Poll: Do You Manspread

[Saulkar]

Sooooo, I have recently seen a rise in discussion (internet cesspooling and maybe one news story) about the supposed problem of manspreading creating a crisis (hyperbole) of seating availability on public transports. Whenever this topic is brought up I constantly see people claiming that it is physiologically impossible for a man to not spread his legs lest he either crush his junk or ride them up his thighs, causing them to create a bulge in his pants. Leaving him open to sexual harassment. I have seen this argument raised time and time again with almost no alteration. This makes me believe that it is a snowclone argument, possibly a quote from a popular blogger/podcaster.

Furthermore, I have heard that the term is sexist as it excludes female spreaders from the argument but, from my personal observations, the most vocal pro manspreaders base almost all of their arguments upon the male physiology necessitating it. Soooo, does that make it a sexist term, I do not know.

I am asking because there does not seem to actually be any decent studies upon this phenomenon (that I can find) and it all appears to be hearsay at this point. Is it even a problem at all? I know personally that if I wanted a seat on a full bus and someone was consuming more than one without any evident need, I would be very hesitant to bother them. As a man with, ahem, normal assets I was not able to cause myself any discomfort by closing my legs together. Nor was I able to create any noticeable differences in the crotch of my pants while wearing jeans.

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

So let me know what you think, share any studies (if there are even any), and let me know of your own experiences. I have tried my best to be as neutral as possible but I just know that this is going to get ugly fast but my acknowledging it is not an invitation for such, far from it. For the love of God, at least try to be decent.

P.S. If popular consensus reads that the term is sexist, what term would you use instead of manspread? Would it be more prudent to simply use different terms for men and women?

 

[Zhukov]

Only if I have the seat to myself.

Spreading yourself out when you're sharing a seat is just rude. It'd be like stopping to tie your laces in a narrow corridor full of people. Which is of course exactly why some people do it. "Ohh, look at me, taking up all the space. What ya gonna do about it, huh?"

The guys who say it's physiologically necessary are either full of crap or need to see a doctor. (Or are desperately grasping for something to discredit a gender-based complaint, but let's not go there.) Sitting with your knees shoulder width apart without crushing your nuts is perfectly possible. I'm doing it right now.

 

[Saulkar]

If they're going to do a study on this, I recommend they also do one on the number of bags that inexplicably need their own seat on public transport, and whether the aforementioned bags get a reduced ticket rate, much like a small child.

That does not seem to be nearly a large a problem as people bringing musical instruments on the bus. I will drop the next person who tries to sneak a grand-piano on a bus. OK, it was only one of those small 20 key thingies you attach to a larger setup but it still decked me in the schnoz when he turned around.

 

[Barbas]

I sit with my legs apart and my hands lazily resting in my lap, when not sitting beside anyone, because it's more relaxing. On public transport, my legs are usually too long to point forward. If nobody else needs a seat, I'll also put my bag beside me so I don't have to carry it in my arms or put it on the sometimes filthy floor. I usually find it considerably more annoying when teenagers sit down a few seats away with their sh**ty tunes blasting through tinny Beats headphones.

I know of no reliable studies or peer-reviewed pieces on this particular hysteria. I avoid.

 

[Nemmerle]

No. It'd just seem like... what are you going to do? Snap your fingers and point to your groin?

HI DID YOU NOTICE MY GROIN? LOOK! I HAVE OPENED MY LEGS SO YOU MAY ADMIRE MY MAJESTY!

It's not like I nail my knees together, but really, come on. Have some modesty.

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

I am asking because there does not seem to actually be any decent studies upon this phenomenon (that I can find) and it all appears to be hearsay at this point. Is it even a problem at all?

There shouldn't be any studies, and no, there is no problem. 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. End of story. Taking up too much space on public transport is rude, no matter the gender or method. As someone who uses public transport on a regular basis, this phenomenon is equal on both sides. And it's usually more to do with bags than position. Why will people hold up to three different bags in their lap or on the seat next to them on the train when there's literally dozens of square meters of open storage space right above their heads! Hell, I could say I manspread purely on the basis that I'm an above average sized person, and therefore take up more seat space than is usually available.

If someone is clearly taking up more space than they need, and the [insert form of public transport] is clearly crowded, ask them to move over. If they refuse, you have my permission to call them a ****. Anyone who gives this term any more legitimacy by taking it seriously should be slapped.

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

Generally no, but that's because I've taken the bus precisely once in the 12 years since I got my license and a job to put fuel in my car. Public transport is vital and I use it under sufferance but I make sure I'm polite about my seating or standing arrangement when I do.

I am asking because there does not seem to actually be any decent studies upon this phenomenon (that I can find) and it all appears to be hearsay at this point. Is it even a problem at all?

