Subway riders around the world ditch pants for a day

NEW YORK, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Bare-legged strap-hangers braved brisk January weather in New York and 52 other cities around the world for the annual No Pants Subway Ride.

The 14th Annual No Pants Subway Ride, organized by New York group Improv Everywhere, featured commuter trains in cities including Chicago, San Francisco, Phoenix, London, Berlin, Mexico City and Stockholm being filled with commuters who shed their trousers Sunday to take a ride in their skivvies.

"In New York City, it's not too weird to see one crazy person on the train. So seeing one person in their underwear in the middle of January is not that weird for a New Yorker," organizer Charlie Todd told WINS-AM. "But seeing different people enter at separate stops along the subway line would be exceptionally weird."

The flagship No Pants ride in New York featured an estimated 4,000 pantsless participants boarding trains at seven locations throughout the city and following planned routes.

In Bucharest, Romania, participants risked incurring fines threatened by Metrorex officials in addition to the threat of discomfort from the 34-degree weather.

Some corporations got into the No Pants Subway Ride spirit, with Oreo and Charmin posting pictures of corporate mascots taking to public transport without bottoms.

Enjoy the ride today! #NPSR pic.twitter.com/JNKkZORGfx

— Oreo Cookie (@Oreo) January 11, 2015

Happy No Pants Subway Ride, Boston! Keep your whities tidy with $1 off Charmin. #NPSR http://t.co/D9bbmhL6Xi pic.twitter.com/JcMDc6riCZ

— Charmin (@Charmin) January 9, 2015