USA: Hundreds ride BART sans pants

[John Ashworth]

Hundreds ride BART sans pants

Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer

Monday, January 11, 2010
San Francisco Chronicle

(01-10) 19:53 PST -- Turns out, BART is a tad breezy.

Hundreds of riders learned that uncomfortable truth the hard way Sunday when they removed their pants on crowded, San Francisco-bound trains, as part of a national stunt sponsored by a New York performance art group.

"It feels strangely normal," said Luke Jakobsson, a student from Castro Valley who rode BART from the East Bay in nothing but shoes, a Swedish soccer jersey and matching skivvies. "Although I'm not sure how I feel about the wind in my ass."

Some wore frayed cotton boxers, others opted for pink satin thongs, and a few forewent underwear entirely.

They rode trains from the East Bay and the Peninsula, met at the Embarcadero Station and fanned across Muni and San Francisco streets, ostensibly in search of pants.

The purpose was to bring a bit of goofiness to public transit. Although, this being the Bay Area, many just wanted an excuse to disrobe in public.

"It's refreshing. This is California," said Katyana Gradler, who's visiting from Pittsburgh and wore pink tights and not much else for the occasion. "At home, we couldn't do this because there are 4 feet of snow on the ground."

Her friend Enrico Rossi, an Oakland craftsman, took the pantless theme a step further, shedding shirt and underwear as well. Instead, he wore work boots and a taupe-colored, transparent leotard.

"We're part of the Pants Liberation Front," he said. "Pants have been keeping us down too long. I've been itching and chafing for 24 years."

The event, dubbed No Pants 2010, was organized by Improv Everywhere, which started the annual pantless party in 2001 on the New York City subway.

Improv Everywhere has organized dozens of other stunts, such as drawing hundreds of people - via Facebook and other social media - to congregate at a Best Buy store in blue polo shirts and khakis, and to move in slow motion at a Home Depot store, both in New York City.

On Sunday, subway riders in 44 cities around the world stripped off their pants in the name of silliness.

Candace Leong was headed to Berkeley but changed plans when she saw the hairy legs and cheery smiles of her fellow BART riders. While on the train, she spontaneously took off her jeans, stowed them in her bag and joined the unclothed masses headed to San Francisco.

"I was going to go rock climbing but thought I'd do this instead," she said. "It's liberating, although it might be a little awkward if you did it alone."

Not everyone appreciated the humor. Tony Jackson, clad in a shimmering gold suit and tie, was headed to church on BART when he came across the pantless people.

"What the hell? It's a disgrace," said the San Francisco church elder, shaking his head. "It's an abomination."

Tourists Margarita Manfredini of Italy and Jesse Gonzalez of Mexico City, waiting for a cable car on Market Street, were thrilled with the spectacle.

"Here in the U.S., there is such a closed mentality," Manfredini said. "But this is wonderful! I think, 'Am I in America or Europe?'"

Gonzalez agreed.

"It's crazy, like everything else in San Francisco," he said. "We love it."

E-mail Carolyn Jones at carolynjones@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page C - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle