Poll: Do You Manspread

[Lightknight]

How would you know? Are you medical expert of some kind that has conducted research in this area? Did you survey a legitimate sample size of men? Do you have a control group?

My testicles are just fine. If I sit with my knees touching or close they will begin to hurt. I don't have to have a wide angle or anything. But there needs to be at least some space. Not more than my shoulders though. My shoulders are the real problem. I can almost spread over 45 degrees and still not hit my shoulder width.

But you're just going to have to deal with fact that a perfectly healthy pair of balls is going to hurt when enough pressure is applied. Even when the angle is slight they will still hurt over enough time. I don't know what the exact angle of no-pain is, but I'd wager it differs from person to person.

I would wager so, too, though I severely doubt anybody's testicle are so massive as to require more than a small gap. They are not that gigantic, unless there is some condition involved.

I would guess that this issue of comfort has less to do with testicle size and more to do with the size and shape of a man's thighs. My thighs are particularly noteworthy in their girth due to sports, which means creating the necessary space to avoid uncomfortable pressure requires a greater angle for my knees to be open. I don't have to lug my testicles around in a wheelbarrow, but I do suspect I do quite a bit more manspreading than might be average, especially if I'm wearing suit trousers or jeans.

Yeah, girth of thighs due to weight or muscle (or both) would certainly impact the minimum necessary angle to maintain ball-comfort.

As neologisms go, "Manspread" has to be one of least articulate, least useful, and most unlovely I've come across in a while. That it turns out to be an obfuscation of "being a rude asshole in a crowded public setting" makes it all the more untenable and obnoxious.

Nicely worded!

 

[The White Hunter]

Sorry I'll get on making myself 6 inches fucking shorter so my legs actually fit on public transport.

I'm not even tall.

I'm 5'10" and no train or bus seats ever have adaquete leg room.

 

[EvilRoy]

Jeezy Chreezy. I'd be concerned for a guy who can't close his legs without pain, that doesn't sound right to me.

I'm on team this. I just touched my knees together to make sure I'm not completely insane. Nope - they naturally move a couple inches apart because I have huge womanly thighs, but somehow this experience did not cripple me with pain.

Maybe I'm the weirdo?

It doesn't crush my balls when I do it, but it does squish my thigh muscles together and causes an ache in my hip joints. No matter what position my feet are in my knees automatically return to a spacing of about 16 cm when I stop putting constant effort to hold my knees together - which almost precisely aligns with the 90 degree perpendicular to the orientation of my pelvis.

All in all from what I can see here (staring at my sweet sexy thighs): it would be fairly uncomfortable to do for more than a few minues; bringing my knees together isn't going to give anyone else room that I don't want them to have (I'm not going to sit ass-to-ass on the bus, I'll just stand); and finally, if personal space matters at all, I could reasonably spread further since I'm still a solid 5-10 cm of spread away from having my knees square with my shoulders - which is the edge of the maximum tightness I would accept.

 

[Lightknight]

Sorry I'll get on making myself 6 inches fucking shorter so my legs actually fit on public transport.

I'm not even tall.

I'm 5'10" and no train or bus seats ever have adaquete leg room.

You know, I've noticed it too. I'm just an inch over average and I still find seating in some places strangely short where I either have to take up space in the aisle or spread out the old legs. I wonder what size person they were actually designed for now that you mention it.

 

[The White Hunter]

Sorry I'll get on making myself 6 inches fucking shorter so my legs actually fit on public transport.

I'm not even tall.

I'm 5'10" and no train or bus seats ever have adaquete leg room.

You know, I've noticed it too. I'm just an inch over average and I still find seating in some places strangely short where I either have to take up space in the aisle or spread out the old legs. I wonder what size person they were actually designed for now that you mention it.

My partner is 5' and even she has trouble sometimes with leg room. It's disgusting. I tend to stand up on any train under an hour.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Since I live in the middle of Squidbilly territory, the issue of man-spreading on public transport simply doesn't exist. Back when I DID live within civilization and would use the metro or ride-on system of pre-apocalyptia, I would not man-spread. I would sit cross-legged or (if I was lucky) press myself against the window because I'm one of those people who absolutely can't get enough of watching the scenery pass me by on my journey. I've done it of course when I've had a seat to myself but it's just not something I really did regularly.