There shouldn't be any studies, and no, there is no problem. 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. End of story. Taking up too much space on public transport is rude, no matter the gender or method. As someone who uses public transport on a regular basis, this phenomenon is equal on both sides. And it's usually more to do with bags than position. Why will people hold up to three different bags in their lap or on the seat next to them when there's literally dozens of square meters of open storage space right above their heads! Hell, I could say I manspread purely on the basis that I'm an above average sized person, and therefore take up more seat space than is usually available.

If someone is clearly taking up more space than they need, and the [insert form of public transport] is clearly crowded, ask them to move over. If they refuse, you have my permission to call them a ****. Anyone who gives this term any more legitimacy by taking it seriously should be slapped.

No bus I've ever been on outside of interstate travel buses have ever had storage space above them. It's the lap or the seat or the floor.

 

[Michel Henzel]

I'm sitting normally and relaxing my legs, so I'm manspreading as fuck right now. But since I'm not exceeding the width of my body, as in my knees going past my shoulders, I'm not taking up any more space.

 

[Phasmal]

No, I generally sit with my legs crossed.
I think my boyfriend does a bit, not because of the 'mah ballz' excuse, but because on our buses the seats are too close together for him to sit with his knees together.

I don't think it's an explicitly gendered thing, but young girls are often taught to sit with their legs closed, whereas dudes are not really taught that, so that may be why men tend to do it more.
Honestly I think this is something that's made a bigger deal of people reacting to it than the people who brought it up in the first place. It's often used to discredit feminists as not caring about important things, where really it's not something that's really a big deal anywhere.

Though I will make a bad manners admission: I put my bag on the seat next to me.
Only if there are other seats on the bus. When it starts to get the point where people are having to look around for seats, I'll put my bag on my lap. But if the bus isn't very full, bag is going on the seat. Why? Because I attract nutters. Don't know why, but I do. And they all want to sit next to me.

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

No bus I've ever been on outside of interstate travel buses have ever had storage space above them. It's the lap or the seat or the floor.

Whoops, I dun goofed. These days about 95% of my public transport travel is by train, where there is storage space, so I automatically thought of that. Fixed it now.

 

[Silvanus]

No. I usually cross my legs, actually, which I suppose is the opposite of "manspreading".

There's nothing about male physiology that requires it. That's bollocks (pun unintended).

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

No bus I've ever been on outside of interstate travel buses have ever had storage space above them. It's the lap or the seat or the floor.

Whoops, I dun goofed. These days about 95% of my public transport travel is by train, where there is storage space, so I automatically thought of that. Fixed it now.

That's fair. There's no trains in my town but the ones I have used in Melbourne I do recall having overhead storage.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

I am not stupid, I adjust myself to suit the needs of the environment. If the environment allows me to spread my legs, I'm spreading my legs (it's just better). If it doesn't... Well, I'll probably stand. My legs are too damn long to be comfortable on buses and planes with my knees pointed directly forward, they'll often be wedged against the seat in front if I try.

The solution to this was to get a car. I do not miss buses one bit.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

I ride a motorbike. It's a safety requirement to pinch your legs as hard against the fuel tank as possible. Better control. On the rare occasions I have to ride the bus, I'm not journeying that far to begin with (live pretty much 100 metres from Central station, in Sydney) and the buses are usually so crowded that standing, or an aisle seat, are pretty much the only options that you have.

Being comfortable is rarely an option and it's mostly; "Don't spread and be an arse ..."

Spreading out just guarantees you'll get bumped about as people file in and off, or just annoy random strangers, for the sake of fuck all. It's not like you're going to be onboard for longer than 20 minutes, and if you are ... it's either quicker to take the bike, or faster to walk ... the latter often being the case if I'm just walking down to the Chinatown for some yum cha.

If I have to go to Circular Quay or Wynyard, City Circle line is quicker than buses and less full.

To be fair, I live in a pretty fantastic place. Trains suck in Sydney, buses are certainly better for 80% of the places outside the inner city ... but for me personally, buses are kind of pointless given I have the motorbike. IF I'm leaving the city and it's a place that is within the 4 business hubs, trains. If I'm leaving Sydney and going to a less serviced suburb, I can still find parking for my bike.

But whether bus or train ... most of the time you're not really riding them long enough to justify any minute idea of comfort.

 

[Breakdown]

I normally sit at the back of the bus so I can rest my feet on the seats facing towards me.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

I don't do public transportation, so no I don't.

 

[Loop Stricken]

I'm a tall man with long legs, it's somewhat of a necessity.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

If there's room to spread out, I spread out. If the bus/train/whatever is crowded and someone needs to sit next to me then I un-spread and put up with the discomfort until I can spread out again.

 

[Mr. Matt]

I would say that it depends on the trousers one is wearing. When donning denim, I find that if I don't have wide-angle legs, I get uncomfortable... bunching. With regular trousers it's less of an issue. I do avoid doing so when in close proximity to other people - not out of any sense of politeness, but more because I just don't want to catch leg diseases off strangers. That's a thing, right?

My first post on this forum is about my groin. Start as you mean to go on, I guess.