
Madrid cracks down on 'manspreading' on public transport - skbohra123
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40233435
======
zakk
I am much taller than average, way above the 99th percentile. On public
transportation and on planes, as a matter of fact, I occupy more space than
most people. Sometimes seats are designed so that I cannot help but invade
someone else's space. Usually it takes just a second a tiny bit of common
sense to ask someone to move a bit. Most often just eye contact is enough.

On the other hand I saw my fair share of jackasses on public transportation
(feet over a seat, bringing in bikes during peak hours when it is explicitly
forbidden, screaming on phone, drinking beer and then throwing the can on the
floor, occupying more than one seat) and -- surprise surprise -- males and
females were equally represented among jackasses.

This feminist trend of making up problems and sticking a "male" label on it
really makes me sick!

~~~
genofon
Yours is a totally different issue, here we are talking about people occupying
much more than the space they need and invading other people personal space.

I am bother by this behavior and I feel it should something people learn when
they are kids, not something I should ask for.

~~~
zakk
People may invade your personal space for many reasons: because they are
taller than average, because they may be commuting for a long time and need to
move their legs a bit, because they simply forgot or think about something
else, because they come from different cultures with a different culture of
what is personal space (try using public transportation in Beijing and then in
Tokyo), or because they are assholes.

I think that we can just try to be humans and ask, it's not really a big deal.
As I said even eye contact is enough most often, is it so difficult.

There's no need to start a war, leave along a pointless, sexist war like the
proponents of the term "manspreading" are doing.

~~~
genofon
I guess I disagree on your arbitrary definition of "human", but this is a bit
off topic.

This campaign is teaching people how they should ask, which is much more
efficient and effective that asking one person at the time (moreover if you
are the only one ask chanses are you will be seen as an unreasonable person on
the train).

For the sexiest part I think it's laughable,as they are not suggesting it's a
problem with all men, but that is prominent in men, which for my experience
it's true. Btw also their claim as "manspreading" being sexiest is laughable
in my opinion, but I agree that it should be stopped (and I am a male).

------
staticelf
There are so many things that are stupid about this, here is some examples:

1\. IMHO this is directly sexist towards men. There are numerous socially
awkward things you may do at a public transport. Why only crack down on one of
them?

2\. Even if manspreading would be an issue, which it is my belief that it is
absolutely not, it would affect men more than women since men are generally
speaking physically larger than women. Have anyone heard a man complain? EDIT:
What I meant by this is that if this really was a problem, men would suffer
more extensively from it.

3\. This will most likely create the opposite effect and make more people
spread their legs just because it is sexist in the first place.

EDIT 2:

Those who simply state that "this is an issue". Have you ever actually asked
the person in question if they could take up less room? This "issue" needs a
sign just as much as "women who places their handbags on other seats" or "dont
stare at people intensively" or "dont dig out your nose in front of everyone"
or "dont talk very loudly in the cellphone" or "dont play a music instrument".
Also, since this is a it and startup related forum, where the fuck is the
actual evidence that this is an issue?

If you would make a sign of every single bad behavior on a public transport,
there would be no room for anything else. Just talk to people and if you are
too afraid to, that itself is a way larger issue for you than people taking up
too much space.

I know at least that if this would come in my hometown, I would manspread in
every fucking ride.

~~~
CarolineW
> _Even if manspreading would be an issue, which it is my belief that it is
> absolutely not, ..._

This leads me to believe that you haven't actually see it in action, and I
wonder how much you travel on public transport. Absolutely it is a problem - I
can't tell you how often my physical space has been unnecessarily "spread
into" by this sort of thing.

> ... _it would affect men more than women since men are generally speaking
> physically larger than women._

My observation is that men simply don't "manspread" into another man's space.
It's very much a dominance thing. It's ugly, it's obnoxious, and it's
borderline threatening.

I have no faith that this initiative will have any effect, but it most
definitely is an issue.

~~~
staticelf
I have seen it in action and said "excuse me" when I sat down. He made room
for me. Would you believe that?

~~~
CarolineW
I have seen people sit next to a manspreader, said "Excuse me," and been
completely ignored, thereby being forced either to push them physically, or
shrink away from them.

Would you believe that?

Not everyone is happy with asking someone who is encroaching on their space to
move. You may feel this isn't a problem. My observations tell me it is.

Would you believe that?

~~~
staticelf
Yes I would believe that. But I would not believe it is the case that is a
societal problem that needs a sexist sign.

------
mnx
Funny thing is, I see women taking up more space than they need about as often
as men. Not with their legs spread wide, perhaps, but by sitting sidewise, or
plopping their bag on a seat. It's rude, but it's not gender-specific. I mean,
call it what you will, but I think pretending only men do it is only likely to
make people treat this less seriously.

(And the sign doesn't actually say man-spreading, so no real issue there)

------
bottled_poe
Finally, the real societal issues are getting the attention they deserve.

------
Alkah
There's a reason men spread their legs: it's hot down there, we need to cool
it.

Also, how about shebagging? And all the other unacceptable behavior people
have in public transportation? I've seen people clipping their nails, blasting
music(?) on their phone, etc

We're headed down a dangerous path with these regulations.

~~~
albertgoeswoof
what is shebagging? Sounds like we should stop coining phrases like these that
fuel debate on sexism

~~~
DanieI
It's the practice by a female passenger on public transport of placing a bag
on the seat next to them.

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tyingq
Curious if signs have any effect on behavior that the perpetrator probably
already knows is rude.

Maybe it just works by allowing those seated next to them to point at the
sign?

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razenha
This is a bullshit issue. I take the bus and the subway almost every day and
this never happens. I hate first world feminism.

~~~
mobiplayer
Because you're probably the one spreading. I am a man and I suffer it all the
time, including in fucking flights.

------
albertgoeswoof
It would be great to see tube tickets priced by weight as you step through the
barriers. Lots of fat people and tourists (with bags) taking up room makes
traveling on the tube much more uncomfortable than it needs to be.

~~~
mcv
It's not a weight issue. Many manspreaders aren't particularly fat, they just
try to take up as much space as possible.

