Neighborhoods of the traveling pantless

Improv is stunner down under on T

Emily Nye, 5, looked up in seeming bewilderment as she and her parents, who are visiting from England, were surrounded by pantless people on the Red Line yesterday. Boston was one of the 10 cities that took part in the "No Pants! Subway Ride." (Essdras M Suarez/Globe Staff)

Some thought it was art. Others thought maybe an advertisement. And many were simply bewildered as throngs of people in their tighty-whiteys, flannel boxers, and floral briefs made their way through the T yesterday.

"I thought maybe it was a hazing, but then I saw girls," said Johan Almenberg, who was visiting from Sweden.

More than 100 pantless people besieged the T yesterday in Boston's debut of the "No Pants! Subway Ride."

"It's culture jamming, creating happiness," said Michael Baskin, 19, a Harvard freshman, who wore his Incredible Hulk boxers specially for the occasion.

Started in 2002 in New York, the event went global for the first time this year, taking place in 10 cities in three countries.

"Mostly, it makes people laugh," said Charlie Todd, who started the event in New York.

"Some question reality or their sanity for a moment. Some New Yorkers are so cynical they try to pretend they're not amused by it," he said.

Todd is the man behind Improv Everywhere, a New York-based cast of comedians, actors, and others that puts on bizarre, anonymous pranks such as sending a hundred shirtless men to shop in an Abercrombie & Fitch store or sending a horde of redheads to Wendy's to protest their "racist" logo.

"We want to create a scene of chaos and joy in public places," Todd said in a phone interview. "At the very least, we give the people we encounter a very cool story to tell."

It seemed to work yesterday.

At Park Street station, bemused riders rubber-necked, snapped photos with their camera phones, and shot confused looks at the pantless patrons.

"It definitely makes people look," said Tresser Greaves of Hyde Park who was passing through on her way to work. "I'm surprised men aren't gawking more at the girls."

The event has been held in New York the past six years without much trouble, though a few pantless riders were cited by police for disorderly conduct during the 2006 ride. MBTA police were on hand yesterday to keep an eye on the crowd.

"Part of the appeal was that they made it totally nonsexual," said Katherine Howitt, 25, of Belmont, who wore a long coat over her underwear. "They're not out to offend anyone."

Taking over public spaces dates to the 1960s counterculture movements, but technology such as e-mail, blogs, and text messaging has provided a platform for a new generation of merry pranksters.

In Todd's case, all he did to spread "No Pants 2k8" was post a line on his blog urging readers to consider holding no pants rides in their towns.

"Almost everyday someone e-mails me from outside New York saying they want to do the same kind of events in their hometown," Todd said.

It didn't take long for word to spread. Information about the ride was posted on Facebook, the social networking site, and organizers communicated almost exclusively by e-mail.

"There's not really a lot you have to organize to get people to show up and take their pants off and ride the subway," said Adam Sablich of Haverhill, who organized the Boston event.