Poll: Do You Manspread

[axlryder]

I have to spread my legs to some extent, I don't care what other people say about their anatomy, but mine does not allow for me to put my legs together for any extended period of time for various reasons, and they pretty much HAVE to be shoulder width apart after a minute or so or it is remarkably uncomfortable for both my hip joints AND my testicles (either of which would convince me of the need spread my legs). Based on some of the "examples" I've seen of manspreading online, many of the people accused of doing it are hardly taking up more space than they otherwise would be if they closed their legs, and the fact that "feminist activists" are blind-siding those very same people about it with interviews and trying to claim there's some inherent subconscious patriarchal justification for their behavior is frankly ridiculous, offensive and frustrating on multiple levels. That's like randomly interviewing fat people and saying that their weight problem is caused by poor self-control and that they're being inconsiderate of others around them by not getting it together. I'm not saying that all of the people who spread aren't doing that (it's potentially plausible but there's very little research to support or dismiss that claim), but the way this has turned into some kind of fucking witch hunt has gotten ridiculous.

Also, the guys on here who are trying to speak for other guys and talk about this topic as though they are medical professionals who have done extensive research on a large sample size of the genitalia of other men and the degree of discomfort they might experience by closing their legs when sitting are clearly talking out of their ass. Seriously, the handwaving/shaming tactic of "if you can't handle it then there's probably something wrong with you" bullshit is incredibly insensitive. Yes, it is that uncomfortable for SOME people who are simply made that way (not to mention some people probably DO have legitimate medical issues that shouldn't be dismissed or shamed because of it). These people shouldn't have to sacrifice their seating because that's how they're built or be forced to endure extreme discomfort because of it.

Normally I wouldn't get so defensive about something so seemingly stupid, but if this topic had just been broached by feminists (or whoever) in a far more even-handed, scientific and agreeable way (instead of by accusing, bullying, name-calling, ambushing and then claiming all detractors are full of shit despite the little evidence and poorly defined premise on their own end), then I would have almost zero issue with it.

 

[NiPah]

Man-Spreading can refer to literally any man who spreads his legs, if you want a word for men spreading their legs to take up more then one seat then make a new one up, this word can refer to any male who isn't knee to knee or sitting cross legged. I'm pretty sure the people who invented the term weren't referring to just the men spreading their legs to take up multiple seats on public transportation, and people who use the term are going to be lumped in with that crowd.

 

[Hagi]

People should sit how and where they want. If others find it rude or offensive they can fuck right off. I sit how and where and I want and I couldn't care any less what others think.

I'd really love for you to repeat that statement while an obese man is sitting on your lap.

 

[sageoftruth]

That's a good point. I forgot to consider seats that have a seat right in front of them. The train I usually take has side-facing seats, or seats so far apart that it's not a problem, but I have long legs too, and if I'm on one of those cheap buses with a seat right in front of me, then I cannot help but manspread. Either that or rest my feet up on the seat in front of me, which it probably worse.

Well in those cases, I think you have to balance both the neighbor spaces and the tripping hazard to aisle pilgrims.

You lost me there. What do you mean by 'balance'?

 

[Barbas]

You lost me there. What do you mean by 'balance'?

Well, you can either spread 'em or point 'em forward. The former gives aisle travellers more room, whilst the latter gives your seat neighbours more room. You'd have to change from one to the other if somebody's getting on or off the bus.

 

[sageoftruth]

You lost me there. What do you mean by 'balance'?

Well, you can either spread 'em or point 'em forward. The former gives aisle travellers more room, whilst the latter gives your seat neighbours more room. You'd have to change from one to the other if somebody's getting on or off the bus.

Unfortunately, these buses are always crowded, some someone's going to have to give in this case. Sometimes I slip both of my knees into the seat next to me. It's super uncomfortable, but at least that opens up the aisle on the other side. Of course, my favorite method is simply to avoid taking the bus altogether. City buses are the worst.

 

[Something Amyss]

So is sitting like this:

as was linked on the bottom of page 2, manspreading?

So let's clarify for a moment.

I was curious about the context (especially since he was supposedly "nagged" about it, according to the person who posted it) and so I ran a Google image search. The original source for this photo appears to be the Daily Fail in an article covering this specific Gothamist video.

