PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN/AP) — Sunday’s cool temperatures didn’t stop Portlanders from stripping down to their skivvies for the annual No Pants Subway Ride.
The No Pants Subway Ride began in 2002 in New York as a stunt and has taken place around the world since then. Organizers call it “an international celebration of silliness”.
In Portland, the pants-less riders weren’t just doing it for grins and giggles — though that’s certainly part of it. They were trying to help the homeless.
The goal is to collect hats, scarves gloves and pants for the homeless community.
Dozens of other cities around the world celebrated sans pants on Sunday.
“I’m a no-pant virgin,” declared a grinning Miguel Ramos amid New York’s No Pants Subway Ride. It was the Mexican-born restaurant worker’s first foray into the “international celebration of silliness,” as organizers billed it.
New York participants were assigned personal numbers for central gathering spots in each city borough.
In Phoenix, Arizona, the city’s light rail system party included a pants-less outing to a pub.
Nicole Black brought her Superman underwear from 40 miles away for “a day off to have fun and enjoy and see what Phoenix has to offer” — including temperatures in the 50s making the attire reasonably comfortable.
Boston also enjoyed spring-like weather, with rain causing some riders to wipe the drops off their legs as they boarded trains.
Even families took part everywhere, carrying babies bared to their diapers.
And a Berlin woman had a cat’s face splashed across her — well, cheeks.
At a London station, coats and scarves warded off the chill — at least from the waist up.
Then there were the once shy types.
Bill Murphy, a New York translator, said he didn’t realize he had certain talents until Sunday — wearing only a red bikini as he burst out gyrating amid the Union Square station crowd.
“I’m 56 and I’m kind of proud of myself. At a senior age, it’s supposed to be not acceptable, but I want to change the perception of that: I’ve become an exhibitionist today,” he said.The Associated Press contributed to this report