No Pants Halted by Cops

Published on January 23, 2006 in News. 307 Comments

Yesterday’s No Pants was halted by the cops about halfway through. One frustrated cop freaked out and called in 25 more. 8 were ticketed and summonsed to court, 6 of the 8 were handcuffed and traveled in police vans to a precinct. Everyone has been released and is fine. More info as it develops. Participating agents should make comments on the mission page. Anyone not involved, feel free to comment below.

307 Responses to “No Pants Halted by Cops”

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  • Johnie
    January 22, 2006 at 10:38 pm

    What were the people detained charged with?

  • ctodd
    January 22, 2006 at 10:42 pm

    “Disorderly conduct”.

    Ridiculous!

  • Helen
    January 22, 2006 at 11:19 pm

    I just wanted to say that I don’t see why the cops made such a fuss. You see pictures of naked women and women in thongs, bikini’s, etc. plastered everywhere. A bunch of guys in their boxers is a harmless prank. I’m the 52 yr old mother of 8 kids and can think of a lot worse things people do that they don’t get arrested for.

  • phat-ass
    January 22, 2006 at 11:38 pm

    Yikes!

    Although, I have to say I’m a little surprised this hasn’t happened already.

    I think it’s bullshit, but it’s just the kind of bullshit I would have expected.

    Of course I live in Nebraska. We’d have probably been tasered.

    phat

  • Nannerb
    January 22, 2006 at 11:44 pm

    I only found out about this event and this site because of an AP article I just read online.

    I am not a labeled liberal just for the record.

    I think your event of a no pants ride on the subway is refreshing and funny. Too bad the cops didn’t think so.

    What was the response of the other commuters? I mean before the cops delayed the train?

    Keep up the joy!

  • John
    January 23, 2006 at 12:11 am

    Thank you NYPD. I probably wouldn’t have heard about this without you. You’ve brought joy into my day. :-)

  • Amelia
    January 23, 2006 at 12:15 am

    Wow, I saw the AP article on my Google news page. The circumstances may suck, but I think the group is in for a lot of publicity and recognition. Good? Bad? May make it difficult for you guys to go undercover..

  • Jack
    January 23, 2006 at 12:18 am

    There’s no such thing as bad publicity.

    I wonder if the subway even has a dresscode… Now that I’m in my 40’s, I’m beginning to see why older men wear Speedos on the beach. It’s just another way of thumbing one’s nose at the world.

    So, what’s the dress-code, and can I wear my speedo and sandles?

    (No, I’m not asking if I *should*)

    J.

  • Michael S.
    January 23, 2006 at 12:19 am

    I like a good joke and think the world needs more humor, but seriously guys. Before you did this prank you had to think police interaction would be a possible consequence. So you got caught, big deal. Don’t try to turn it around by saying ‘the police have better things to do with their time’ because if it wasn’t for you guys, the police WOULD be doing better things with their time. And by the way… where’s the joke? What’s so funny about this ’stunt’? Why don’t you guys try a different approach to comedy and use your brains.

  • JB
    January 23, 2006 at 12:25 am

    This is further evidence that our beloved USA is turning into a police state.

  • And Mary
    January 23, 2006 at 12:31 am

    knoww what? a police state is less offensive than the state nyc was in in the 1980s and the only people who would disagree with that are those who are doing something wrong’

  • jessebeck.com
    January 23, 2006 at 12:32 am

    Oddly enough…you would think one would hear more about this kind of stuff in New York.

  • RJ
    January 23, 2006 at 12:40 am

    I just got back from the event, and I’d have to say that the fact that the cops did that was absolutely heartbreaking. We were all having such a good time, and it seemed like the bystanders were certainly enjoying themselves.

    As I see it, this mission got a lot of press and the cops felt obligated to basically stop us from having a good time simply because they could.

    You want to make obnoxious comments towards the guy who said that this is evidence that the USA is becoming more of a police state? Well here’s another such comment — I’ve never seen evidence this concrete.

    We were trying to just bring a smile to people’s faces. At least I was. Cheers.

    -RJ
    (Got my pants back just in time to avoid an arrest myself, I suppose.)

  • Jack of CrimProfBlog
    January 23, 2006 at 12:50 am

    As a criminal law professor, it seems to me that what these pranksters did was entirely legal, as I explain here.
    http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/crimprof_blog/2006/01/theyre_not_wear.html
    Of course, there may be additional facts that would change the outcome.

  • kd
    January 23, 2006 at 12:54 am

    cheers to you improveverywhere. from a “labeled liberal” who is proud of it.

  • Marko
    January 23, 2006 at 12:57 am

    Saw the AP story from my computer in San Francisco. You guys rock! Keep it up! ;)

  • Wines Milikin
    January 23, 2006 at 1:02 am

    No pants was not funny, it did not add joy and the police didn’t over react. I was molested as a child and nearly raped three yars ago. Seeing men in pants does not make me laugh; it makes me think I’m going to sexually assaulted.

    What you did was illegal. If the police had no arrested you, that would have taught children that disobeying the law is acceptable behavior. You aren’t a group spreading joy; you’re a group of people who have no concern for others and are so egocentric that you feel that you are above the law. I suggest that your next event should be doing to help people rather than doing something which offeds them

  • Anonymous
    January 23, 2006 at 1:16 am

    I’ve watched all of the movies on the dvd portion of the site. They are amazing. I love it all. None of them have the intentions of hurting anyone. They all seem to effect people positiviley or provide a story for people to talk about. I’m sorry that people may have been late to work but I understand that wasn’t your intention, as I assume the last 4 no pants rides worked without problems. Keep up the great work!

  • Charles
    January 23, 2006 at 1:19 am

    Hats off to Pants Off.

  • steve0
    January 23, 2006 at 1:26 am

    wow, i’m amazed by the ridiculous reactions not only of the NYPD, but by some of the participants in the above discussion…

    this was pretty much one of the most benign stunts i can imagine anyone pulling. a bunch of people not wearing pants on the train? big deal! no obscenity or ludeness involved, just a slightly absurd scenario in an otherwise extremely mundane daily experience. the amount of exposed flesh was really far less explicit or lascivious than a mild day at the beach could ever be… i absolutely cannot fathom the outpouring of negativity in reaction to an easily dismissable prank. (’prank’ is a poor word choice, as that word implies an ACTIVE attempt to disrupt. this was actually quite a passive activity. none of the participants initiated or engaged any of the other passnegers, nor obstructed normal operation of the subway. that was a DECISION made on behalf of the MTA with assistance of the NYPD) i fear your anger may be disdirected.

    i mean, jeez. perhaps we should all take a moment to reflect on what’s actually worth getting upset about. (mind you, this is being posted by a self-sufficient adult blue-collar guy from new york, phil, who participated in the event today. easy on the stereotyping, buddy.)

    i have problems with the trains and getting to work on time too. that’s what life in the city is about man. organized chaos. don’t blame a bunch of people with no pants for the heavy-handed overreaction of the ‘authorities’.

    something’s a bit askew with our social prioriites if this is enough to get someone genuinely upset… (good luck with that lawsuits. there’s no one to sue!)

    i certainly learned something today. and truthfully, i’m a bit disappointed in our fine city. nonetheless, i applaud the spirit of the event and its participators. down with pants!

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