My first thought: the woman who is supposedly "nagging" the commuters comes off as a reporter for any such "on the street" segment and asks roughly the questions I would expect a reporter to ask when dealing with a contemporary issue. Things like "do you know what it is," "are you doing it," and "how much space do you think is justified/too much?"

One of the other things I noticed was that the guy in the picture moved his legs in when asked about it. He moved them in even more if you go to the segment when hes asked what the appropriate level of space is.

From the Fail's own pictures, compare this:

To this:

I think it's particularly interesting that when asked what the appropriate amount of space was, this guy was cognisant enough to adjust his legs so his knees were roughly the width of his shoulders. This tells me he thinks this is the appropriate amount of space to take up. It also tells me he thinks he was "manspreading."

Also, I find the onlookers rather amusing.

Also also...you seriously don't know how to judge the relation of your knees to the rest of your body?

 

[renegade7]

I have no idea why it would be "physiologically impossible". When you stand up, your legs are close to straight down, not spread. This should not cause any pain to your genitals. If you can keep your legs straight standing up, you can keep them straight sitting down. Basic geometry, and I would know.

Fuck the stupid ass idiot who decided to make it a gender thing in the first place, which to my understanding was a Tumblr blog so there you go. It has jack fucking shit to do with gender, and more to do with basic goddamn manners, male or female.

It has a tangential relevance to gender. A woman wouldn't be unjustified in feeling threatened or creeped out if some strange guy started trying to show off his groin around her or trying to encroach on her personal space. Someone bodily shoving his leg up against yours and showing his nards off to the world is on a different level than putting your shopping bag in the seat next to you (which you also shouldn't be doing, for other reasons).

But that's just a subset of the greater issue of it being a personal space thing. Some people would just find it rude or irritating. But then there are some people who would interpret that as being sexually aggressive. It's one of those things where it's best to err on the side of caution.

 

[SweetShark]

Holy sh*t now I must feel bad if I sit with my legs open?
Yes, it is rude and I am not doing it myself if I get space for others to sit.
But for sexual harasment? WTF going on people? With this logic we must complains about the girls who shows daily their tits and asses by wearing ropes for clothes.
Do we complain? NO! We swallow this sweet poison like men we are!!!! And Lesbians I guess. The others girls are just jealous.

Half-Joking of course, beu don't you think we are very oversensitive.
At least in Greece the young people don't care about all this.

 

[Areloch]

So is sitting like this:

as was linked on the bottom of page 2, manspreading?

So let's clarify for a moment.

I was curious about the context (especially since he was supposedly "nagged" about it, according to the person who posted it) and so I ran a Google image search. The original source for this photo appears to be the Daily Fail in an article covering this specific Gothamist video.

My first thought: the woman who is supposedly "nagging" the commuters comes off as a reporter for any such "on the street" segment and asks roughly the questions I would expect a reporter to ask when dealing with a contemporary issue. Things like "do you know what it is," "are you doing it," and "how much space do you think is justified/too much?"

One of the other things I noticed was that the guy in the picture moved his legs in when asked about it. He moved them in even more if you go to the segment when hes asked what the appropriate level of space is.

From the Fail's own pictures, compare this:

To this:

I think it's particularly interesting that when asked what the appropriate amount of space was, this guy was cognisant enough to adjust his legs so his knees were roughly the width of his shoulders. This tells me he thinks this is the appropriate amount of space to take up. It also tells me he thinks he was "manspreading."

Also, I find the onlookers rather amusing.

Also also...you seriously don't know how to judge the relation of your knees to the rest of your body?

I will say, that if he was at all familiar with the term(even if not, any intelligent person could hazard a guess as to what "manspreading" would mean), him closing his legs doesn't inherently mean he thought he was actually guilty of doing the act, but that someone, expressly inquiring about the act of it, came up to HIM about the subject.

Not an extreme leap to imagine him adjusting himself was a natural defensive move to a socially conscious subject. It's not really all that uncommon when people are interviewed about socially unpleasant things to 'check' themselves on it when the questions begin, whether they were guilty or not.

That said, you're right, entirely possible he could have realized(or previously known) what he was doing and changed it when confronted.


One thing that strikes me, looking at those pictures, is why do people have an issue with 'manspreading' but also don't demand they check their elbows, which, as those images show, are causing him to take up more space, even before the "manspreading" is corrected. Is it only an issue with legs, and elbows taking up the same or more space is fine?

