Missions – Page 2

May 9, 2017 by Jeff Moriarty 3 Comments

Spreading Love Like Butter

There’s a lot of anger and frustration out there, so we thought it would be nice to remind people that they are beautiful and the world is also filled with lots of love. So last Saturday, 60 amazing people braved the Phoenix heat to share some joy with unsuspecting drivers with our first Love and Compliments Rally!

We made signs created to make people smile and they drove through the intersection at Central Avenue and Indian School Road. Here were some of our favorites:

I like your face.
You deserve tacos.
You could survive the zombie apocalypse.
You are beautiful.
Kevin loves you.
Honk 4 love.

This event had nothing to do with politics or any causes, and not even sarcasm. We just wanted to let people know how much they are loved, and that they all help make the world a better place.

People loved the love

We stood at the intersection for about 45 minutes, getting lots of honks, smiles, and waves from cars. The best was an older couple where the wife in the passenger seat was nudging her husband the driver to honk the horn, and when he refused, she reached over and did it herself. They were adorable.

Toward the end of the rally, a car pulled up next to us. It was people from Kneaders Bakery and Cafe. They had extra box meals from an event they supported that morning, and they wanted to give us the leftovers to share some love for us. We happily took their leftovers and shared most of them with the homeless people in the area.

Check out just a few of the great pictures in our Facebook album.

We will do it again

Special thanks to everyone who ventured out into the blazing sun to share some love with us. We’ll definitely do this again.

If you want to join us, make sure you sign up for our email list so you don’t miss it!

You are beautiful!

January 10, 2017 by Ruth Carter Leave a Comment

No Pants 2017 Recap: Who Needs Pants?

Hundreds of people suited up to drop their pants at the 9th Annual No Pants Light Rail Ride! On Sunday, January 8, 2017, we boarded the train, starting at platforms all over the valley, and headed to central Phoenix sans pants.

We had two main groups gather near the east and west ends of the rail line. As the pantsless crowd gathered, drivers started slowing down to stare, gawk, and honk their horns. Some waiting in the left turn lane got out their phones to take pictures. At the airport starting point, one person offered to get their friend to bring the group pants while an airport employee dropped trou for a quick photo with the pantsless group before scuttling back to work.

As we boarded the trains, we got the standard reactions: shocked looks, giggles, and the occasional scowl. One person asked a pantsless rider what was going on, and she responded with, “I was hot and I convinced all these people to take their pants off too.” The panted man looked down at his own shorts, as to consider joining in himself, before deciding otherwise. Some people seemed completely unphased by our band of pantslessness. Perhaps we’ve been doing this so long that it’s become “normal.”

We disembarked at the Roosevelt station and took our parade of legs to Angel Trumpet Ale House, which is always happy to have our pantsless patronage. We shared stories and took pictures over drinks and snacks before taking our group photo and heading back from whence we came. It was a fun time had by all . . . well most of us at least. The scowlers never like us.

Thank you to everyone who came out for the No Pants Light Rail, and especially to Angels Trumpet for hosting us. Be sure to check out the photos from this year’s ride of Flickr.

We heard some people missed the announcement for this year’s ride. (You missed a fun time.) To make sure that doesn’t happen again, we’ve already created a Facebook event for the 2018 No Pants Ride. We won’t know the official date until next fall, but if you add yourself, you’ll definitely be kept in the loop.

Make sure you’re on our mailing list to stay in the loop on our next flash mob and all our shenanigans.

The No Pants Light Rail Ride is part of global No Pants Subway Ride, founded by Improv Everywhere.

January 2, 2017 by Ruth Carter Leave a Comment

Details for the 2017 Phoenix No Pants Light Rail Ride!

The 9th Annual No Pants Light Rail Ride in Phoenix is this Sunday, January 8th. This is part of The No Pants Subway Ride, which is a global event started by Improv Everywhere in New York in 2002. Dozens of cities around the world are expected to participate this year!

Here are the details for the Phoenix ride:

When: Sunday, January 8th at 1:00 pm (Over around 4 pm)
Where: 2 starting locations – details below
Bring: A backpack/bag and a Light Rail pass
Wear: Normal winter clothes (jacket, hat, etc.)
Facebook Event: Right here. Please RSVP.
Mid-ride Meetup: Angels Trumpet Ale House

Rain or shine, warm or cold, we’re doing this and we hope you’ll join us!

HOW IT WORKS

You can wear almost any type of underwear you want – except thongs or g-strings. If you’re going to wear boxers we recommend you to wear briefs underneath them in case your fly separates – you can get in trouble for indecent exposure if you reveal too much!

Take your pants off on the light rail platform or before you get there. If you’re worried you will be cold on the platform, you can take off your pants on the train, just be aware that it’s trickier and more crowded. If you wear pants to the event, bring a bag or purse to carry them once you drop your drawers.

HOW TO ACT

Do NOT tell people you are doing a prank! While you’re riding, act as if nothing strange is going on – no matter what. Do what you’d normally do on the light rail – you have no idea why others are not wearing pants. If anyone asks, have a simple excuse prepared for why you’re not wearing pants – you were hot, you forgot them, etc.

We will have photographers on hand to take pictures documenting the event. We need everyone else to just act casually. If you bring a camera, be very discreet and only take a few pictures. It’s supposed to look like a normal train ride.

Do not disrupt the Light Rail! While the Phoenix Police Department said that wearing your underwear in public isn’t illegal, but don’t do anything dumb. You are responsible for all your actions during this event.

STARTING LOCATIONS

We have just two starting points this year – one on the east side and one on the west side. Both groups will board the first train that arrives after 1 pm. Make sure you arrive in time to get a Light Rail pass from one of the machines at the stations! Each starting location will have at least one member of the Improv AZ core team to provide last-minute instructions if needed.

West Side – riders will board the first eastbound train from the 19th Ave./Montebello stop at/after 1 pm.
Sky Harbor Airport – riders will start in Terminal 4 (while wearing pants). Before 1 pm, remove your pants (publicly or in a bathroom) and meet your fellow pantsless riders next to the A-Z Kids Store at 1 pm. We’ll walk to the Sky Train and take it to catch the light rail at the 44th Street/Washington Stop.
East Side – riders will board the first westbound train from the Sycamore/Main stop at/after 1 pm.

WHERE TO STOP

Everyone will exit the train at the Central Ave/Roosevelt Light Rail Stop. Our mid-ride meetup will be at Angels Trumpet Ale House (about a 5-minute walk from the light rail). They will have some specials for us if you want to grab a bite or a pint. This is an all-ages place, so minors are welcome. We’ll stay here for about an hour or so, but you are free to leave early if you need to, or stay later if you’re having fun.

UPDATES AND PICTURES

Please RSVP for the Facebook Event – that’s where we will post any last minute updates and where you can ask questions.

You can follow us on Twitter (@ImprovAZ).

The hashtags to use on Twitter (or Instagram, Flickr, or anywhere else is) #NoPantsPhx and #NPSR.

SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR THE MEDIA

We know you might show up at the No Pants Light Rail Ride. Please note, we tell our participants not to give interviews or pose for pictures unless you’re participating in the event. This is a “No Wallflowers” event so we hope you’ll don your favorite fancy undies and join in the fun.