Light-Rail Riders Celebrate 'No Pants Day'
Improv AZ Organizes Valley's 'No Pants Day' Event
POSTED: 6:22 pm MST January 10,
2010
UPDATED: 7:07 am MST January 13,
2010
PHOENIX -- For the second year in a row, a group of riders on the Metro Light Rail in Phoenix raised eyebrows when they dropped their pants. About 300 Valley residents celebrated the global "No Pants Day" on Sunday by taking a trip on the light rail and "forgetting" to wear pants.For the past seven years, national group Improv Everywhere has held an annual "No Pants Day" on which the group rides pants-less on the New York City subway system. This year's NYC event had more than 3,000 participants, according to the organization's official Web site.The Valley's event, which was organized by Improv AZ, started at about 2 p.m. East Valley residents met at the light rail stop at Apache Boulevard and Price Road.West Valley residents kicked off the event at the stop at Montebello and 19th avenues, and the two groups met up at the Starbucks in the Arizona Center.On the walks to and from the light rail stops, drivers honked their horns and passerby shouted questions at the participants."Some people (were) curious enough to ask what's going on," said pants-less participant Dannie Moriarty.Valley resident Krissa Stroop, who participated in the event in Buffalo, N.Y., said the Phoenix event was comparable to its East Coast cousin.People in Arizona seemed more shocked than their New York counterparts, she said, adding, "I think Buffalo has a lot more stuff like this."When asked why they weren't wearing pants, participants offered up various excuses, ranging from "I forgot" to "because I felt like it.""Arizona's too hot to wear pants," participant Debbie Walker told one person on the train."There's one day a year I get to wander around without my pants on, and I'm going to take advantage of it," Stroop said.Compared to last year's event, this year's No Pants Day was "bigger and more organized," according to participant Marvin Forte, who was one of about 40 people who participated in both 2009 and 2010's celebrations.Organizer Jeff Moriarty agreed."It's a little bit more of an event" this year, he said. "It's more partying together than just the prank."News of the event spread through social media services such as Twitter and Facebook.Those who were unable to participate in person followed along with Twitter, a microblogging service, using the #nopantsaz tag.Pants-less people riding the trains included the text "#nopantsaz" with every message they sent. The messages contained links to pictures, overheard statements and random comments about the event, among others.Want to comment on this story? Leave a note on our Facebook page.Previous Story:
- Jan. 10, 2009: Light Rail Riders 'Forget' Pants
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