizers asked was that you were willing to take your pants off and "keep a straight face about it."

Groups were instructed on exactly when and where to disrobe, as well as what to say if people asked questions.

Organizers suggested that if anyone were to ask participants why they took off their pants to respond by saying they were "getting uncomfortable." And once they were off, to suggest very seriously that the had forgotten to put pants on and insist it was a coincidence that others also forgot their pants.

"...Yea our hope is that people are laughing and smiling and maybe secretly snapping a photo of us," Todd said. "And the goal is to amuse others and give them a great story to tell about the day they were the only person wearing pants on the train."

The revelry all converged on Union Square and was followed by an after party thrown by the organizers.

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