Valley Metro had ‘concerns’ about Phoenix No Pants Light Rail Ride

The story behind the cancelation of this year’s Phoenix No Pants Light Rail Ride just got a new wrinkle.

Phoenix New Times has learned that Valley Metro officials expressed “concerns” about the controversial event, which involves people riding the light rail without pants, to its organizers after public backlash.

Earlier this month, Phoenix No Pants Light Rail Ride organizers announced they “will be taking a pause for 2025 to handle personal life matters.”

In a Jan. 8 email to New Times, Valley Metro communications manager Susan Tierney stated that the agency “expressed our concerns based on the negative responses we received from the community during last year’s event.”

Tierney did not say when the communication with Phoenix No Pants Light Rail Ride organizers took place.

A cheeky, body-positive prank

Phoenix’s No Pants Light Rail Ride, which started locally in 2009, returned in January 2024 after a four-year hiatus caused by the pandemic. More than 100 people participated in the cheeky, body-positive prank, boarding light rail trains while wearing T-shirts, undergarments, jackets, socks and shoes, but no pants.

No Pants Rides originated in New York City in 2002 and came to Phoenix seven years later, following the debut of Valley Metro Rail. Since then, thousands of people have participated in local No Pants Rides, which event co-organizer Michael Mauer has described as “fun and whimsical.”

“It's really fun to do, but definitely isn't for everyone,” Maurer told New Times in 2024. “But for those with a curiosity for the weird or those wanting to push themselves to try something different, this is the event. There is no shaming or judging at these events.”

There also aren’t any laws being broken.
According to Arizona’s public indecency laws, it's only illegal to “recklessly expose” the genitals, anus or female nipples or areolas.

Ride participants haven’t ever skirted the law, though, as organizers have strongly recommended wearing underwear, shirts, pajamas and other comfortable clothing that doesn’t expose any naughty bits.

Only one No Pants participant has been arrested, but not for their conduct or dress. In 2020, a rider was taken into custody on an unrelated warrant during a mid-ride meetup at a downtown Phoenix bar.

Valley Metro’s “code of conduct” is a bit more ambiguous. It discourages “disruptive, intrusive, unsafe or inappropriate behaviors,” including public indecency.

Tierney told New Times via email the agency does not “condone, support or in any way sponsor” the No Pants Light Rail Ride.

“Riders with valid fare and who follow our code of conduct are welcome on our system. The light rail system serves a diverse community of riders including families, children and individuals of varying cultural and personal sensitivities,” Tierney told New Times. “It is essential to ensure that all passengers feel safe, comfortable and respected while using the public transportation system — that is our goal.”

Critics: No Pants Light Rail Ride is 'horrific'

Maurer called last year’s No Pants Ride a success, partly because riders donated five pallet boxes of their unused pants to the local nonprofit St. Vincent de Paul.

Critics of the event, though, saw things differently.

Last year’s Phoenix No Pants Light Rail Ride sparked controversy and backlash from critics of the event. In the days surrounding the event, many decried the ride, claiming it exposed younger light rail riders to indecency.

Far-right commentators like Matt Walsh called the ride and its participants “horrific” while National Review writer Abigail Anthony penned an article titled “Please, Wear Pants.”

Arizona Republic opinion columnist Laurie Roberts added to the outcry, calling the No Pants Ride a “no-duh bad idea for Phoenix” and fretting that the Republican-controlled state legislature might use it as an excuse to halt future light rail expansion.
Critics of the Phoenix No Pants Light Rail Ride also reached out to Valley Metro with their complaints.

Tierney did not disclose how many negative responses the agency received or their specific content.

She told New Times by email that no warnings have been issued to Phoenix No Pants Light Rail Ride organizers regarding the event. The ride has also not been banned from Valley Metro Rail.

New Times contacted Maurer about Valley Metro's claim that it expressed concerns to the No Pants Ride organizers due to public backlash. He declined to comment.

“I have been (advised) not to make any comments on that at the moment,” Maurer stated via Facebook chat.

Maurer previously told New Times that the Phoenix No Pants Light Rail Ride will return in the future with more involvement from local businesses and charities, though he did not specify when that would occur.