Post: #1

My countermessage to the current feminist meme sweeping the internet is that the "problem" of men spreading their legs on public transit isn't an issue with male privilege to "assert themselves" into space, but an issue with female privilege over the entitlement to immunize themselves completely from body contact with strangers.

http://wp.me/p3rRQC-2Y
http://wp.me/p3rRQC-3a

In doing so, I dissect a shaming article by Jenny Block, a woman who would have to intentionally try to be more of an MGTOW ur-villain stereotype: open marriage, articles about slut-shaming and polyamory, and what looks like a lot of extra help in staving off the wall.

Comments and criticism are welcome, either here or on the blog. Does the message come across fluidly? Is there an aspect of it I should expand on?

Post: #2

If some dude pulled the spread legs move on you in the subway would you let them get away with that? Probably not. Those guys just do it on women and men they think they can dominate. I can see why that would be annoying.

It is a good idea to take up space and to have people respect the space you take up. The subway is not the best place for this though.

Women do pull the "take up an extra seat with the book bag" and "sit on the outside seat with an empty inside seat" moves. That is annoying in the abstract but it just means a free seat for me.

Post: #3

I've gotten annoyed by guys doing this shit too. I remember one in particular was doing some serious leg-spreading into my territory on a minivan while visa-running to Malaysia. First my sister was sitting next to him and kept getting shoved all over the place and later on we ended up switching spots on a bathroom break. From there I had to deal with it.

I don't even think he was doing it on purpose but every time he nodded off his knee was all up on me while I was trying to sleep. Whenever he woke me this way I slammed my knee into his to get him out of my space and even barked at him a couple times. I believe I gave him a couple wake-up jabs to the rib with my elbow too. By the time we got to the next bus change, I was a hair away from giving the guy a huge fucking dead leg as a legitimate wake-up call.

I was seriously short on sleep or I would have done something more assertive - as in say "listen motherfucker..." - but I was at the point where if he was to cap off back I probably would have unloaded on his face right there in the minivan, and I really didn't feel like bashing some guy's face in while I'm just trying to get a stamp in my visa.

Point being that while I didn't read the above article, I do agree that some guys really just don't get it.

Post: #4

The man version of shit test.

Post: #5

(09-19-2013 12:34 PM)Kingsley Davis Wrote:  The man version of shit test.

Sometimes, but not always. The man in the above story was incredibly oblivious to what was going on. I think it was a cultural thing - like how people from certain countries get up all in your grill when talking to you, as if they have no concept of personal space, and always look like they're yelling. It only happened when he was falling asleep but we were all in and out the whole way so it was a constant nuisance.

Post: #6

(09-19-2013 12:36 PM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

(09-19-2013 12:34 PM)Kingsley Davis Wrote:  The man version of shit test.

Sometimes, but not always. The man in the above story was incredibly oblivious to what was going on. I think it was a cultural thing - like how people from certain countries get up all in your grill when talking to you, as if they have no concept of personal space, and always look like they're yelling. It only happened when he was falling asleep but we were all in and out the whole way so it was a constant nuisance.

True, but nevertheless....First World Problem.

Post: #7

(09-19-2013 12:43 PM)Kingsley Davis Wrote:  

(09-19-2013 12:36 PM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

(09-19-2013 12:34 PM)Kingsley Davis Wrote:  The man version of shit test.

Sometimes, but not always. The man in the above story was incredibly oblivious to what was going on. I think it was a cultural thing - like how people from certain countries get up all in your grill when talking to you, as if they have no concept of personal space, and always look like they're yelling. It only happened when he was falling asleep but we were all in and out the whole way so it was a constant nuisance.

True, but nevertheless....First World Problem.

Yes, of course. Which was why I resisted getting violent.

Being a first-world problem doesn't cancel out the fact that it's rude and aggravating though. To be clear, I'm not talking about a guy's knees leaning up against mine - that I can live with. I'm talking about my own knees being pushed over out of my own seat. The mega-spread in an already-cramped van. Hard to describe if you haven't experienced something like that but it's enough to want to sock someone in the teeth.

Which is likely what a third-worlder would do if disrespected in that manner, by the way...So maybe bad manners aren't just a "problem" reserved for the first world after all...

Post: #8

Meanwhile in London...

This Game of Thrones Guy is getting slammed. Taking up too much space yo.

The title of the article: 'Castrate him!': Game Of Thrones star Richard Madden targeted online by angry women for sitting on Tube with legs too far apart

Post: #9

Daily Mail comments hilarious as always.

Post: #10

To be fair, most of the top comments for the DM article are having a go at feminists and people with so little life, that they have time to complain about this.

Post: #11

Should show some pictures of fat single mothers with baby carriages to see how much space they consume per person. Usually it's like 4 seats plus a large section of the aisle for 2 people.

Post: #12

1) Women don't carry a dick and two balls around between their legs...how would they know how much "space" a guy needs??

2) I don't get guys who cross their legs like women. I tried it once and it hurt.

Post: #13

(09-19-2013 02:13 PM)presidentcarter Wrote:  1) Women don't carry a dick and two balls around between their legs...how would they know how much "space" a guy needs??

2) I don't get guys who cross their legs like women. I tried it once and it hurt.

Exactly,

med do this primarily to space out the bits and pieces.


and men who cross their legs like women are typically homos or effeminate.

....(see Obama on the View)

Post: #14

If a guy came up with something similar, bashing women about some trivial habit they have, said guy would be labeled a "misogynist" and put on the Southern Poverty hate group list, and possibly lose his job for being a hater.

Post: #15

(09-19-2013 02:05 PM)Blaster Wrote:  Should show some pictures of fat single mothers with baby carriages to see how much space they consume per person. Usually it's like 4 seats plus a large section of the aisle for 2 people.

This. In the supermarket they use their enormous prams as battering rams. How much fucking stuff do you really need to take with you to look after one kid? Guys humping into battle carry less.

A fat chick last night was standing next to her trolley and completely blocked the ailse. Her arse was so fat she literally had a shelf back there. I could have fit a bottle of Jack on it without fear of it tipping over, no shit.

We need to start an 'Overweight Women Taking Up Too Much Space In Public' blog.

Post: #16

(09-19-2013 04:18 PM)AnonymousBosch Wrote:  This. In the supermarket they use their enormous prams as battering rams. How much fucking stuff do you really need to take with you to look after one kid? Guys humping into battle carry less.

Or on an airplane? Check the infographic about the differences between how men and women fly linked in Block's article. A big chunk of the problem is "shit women choose to haul with them."

Post: #17

What about fat women sitting next to me on the plane with their asses encroaching into my space? Plus taking up a seat that could be occupied by an attractive woman whom I'd want encroaching into my space.