 

[loa]

Yeah I don't subscribe to the narrative of assigning general douchy behavior to one gender and it doesn't susprise me that the faction who whines the loudest over "demeaning, sexist" terms such as "****" would come up with this without seeing the irony here.

 

[crimson5pheonix]

I don't use public transport, so it's not something that comes up often for me. However, my knees fall naturally about a foot and a half apart, which keeps them within my shoulders. Dem thighs keep my legs apart.

Edit: The bigger problem for me is that my knees don't like to be bent, and there's never enough room to straighten them.

 

[Frankster]

I'm a guy with big legs. Sitting in a conventional position is uncomfortable to me and I always tend to fidget a bit when I'm forced to do so for long periods of time, it made school hell for me (well was just one of many factors making it hell more like). I'm always crossing my legs, in fact I'm sitting cross legged as I'm typing this.

When taking the tube or bus I make an effort but if no one is around then yeah I'll make myself a little comfortable, though not via the traditional manspreading technique, if it doesn't bother anyone my first choice is always gonna be with at least one of my legs crossed, which is probably worst then man spreading ><

I'm a horrible, horrible person...

 

[Ryotknife]

I dont have a problem with a small gap. If my legs are completely closed, it is uncomfortable (and my body will move them apart, I have to make a conscious effort to keep them completely closed), and if I have to squeeze my legs shut, it is painful. Ran into this when I was riding in my sister's car and i had to have the seat all the way up because there was something behind it. I felt like someone was putting my testicles in a vice grip and squeezing for all its worth. Even now relaxing in my office recliner, my legs are no more than shoulder width apart.

That said, lol public transportation.

 

[Glongpre]

Frankly, I am more angered by people thinking this is a problem.

If you want to sit down, ask, and they will probably move their legs to accommodate. If they don't they are an asshole, not much you can do about that.

I fail to see anything indecent about it. It looks lazy sure, but it ain't like skirts are fashionable on men at the moment.

If your legs are too long, stand up. It isn't like standing is particularly taxing.

If your balls are being crushed, move them out of the way.

I forgot that common sense isn't too common.

 

[Saulkar]

At the same time I have freaking enormous thighs as a powerlifter so I do not how that factors in, if at all.

What we need to do is get talking about the real issue. Why are we being discriminated against? I can't remember the last time I went to buy pants and haven't felt muscle shamed about my thighs and butt. (All kidding aside I feel your pain haha)

OT: I mean, I am much more comfortable spreading out my legs when I sit and that's my default position. If someone needs a seat or I'm taking up more than my fair share of room then of course I'll be polite and pull everything together. I'm not happy about it though and it gets uncomfortable over time.

I feel you on clothing. Jeans are my favourite pants but they take forever to break into because of the size of my legs.

Spoiler: I get 2 inches of circumference after leg day so for an hour my pants are extra tight.

Spoiler: spooky stuff on the other side:

At the same time I also press my legs together most of the time. It might just be a residual habit from motorcycle riding but has never caused me any discomfort anyplace below the waist. The closest would be after hitting an unmarked speed-bump at night at 40KPH. That mostly knocked my wind out though.

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

When I'm on public transport I have to, as I have unusually long legs. If I shut my legs together my nuts have an annoying habit of descending below my thighs so I sometimes sit on them (which is extremely unpleasant). It seems with age they really do start to gravitate further to the floor.

 

[Naldan]

I don't live in NY.

I have broad shoulders, I bet that would be enough to fine me.

To be honest for a second, I don't want to touch anyone sitting next to me, as good as I can, so I press myself onto the wall or try to find an angle. I can't stand sitting body-to-body with anyone I don't know. It's worse than standing in crowded areas or just anything with which I don't even have a problem at all. Just piss off when using public transport and especially if you fall asleep and use my shoulders as a pillow. That's one of the rare cases I get unproportionally aggressive. Fuck off.

 

[Mahorfeus]

I would not go so far as to see keeping my legs closed is painful, but keeping them open is certainly more comfortable for me. Even when I do "spread," my knees only rarely go past my shoulders. I mean, after a certain point you're just tightening your pants against your groin, skinny jeans or not. If space is available, I don't see anything wrong with going for the full spread if that floats your boat. All of this with the caveat that you are aware of your surroundings and are considerate when unseated people are nearby.

