Jennifer StavrosView more photos in the slideshow, “CuriousJosh: No Pants Metro Ride.”
It was a gorgeous and quiet Sunday afternoon at Los Angeles Union Station. The commuters scattered throughout were diverse — a young couple, an old man reading a newspaper, a family heading to a shopping center. Passengers chatted amongst themselves while waiting for their train.
The doors to an arriving train opened. In the middle of a conversation, one of the passengers removed their pants. Something was a bit different today.
Credit: Josh “CuriousJosh” Reiss
Credit: Josh “CuriousJosh” Reiss
The silence of the station quickly became shattered as the scene filled with color. A menagerie of characters would arrive at the station waiting to board. There was a man wearing a horsehead and suit jacket. Girls with brightly colored stockings and knit caps. Businessmen. A woman with a baby. All without pants.
Credit: Josh “CuriousJosh” Reiss
Onlookers watched in shock as the stop became filled with these carefree individuals. A foreign couple from London gasped as they wondered what the heck was going on. A film crew arrived. Flashes of light were everywhere.
At precisely 2:34 p.m., the group officially began their mission and boarded the Red Line to the Hollywood and Highland Station.
Credit: Josh “CuriousJosh” Reiss
Credit: Josh “CuriousJosh” Reiss
This mission was not the first for the group. For the last three years Los Angeles members have participated in the annual No Pants Train Ride hosted by Improv Everywhere and GuerilLA Improv. This year missions were executed in 50 cities and 24 countries including Chicago, Portland, Buenos Aires, Melbourne, Zurich and New York, which celebrated its 10th anniversary ride.
For more information on the No Pants Subway Ride and other shenanigans brought forth by the Los Angeles Chapter, or how you can be a a part of a future mission, sign up on the group's website or follow @GLAimprov on Twitter.
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.