 

[s0denone]

Snip

???? None of this is remotely relevant to the question I was asking until the very end.

Are you saying that "manspreading" is defined as "Knees further apart than the width of your shoulders"? Are you claiming that the be the one and only definition?

I was asking about that image in particular in order to legitimately understand what the fuck constitutes "manspreading". That was my whole point. I don't give a fuck about where the image was from or about anyone being nagged or not being nagged. I just used the image because I had already seen it in the thread.

So I ask you again, because you never replied (or at least did so implicitly causing me to remain unsure): Do you think the image that I linked, the first one in your post, is "manspreading"?

 

[Cowabungaa]

Nah man, that shit is rude.

Though I admit, I do extend. No that's not penis-related, I simply have enormous legs and extending them feels sooooo gooooood. But I always pull them in when someone has to walk through the aisle.

 

[josemlopes]

People think way too much about shit.

Usually if there is someone sitted then that person is just sitting in a way that is confortable for him/her.

A guy being sitted with his legs open are the same to me as a girl with her legs crossed, and vice-versa, who fucking cares or thinks about this shit (apparently a lot of people, huh)?

It would only suck if its a tight situation with small seats and stuff where it could bother the person next to him, otherwise...

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

I have no idea why it would be "physiologically impossible". When you stand up, your legs are close to straight down, not spread. This should not cause any pain to your genitals. If you can keep your legs straight standing up, you can keep them straight sitting down. Basic geometry, and I would know.

Fuck the stupid ass idiot who decided to make it a gender thing in the first place, which to my understanding was a Tumblr blog so there you go. It has jack fucking shit to do with gender, and more to do with basic goddamn manners, male or female.

It has a tangential relevance to gender. A woman wouldn't be unjustified in feeling threatened or creeped out if some strange guy started trying to show off his groin around her or trying to encroach on her personal space. Someone bodily shoving his leg up against yours and showing his nards off to the world is on a different level than putting your shopping bag in the seat next to you (which you also shouldn't be doing, for other reasons).

But that's just a subset of the greater issue of it being a personal space thing. Some people would just find it rude or irritating. But then there are some people who would interpret that as being sexually aggressive. It's one of those things where it's best to err on the side of caution.

Anyone would be feeling this way if anyone did it to them unless they happen to find them attractive enough to appreciate it. It isn't a superior infringment of personal space because you can interpret it sexually if you so choose because you can interpret anything, from a smile to someone moistening their dry lips and a thousand other things as sexual. Also, I find it ludicrous that sitting comfortably amd naturally is equivalent to showing off your balls while if a woman sits in a way that shows off her chest or butt and one points it out they'd be decried for it. Aren't you slut shaming men there? Or is it ok cause when men do it it's creepy and not sexy (according to you I prsume...)? Do we ever even describe women as creepy for being publicly suggestive in this manner lol.


It isn't only men who do this, I have spent a dozen hour flight sitting next to an old lady who'd place her handbag on the shared armrest perpetually, so trust me, anybody can take up more of their fair space due to rudeness.

 

[mad825]

I place my legs and feet to whatever feel comfortable to me. Neither am I an arse will take all the space just for the sake of it.

/thread.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

This might seem weird, but I've never seen anyone manspread. Ever.

Subways and para-transport services don't seem like their peak hours would allow for a lot of people showcasing their family jewels - and attempting to do that in a short bus adapted for use by the disabled would pretty much get you slammed by the driver. What little seats are there are sorely needed, so you can forget your wordly aspirations of electing domain over the back row's three-seater.

As for my little self? Nope. Never felt the need. I don't clench my thighs whilst in public transportation, but I allow myself the barest possible minimum of claimable space. I'm one of those *supposedly* rare guys who can contemplate an over-the-knee leg cross and not have nightmares about brutalized testicles.

So yeah. Relatives have given me the "MAH BALLZ!" reason-slash-joke in the past; but I tend to mentally retcon that as "I've had one glass too many and no longer give a shit about anyone else's personal space. Two more beers and I'll think doing the starfish on the dining room table is an acceptable display of dinner etiquette."

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

So is sitting like this:

as was linked on the bottom of page 2, manspreading?

