Interest in banning 'manspreading' is spreading

Submitted by Mastodon on Thu, 2015-01-08 22:10

Article here. Excerpt:

'San Francisco bus and train riders may soon get a new lesson in etiquette: Close your legs, dudes.

A New York City movement to stop men from spreading their legs wide to ensure more room on public transit is making its way to San Francisco, in an effort by local agencies to spread the word on basic politeness.

The practice, known as "manspreading," is where riders, typically men, block seats on either side while sitting in a wide, V-shaped slouch. New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority is launching a public-relations campaign against the practice. One new sign by the authority reads, "Dude... Stop the spread, please. It's a space issue."

Now, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will conduct a survey to see how Muni riders feel about manspreading, a possible precursor to a campaign of its own.

"As part of our strategic-plan goals, we are looking to do additional outreach regarding Muni etiquette," SFMTA spokesman Paul Rose said.'

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As an evil man who sometimes uses public transport, I've often given up my seat to a pregnant woman. I know. That's terrible of me, right?

At any rate, I've observed that as a woman progresses in her pregnancy, her belly gets larger, and to accommodate that growing belly, she often tends to sit with her legs spread. I suspect it's more comfortable. I wonder: do we need a campaign to tell pregnant women not to do this?

I note that we accommodate people in various ways. In my own state, transgenders are permitted to use the restroom of the gender they identify with, not the one they were born with. Thus, biological men who are transgender can use the ladies' restroom.

A man spreading his legs in this way is to accommodate his genitalia. Even now, I'm sitting with my legs slightly spread--to make room for you know what. Surely, if we can accommodate pregnant women and transgenders, we can accommodate men with their legs spread. But we all know some people are special and some people are not.

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Submitted by el cid on Fri, 2015-01-09 15:04

It used to be that when I was on public transportation, I would close up my legs.

But ever since men were singled out in this feminist inspired man hating hysteria, I man spread (because women spread too: they spread their handbags).

I now spread because I will do what other men are hounded for.

I want to feel the camaraderie with other men.

If I am told to put my legs together, I will lie and claim I had a vasectomy.

If only the stupid feminists had just been courteous... if only they had created a program that chastised ALL people (men and women) for taking up too much space. Then I would not be doing this now.

They wanted this. They got it.

http://www.newyorker.com/cartoons/daily-cartoon/daily-cartoon-friday-january-9th-subway-manspreading

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Submitted by ThomasI on Sat, 2015-01-10 14:11

Well, there are lots, but one big problem is they never think in terms of simple human interaction, such as asking someone to share the space. Instead, they pass a law and start huge campaign to target men. Laws and campaigns don't always have the desired result. Targeting men ignores the problems that women create, with big purses or bags of groceries. It creates resentment.

Culture can often do things that the law cannot. Most men will share the space if asked politely. Feminists never think that way: they believe men are evil and must be bullied into compliance. They would use a bulldozer to find a china cup.

Bully for you, Thomas.

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Submitted by el cid on Sat, 2015-01-10 14:37

Trivial pursuit is not the path to equity. Feminism is now battling the alleged scourge of men who take up too much space on public transit by spreading their legs? Not only is this selective male-shaming (social media users quickly noted that female riders are guilty of different-but-equal sins), it is also a comically petty grievance that could suggests the aggrieved have no real issues. Half of successful advocacy is knowing to pick one’s battles.

(i don't always agree with her, but i certainly do, in this instance.)

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Submitted by ErikaLancastor on Sat, 2015-01-10 19:39