On the other end, I think it's a lot more reasonable to ask someone that's spreading to make room than it is to take pictures of them and post it on the internet.

 

[SecondPrize]

Yeah, as others have said, it's not really a gendered thing. If you're taking up additional space on public transport, you're being rude, either it's because you have to have your legs at 180 degrees when sitting, because you're carrying a small shopping mall in baggage, or because you're fat enough you literally take up multiple seats.

So a fat person is being rude by existing? I think someone else might be being rude...

You know, I've seen a handicapped person with a motorized wheelchair cause a set of three seats to be folded up so they could park their wheelchair there. What a total dick, right? [/poeslaw]

additional
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adjective
added, extra, or supplementary to what is already present or available.
"we require additional information"

That's the key word there, you seem to have missed it. With your examples, there is no addition, just the whole.

 

[Wrex Brogan]

...why are people complaining about comfort. It's not a case of comfort. It's a case of not being a prick and hogging the limited space on public transport. Yeah, seats on trains and buses (and planes) are small, cramped and uncomfortable. Suck it the fuck up and squish in, it's not going to kill you.

Nothing wrong with spreading out when there's space free (everyone does it, I've taken up 6 seats on empty trains just because I could), just don't be rude when the seats are needed.

But hey, why get to crux of the issue when people can take weak-handed jabs at feminism, that's really what it's all about, right?

It's worth noting, by the way, that s0denone was not arguing that it is necessary for some; he claimed it was a necessity for all, unless their "balls hadn't dropped". That's just absurdly, transparently false, as should be obvious from even cursory observation.

I refuse to believe it is preferrable to anyone to sit with their knees pressed together, if they have testicles or any kind of thighs. There is no way that can be preferrable. No way.

My primary focus was on the thighs, not the testes, but the point remains. Any big guy, muscular or fat, cannot sit like that without being wildly uncomfortable, while I suppose I can be inclined to believe a more "average" looking man can do so at less discomfort, while it still wouldn't be particularly awesome.

I suppose that makes this an issues of both "fat-" and "Fit shaming". Interesting, bud.

EDIT: I also think it is pretty hilarious that you talk as if testes are all the same size. You don't have to have testicular cancer to have big balls(within reason), friend.

...What if you're big, fat, have a generous helping of testicles and can still sit comfortably in a chair without flopping your legs out?

Just sayin', anecdotes are all well and good until we try to make arguments from 'em. Because then some fat, large-balled fuck (i.e. me) will come butting in going 'Your argument doesn't fit my personal experience!' and ruin everything with his ability to not knee other passengers and try to pass it off as 'I need the space for comfort'.

 

[mecegirl]

Manspreading is real it's just not something all men do. I've had the unfortunate luck to sit next to a few. It's just really dumb... like there are unspoken rules about public transit. Most folks keep to themselves, but these dudes? Like they just don't seem to care that there leg is pressed up against someone else without reason. It literally goes past their seat into yours. The ones that slouch while doing so are even worse. On one memorable occasion the bus was so full that folks were standing and the diver had to turn passengers away, dude still had his knee half way into my seat. And when I pushed back he dared to try and open his legs wider.

 

[NiPah]

Women most frequently do the same thing with their purses or shopping bags but as far as I know it isn't necessarily more comfortable for them to sit that way because they're not squishing their goods when sitting with legs crossed or together.

Oh c'mon dude, men totally do the bag thing too. It's not a case of men have to sit spread out because of their spacehopper balls and women viciously handbag all over the place. I think we can agree people of any gender are capable of being reasonable human beings and also space-wasting jerks.

I think it's the closest thing we have to another gendered insult to counter man-spreading, women-spreading doesn't really work so it plays off the stereotypical post mall shopping female image, both it and the man-spreading stereotype are equal in the insulting of the portrayed gender.

I think we can all agree with both genders being able to be space-wasting jerks, similarly I think we can all agree both genders can come up with equally insulting gendered stereotypes.

 

[The Eupho Guy_v1legacy]

I don't take public transport much any more, but when I did I generally sat with my ankles crossed with my bag tucked behind my feet so no, I didn't spread. If I did sit with my feet apart I kept them inline with my shoulders.