So let's clarify for a moment.

I was curious about the context (especially since he was supposedly "nagged" about it, according to the person who posted it) and so I ran a Google image search. The original source for this photo appears to be the Daily Fail in an article covering this specific Gothamist video.

My first thought: the woman who is supposedly "nagging" the commuters comes off as a reporter for any such "on the street" segment and asks roughly the questions I would expect a reporter to ask when dealing with a contemporary issue. Things like "do you know what it is," "are you doing it," and "how much space do you think is justified/too much?"

One of the other things I noticed was that the guy in the picture moved his legs in when asked about it. He moved them in even more if you go to the segment when hes asked what the appropriate level of space is.

From the Fail's own pictures, compare this:

To this:

I think it's particularly interesting that when asked what the appropriate amount of space was, this guy was cognisant enough to adjust his legs so his knees were roughly the width of his shoulders. This tells me he thinks this is the appropriate amount of space to take up. It also tells me he thinks he was "manspreading."

Also, I find the onlookers rather amusing.

Also also...you seriously don't know how to judge the relation of your knees to the rest of your body?

I will say, that if he was at all familiar with the term(even if not, any intelligent person could hazard a guess as to what "manspreading" would mean), him closing his legs doesn't inherently mean he thought he was actually guilty of doing the act, but that someone, expressly inquiring about the act of it, came up to HIM about the subject.

Not an extreme leap to imagine him adjusting himself was a natural defensive move to a socially conscious subject. It's not really all that uncommon when people are interviewed about socially unpleasant things to 'check' themselves on it when the questions begin, whether they were guilty or not.

That said, you're right, entirely possible he could have realized(or previously known) what he was doing and changed it when confronted.


One thing that strikes me, looking at those pictures, is why do people have an issue with 'manspreading' but also don't demand they check their elbows, which, as those images show, are causing him to take up more space, even before the "manspreading" is corrected. Is it only an issue with legs, and elbows taking up the same or more space is fine?

I think the really intriguing part is how well he seems to be taking being approached by some arse-holes with a mic and camera. I think my response would be more like "Excuse me, who the hell are you? No, I don't want your tape measure or to be in your video. Piss off."

This is a non-issue. My thoughts on comfort: Yes, sitting with my legs further apart than straight ahead is a hell of a lot more comfortable than sitting with them perfectly straight. After a day at work my private area is sweaty & sticky & unpleasant. It really could use any extra room it could be afforded. Frankly, if it were socially permissible to open my fly to let some air in I'd strongly consider doing that too.

What's funny is this basically goes away if you just talk to people. "Would you mind giving me a bit more room, you're spread out quite a lot?" or "Could you move your bag so I can sit down, please?" is pretty non-confrontational and easily said. A nice man who will entertain being asked to measure the gap between his knees by some ass-hat can be asked by anyone else (amicably) to take up a little less space (if the situation actually requires it). Are people imagining that he's going to thump them in the face? What's going on here? Just talk. Employ social skills.

This is divisive bollocks that isn't likely to help anybody in any meaningful way. This pity-party with it's ugly tint of man-bashing should to be treated like the molehill that it is. If you genuinely can't ask nicely for a little consideration from your fellow passengers then you have bigger problems than "manspreading".

 

[bastardofmelbourne]

this is the dumbest goddamn forum topic I've seen in a while.

Not meaning to piss on the OT or anyone posting here, but seriously. Manspreading? for real.

just move your dang legs. goddamn.

 

[DocJ]

In my experience, it can get quite uncomfortable, to the point I'll either get up to fix it or just sneakily put my hand in my pocket and try to fix it that way. I never sit in a spreading position permanently, but I might just do it to detach everything and then go back to sitting normally. If I'm next to someone my behaviour kind of depends. If its a guy there's sort of that knowledge of 'hey, it happens' and they usually don't mind a quick spread to clear it all up for a bit as long as I have the same mentality. It's almost one of those unspoken rules among guys up here. When it's a girl, I simply tend not to do it. I might end up fidgeting a bit, but I won't outright invade her personal space just to make myself comfortable.

 

[Kaymish]

No i like wearing skirts and it is viewed as unseemly to spread your legs out when wearing a skirt even though i usually wear short tights underneath and i find it more comfortable to keep my legs together anyway