DALLAS (KRLD) – Are you brave enough to appear in public in your underwear? Some North Texans say it’s loads of fun and plan on riding the DART train this weekend without their pants as part of the 2013 Annual No Pants Subway Ride.

The flash-mob-style event was launched in January 2002 by comedian and Improv Everywhere founder Charlie Todd.

“It was myself and six friends,” says Todd. “For the people in that car, it was a completely surreal experience. These un-related guys kept getting on at different stops without their pants.”

Around 4,000 people are expected to participate in the No Pants Subway Ride this Sunday in New York. Todd says that 60 cities around the world will be participating as well.

Dallas has hosted a No Pants Ride since 2010. “Vivian” with the Boards and Panties burlesque troupe participated last year and plans on being there on Sunday.

“There’s a Facebook invite put out every year and between three and five hundred people say they are going to go,” says Vivian. “Because it ends being so cold on the day, maybe a tenth of those show up.”

She says that as far as she knows, no one has ever gotten in trouble with DART authorities or police. Vivian says the local event by-laws prohibit thongs and other risqué underwear. Participants are required to wear shirts, shoes and socks.

DART does not sponsor the No Pants Ride, but officials did not indicate to KRLD that there is anything illegal about it or that the event violates policy.

“We’re not out there to make anyone uncomfortable, that’s not the point,” says Vivian. “The point is to have fun and make someone’s day by making them laugh, cause nothing is funnier than seeing a bunch of people on the train with no pants on.”

Todd says that fun is exactly the point of it.

“I come from a comedy background, so ultimately, it’s a comedy project,” says Todd. ” We’re looking to do things that I refer to as pranks, but are more about giving someone else a great experience and a fun story to tell.”

He says that there has been no shortage of corporations, underwear lines and clothing designers interested in sponsoring the No Pants Subway Ride, but that Improv Everywhere has politely declined companies every year. “This is something that has existed for over a decade as an independent event and I’m not going to turn it into a Hanes commercial.”

The Dallas No Pants DART Ride starts at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday at Mockingbird Station.

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