I Ditched My Pants For The ‘No Pants Subway Ride: Chicago Edition 2015’

I've been aware of NYC-based, Improv Everywhere's annual No Pants Subway Ride for several years. My initial reaction to it was judgmental and cynical. "That's stupid." "They must be freezing." "What a pain for commuters." "Those people are idiots." The only positives I got from it were the pics and vids of hot, pantsless girls.

According to Improv Everywhere's official website, it all started pretty simple.

The mission started as a small prank with seven guys and has grown into an international celebration of silliness, with dozens of cities around the world participating each year. The idea behind No Pants is simple: Random passengers board a subway car at separate stops in the middle of winter without pants. The participants behave as if they do not know each other, and they all wear winter coats, hats, scarves, and gloves. The only unusual thing is their lack of pants

So I decided to lighten up (new year, new me!) and see what all the fuss was about (and some hot, pantsless girls) and participated in yesterday's Chicago edition. It was right around 30 degrees at the start, a vast improvement over the subzero temps from just a few days ago. We were instructed by the official Facebook page to meet at the top of a parking garage above a CVS. Someone triggered a loud and annoying security alarm and we marched back to a closed lot down below. After socializing and posing for pics, we got our instructions from the organizers. We were broken into several groups and assigned to the car number that matched the group's. We were instructed to take off our pants at our designated stops, get on the cold platform and wait for the next train south. I felt slightly naked and alone on the El platform until I spotted a few others in their undies from other groups. A friend with no pants was a friend indeed.

From there, we took the train from the North Side all the way downtown, with the train filling up with more pantsless comrades at every stop. For the most part, those who had pants on were either annoyed or curious (and took pics). Some ever joined in! When we all got to our final destination, it turned into a bare-legged celebration of picture taking, laughs and a rendition of the Hokey Pokey before we all got back on the train (still pantsless) back up north. On the ride back, there was a Bohemian Rhapsody singalong (and some cartoon and Disney themes, naturally) before the after party with some fine, Potbelly's cuisine.

I never realized how much I hated wearing pants until today. Naked Bike Ride 2015. You're next.