There are pairs of seats that face each other, making four in all. I’ve seen guys sit in such a way that they take up three of the four seats, by extending their arms and legs.
I’d never worried about it either, but now I do :eek: . Okay, not really; I usually stand.
On the LRT here in Edmonton, the seats are very obviously either wide enough for two people (not one, not three) or for three people (not two, not four). This so-called “manspreading” is a non-issue because we really like our personal space up here.
You know what is a problem though? Perfume. Let’s campaign against that, instead.
That train isn’t even crowded, you can see an empty seat in the reflection behind the woman, so that author clearly just wanted to bitch about something that wasn’t even a problem. I ride the NYC subway every day, if it’s not crowded, I don’t give a crap how much space you take up. But when it’s a rush hour train and we are packed in like sardines, I **will **squeeze in next to a spreader. He’s not getting two (or three! I often see them using three seats!) when the rest of us are crushed so tightly together that we don’t even have to hold on to anything.
Now how about starting a campaign against the fuckwads who sit on the stairs going out of the subway and don’t move even when hundreds of people are trying to exit? I always purposefully knock into them. A couple months ago I was in a packed train when it got to a major stop, and tons of people all got out and had to exit up one staircase, which is about the width of four people. **Two **girls were sitting on those steps next to each other, creating a crazy bottleneck, and they could not give one crap. So I just put my hand on one of their shoulders and kind of vaulted over her head, making sure the brunt of my weight was on her. The other people walking up the stairs were pretty impressed.
From the article:
"those men who spread their legs wide, into a sort of V-shaped slouch, effectively occupying two, sometimes even three, seats "
What, are these guys doing the splits or something? Just how flexible are they? I’m 5’8" and weigh 190, and when I sit naturally, my “manspread” barely matches the width of my chair.
That’s beautiful! Followed. 
It’s so good to know that we’re officially out of real problems and we can finally get on with the “Sitting Police” campaign we’ve been putting off for so long!
Now that there son is an epic whoosh!
The internet and specifically social media. All of a sudden people got the mistaken belief that the rest of the world gave a shit about their opinion.
My doctor says you gotta air 'em out at least twice a week.
Do you have a mouth and vocal chords? Because I think I might have a solution for you.
Step 1: Ask “some dude” to flop his wang off to the side so he can close his legs.
Step 2: Sit.
My 10th grade biology teacher had a problem with that posture when he had to look at the students in the amphitheatre style (tiered seating) lecture room. He was always telling the dudes to close their legs. I hadn’t heard about that pet peeve since last Sunday’s “New York Times” article, many decades later.
I don’t pay THAT much attention to other men, but most that I notice do use the “spread.” It is also possible to sit ON the genitals or have them yanked up over the top of the thigh or abdomen- that does put some strain on my scrotum, though.
I prefer the style of clothing that places mine in between my legs, rather than behind them or on top. So maybe that’s my issue. When I was younger and wore a different style of underwear, I often hand problems with them getting stuck behind my legs while walking. So i switched.
LOL, you have it backwards. When the boys get too warm down there they tend to drop, it’s at that point they’re sort of all over the place. This is when men tend to spread to keep from crowding them.
Plus, having your ballsack stuck to the side of your thigh like Velcro (from sweat) is NOT comfortable.
The guy may have 3 or more balls dangling down there and definitely needs the space. How inconsiderate can you be?
When I was doing yoga regularly, my hips were pretty flexible, but I never would have been able to do this: http://mentakingup2muchspaceonthetrain.tumblr.com/image/86923440829. I think he must have a special training regimen to get that kind of spread.
I see that kind of spread a lot, especially from the wannabe gangstas who are also too dumb to pick correct pant sizes or know how to use a belt.
That … doesn’t even look comfortable.
Horse shit.
I was born with those parts, too.
There’s nothing remotely uncomfortable with knees-together sitting, or with knee-over thigh leg-crossing for that matter. If there is, get some useful underwear.
I’m tempted to carry a cane and use it to whack people in their exposed crotchal regions if they don’t restrict their legroom to their share of the damn subway seat.
I think a lot of the kerfuffle is from people who would rather post online than have a little bravery to interact with fellow human beings in the real world. Every time I’ve seen this happen on a crowded train or subway, if I go up and smile and ask if I can sit next to them, they always close their legs and give me a seat. Even the “scary gangbanger-looking” folks will usually look embarrassed and then close their legs.
I’m sure there must be assholes who won’t close their legs for anything short of a rap with an umbrella on their testicles, but I’ve never met them.
Edited: spelling
Stop making sense, please. 
I’m sure it varies.
I know that, for me, when I sit down, the natural position my legs fall into is with knees just slightly farther about than the width of my shoulders. Which actually works out fine in most scenarios, since the shoulder width is not negotiable anyway.
I can close my legs without any pain, but I do feel pressure there, and I do need to use a little muscular action to keep them closed. While it’s no major inconvenience, it is certainly less comfortable than having my legs open a little bit.
Sitting with my legs crossed (knee on top of knee, the way a woman would) is outright uncomfortable, verging on painful. I suppose I could adjust my parts into a position that isn’t crushing them, but do you really want to watch me adjust myself on the train? No, I didn’t think so.
If I cross my legs ankle on knee style like men more often do, then I’m taking up slightly more space than the natural, slightly legs open position I described at the beginning.
And, while I’m a bit overweight at the moment, I haven’t found this to change my experience much. In my svelte high school and college days, it would have been the same answer.