What do you think about manspreading?

relevant?

I think that anything that is done deliberately tthat deprives someone else of a seat is rude. I don’t count being fat, because that is so rarely done deliberately as to not even register on the meter. But man spreading, belongings on seats that could be put on the floor, sprawling out for extra comfort, etc, should be avoided.
It’s not just the issue of seats, there’s a space issue on crowded cars.

@DoNotKnowMuch: Not on a crowded Lex local during rush hour. I really doubt speed-dating sessions are held there.

One seat per person, unless reasonable accommodations need to be made for disabilities or infant gear.

An ego so damaged you feel like you need to display your genitals like a zoo animal is not a disability.

If I’m on public transportation and I am looking for a seat, if someone has their legs on my side or a tote bag on a vacant seat, I’ll say “excuse me” and I’ll sit down.

You’re a man, and you wonder why men “manspread”?

Firstly, I think the term to be sexist. It’s irritating and exasperating why a man—who should know better—would bring up this nonsensical term. I can understand this coming from ignorant feminists, but you should know better.

The answer to why men part their legs more when seated is entirely down to anatomy.

Men have relatively narrow hips, and plant their feet wider for balance. Taller men may “manspread” more because they have longer legs. Would you rather men wobble around like weebles whilst seated? Because that is the alternative.

Then there’s the fact that we man have dangling genitals that need some damn space. You do have genitals, right?

And for those so bothered about space being taken up. I presume you have the same complaints about fat people?

It’s amazing how men in polite society have been sitting with their knees within orbital distance for hundreds of years, and just now they’ve lost that ability.

Has there been a plague of elephantiasis?

Not something I do but then I tend to favour crossing my legs as a more naturally comfortable seated position

@Kropotkin I happen to be very tall. I don’t manspread or wobble. I sit in the seat on the train with my legs side by side. Sometimes I may stretch my feet forward to avoid getting a cramp. I personally don’t find manspreading comfortable, as I would find it to be a strain on my thighs. I did try it out once when the train was empty to see what the fuss was all about. Didn’t find it comfortable in the least.

And yes I do have genitals. There is more than sufficient room in the crotch area of my boxer briefs and jeans to allow my jewels to be comfortable. No need to put them on unnecessary display.

@Seek Lol my point exactly. I’m proud to say that I have not lost this ability at all.

@ucme I cross my legs sometimes too. Well its more like, crossing my ankles I guess.

See, but then I will rest one ankle on the other knee if you get the picture, not that I use public transport you understand…dear me no

At least then your legs are at maximum shin-length apart.

You’re not taking up three seats whilst doing your best cheerleader-doing-the-splits impression.

@Seek Haha absolutely.

I’d look fab in one of those pleated mini skirts, I really would

My Kingdom for a photo

Wait up, need to shave my legs & raid Toni Basil’s wardrobe

@Kropotkin I see you don’t actually understand what we’re talking about here. Manspreading isn’t just when a man spreads his legs while sitting down. It’s when (1) a man insists on keeping his legs spread (2) to the point that he takes up more than one seat (3) when there aren’t enough seats to go around. Yes, we all know why men want to spread their legs. But that’s not the issue. The issue is that some men feel entitled to do so despite the inconvenience it presents to others in a shared space even when it is both possible and easy for them to take up less space at that moment.

I just pretend to stumble, and land on their lap. My handbag normally gets them right on their display.
“Oops, sorry!”

A transsexual friend of mine, who is now a woman, still manspreads. I haven’t pointed this out to them.

@SavoirFaire I’d believe that were the case if most (nearly all) of the images I’ve seen and the cases referred to that demonstrate “manspreading” actually show plenty of seating room available.

Some people have wide bodies and big butts. Are you complaining about people who could fit but don’t, or about wide people in general?

@Kropotkin Maybe you’re looking at posed pictures. An overcrowded subway car doesn’t exactly make it easy to take photographs of actual offenders. In any case, I’ve never seen anyone seriously argue that people shouldn’t be allowed to spread their legs when there’s no space issue. In fact, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority only got involved because manspreading was exacerbating the overcrowding problem that already existed. Nor is the concern anything new. Being respectful of other people’s space has always been basic subway etiquette, and the MTA has been trying to remind its clients of that since at least the 1940s (as these old cartoons reveal).

Ted Talk touting the health benefits of similar postures to manspreading.

Woohoo- cartoons! ;-p The third one looks like Hairy Ass Truman, playing the part of a manspreading litterbug.

Once i seated next to a guy doing this. I had to force his leg into a normal position perpendicular to the seat, by spreading MY leg against his. The idiot was resisting it, like he WANTED to squeeze me… It was like a battle of legs.

I suppose I could have asked instead.

To be fair, some women do something similar when they put their handbag on a seat next to them, rather than on their knees.

What’s public transport?

When it comes to the actual stance, or sitting that way, I agree with Kropotkin. I have a penis, but it’s my testicles that make it hard to sit with my legs together. Being an asshole on a public form of transportation is a separate issue.
It drives me crazy that people staunchly defend mothers breastfeeding in public, but it’s a problem now if I sit a certain way while fully clothed? As usual, the world is full of double standards.

@MrGrimm888 As I already noted, no one has a problem with men spreading their legs while sitting down. You are attacking a straw man.

Apologies

Im sorry

@SecondHandStoke You don’t know what public transport is? Traveling by train, tram or bus is public transport. Technically it also includes taxis, but taxis are not relevant to this thread.

@MrGrimm888 No problem.