CarnalNation

January 10th is a banner day for panty fetishists worldwide! Sure, there are all those post-holiday sales at Victoria's Secret, but even more exciting—and far more revealing—is the global phenomenon of the No Pants Subway Ride.

Started in 2002 by ImprovEverwhere's Charlie Todd and his fellow New York City guerillas, the annual participatory "happening" is exactly what it sounds like: hundreds of in-the-know hipsters (meaning super groovy twenty-somethings, precisely the people you'd actually want to see without their pants) will be riding their local mass transit sans pantalons.

From coast to coast, the mainstream press is anticipating this year's "ride" with an uncharacteristic enthusiasm. "Straphangers, get ready to drop your pants, it's that time of year again," the New York Post advises. And SFGate.com sounds even more excited: "Your Big Chance to Wear No Pants! On a Subway!"

Last year's trouser-eschewing event took place on New York's MTA, with 1,200 casually pantsless, plus 22 other cities, including Warsaw, Adelaide and Amsterdam. Since its inception, panty-baring pranksters have appeared in the press, been lauded on Letterman and, sadly, gotten arrested. In 2006, one particularly prudish police officer herded not only those in their underwear but even the uninvolved passengers off the train, handcuffed the eight participants and hauled them off to the pokey. Brr! Charges were dismissed a month later, of course, because as anyone who's ever seen the Naked Cowboy strumming his guitar in Times Square knows, it is not illegal to walk around in your underwear, even in New York City.

When asked how he feels about the international embracing of his bawdy brainchild, Charlie said, "The No Pants Subway Ride was created ... when seven guys entered a subway car at separate stops pantless. We're thrilled to see it grow to thousands of people in 40 cities around the world doing the same simple, silly thing."

If you're wondering, "Why isn't there a No Pants Subway Ride in my city?" Mr. Todd replies, "The reason is YOU HAVEN'T ORGANIZED IT YET. So get off your butt and start your own! A No Pants Subway Ride isn't going to magically appear because you say, ‘What about my city?'" Do your tweeting and texting to let friends and strangers alike know that they, too, can shed their slacks in pursuit of some silly, if somewhat chilly, fun. For updates, visit ImprovEverwhere or check Facebook Events.

Photo by Lenny Rosmarin