Post: #1

Few things seem to get the feminist hamster worked up more than the fact that men take up more space on the subway. This fatty decided to "do something" about it.

   

Highlights below.

Full story here.

TL;DR version: Pregnant-looking fatty runs "experiment" for a weekend, spreading her nasty FUPA over several seats. Feels empowered. Comes to the conclusion that the solution to the "problem" is to start a public campaign with signs (i.e., for men to solve the problem).

Quote:Why Do Guys Spread Their Legs When Sitting on the Subway? My Weekend of Sitting Like a Man
Gabrielle Moss

There are only a few sure things we can count on in this crazy, ever-changing world: The moon’s regal orbit around the earth. The gentle change of the seasons. And the fact that, on any given subway car, there will be at least one man with his legs spread across multiple seats.

A problem as frustrating as it is mysterious, the man who takes up multiple seats on public transit with his splayed-out legs inspires all sorts of questions among his fellow riders: Is the leg-spreader exercising his male privilege, or, as some defenders would have you believe, merely attending to the unique spatial requirements of his balls? Is he blocking off empty seats to his left and his right with his knees out of obliviousness, or passive-aggressive malice?

I’m certainly not the first to spill digital ink addressing the phenomenon — men taking up too much room on crowded trains has been the focus of a Turkish feminist Twitter campaign; the subject matter of the Tumblr Men Taking Up Too Much Space on the Train that attracted viral attention last year, with one user even catching a picture of the King of the North, Games of Thrones actor Richard Madden, in the act; and the inspiration behind another particularly awesome Tumblr, Saving Room for Cats.

....

I decided, for the length of one weekend, to become a slouch-and-spreader. To truly understand the phenomenon, I decided I’d act like the worst examples I had encountered in my own commuting life: I wouldn’t budge for a knee nudge or exasperated expression. I would hold my ground. I would embody the worst of slouch-and-spread assholery to the letter. I would try very hard to imagine that I had balls, and that those balls were desperate for air. And by the end of the weekend, I hoped to understand what made the slouch-and-spreaders slouch and spread.

....

And then, as my weekend wore on, a funny thing happened: I registered the fear and displeasure of strangers less and less. I went from faking being absorbed in my book as I maintained a nervously wide stance, to actually being absorbed in my book, forgetting that my legs were splayed out like I was holding a beach ball between my knees.

In other words, I became unconscious of my own manufactured privilege. As people viewed my leg spread as an act of aggression and possible instability and steered clear of me, I slowly began to stop even noticing them.

....

By the end of the weekend, I felt immensely confident, and also profoundly ashamed. I was horrified at myself for having capitalized on the very terror of aggressive strangers on the subway that I myself had felt so many times. But God, it was so easy to act like a dick on the subway! How could we possibly get people to stop slouch-and-spreading when it was this easy to do and this scary to stand up against?

If people were afraid to call me out on the subway, then urging people to potentially risk life and limb confronting slouch-and-spreaders on their own isn’t the answer. To make any progress on this issue, we can’t demand that individuals take the lead themselves — we need a public shaming campaign undertaken by the transit system itself. Technically, taking up multiple seats can already net you a $50 fine in New York City (though I’ve never personally seen one given). So why doesn’t the city create some subway ads to let us know?

(continues.)

   

And, just in case you're wondering:

   

Post: #2

Never understood why women complain about this

Men don't take up as much room on the Subway as they give up their seat ten times more often than women do

Post: #3

Have these people not got anything better to do? Life is so easy going people such as this lady, have to find trivial things to do to keep themselves occupied.

Post: #4

Post: #5

If the biggest issue in your life right now is that men need to spread their legs a bit on public transit so they nuts don't get suffocated, it's safe to say you're in a pretty good spot

Post: #6

The reason no one, even an alpha dude, would call her out on this behaviour because she is so damn snarky, unfeminine and fat/ugly to sit next to.

Also what is the point of this little experiment of hers...what does she hope to accomplish...she could have spent her time working on losing that gut and fixing up her attitude on life.

Post: #7

If someone is blocking you seat, why not just fucking say "Excuse me, you're blocking my seat?"

Post: #8

Quote:And then, as my weekend wore on, a funny thing happened: I registered the fear and displeasure of strangers less and less.

This is the real highlight of the story... she established a dominant position and felt more dominant as a result.

Fake it till you make it and the importance of body language in game... unknowingly demonstrated by some whiny chick.

Post: #9

   

Post: #10

This woman is an idiot. It all comes down to common sense. If there aren't many people on the subway then sit anyway you like. If it's rush hour and the subway is packed, be mindful of others. Simple as that.

Post: #11

I refuse to accept the premise, that men inconsiderately take up more space. Without data, why should I think the perception is anything other than confirmation bias? If you set out to spot and photograph men taking up more room, that's what you'll see.

But also, what's so 'aggressive' about spreading out on a nearly-empty subway car? Is she retarded?

Post: #12

She doesn't have a cock and balls, so she couldn't possibly know what it's like to have to have the squeezed between legs.

Post: #13

(08-14-2014 01:01 PM)Ryre Wrote:  But also, what's so 'aggressive' about spreading out on a nearly-empty subway car? Is she retarded?

Come on, man. That's too logical for the hamster. It has to be about "male privilege" and then "raging" against it in her own words.

Post: #14

Meanwhile, no mention of the glaringly obvious fact that fat people take up much more space in aggregate than the odd man who sits with his leg spread out.

Perhaps that would be a good RoK/Twitterbomb counter to this nonsense: a campaign decrying fat people riding public transit for taking up too much space through abuse of their "fat privilege".

Post: #15

Women usually take up two seats with their bags. Sometimes I see women carrying like 3 purses plus shopping bags on the train, sometimes taking up two whole extra seats.

Women sure are great about complaining though...

Post: #16

(08-14-2014 01:06 PM)scorpion Wrote:  Meanwhile, no mention of the glaringly obvious fact that fat people take up much more space in aggregate than the odd man who sits with his leg spread out.

Perhaps that would be a good RoK/Twitterbomb counter to this nonsense: a campaign decrying fat people riding public transit for taking up too much space through abuse of their "fat privilege".

I dealt with this in the past week. I get on the plane and there is an obese women sitting in the seat next to me with the arm rest up. I sigh loudly as I sit down. She was old, so I didn't go ape shit on her.

Technically, most airlines require an obese person to buy two seats. You can pull up the airlines regulations on your phone for "passengers of size" and call a supervisor if you are stuck next to a fatty.

Post: #17

Another reason not to ride the subway. I also like how both pictures show her sitting on an empty train.

If you're in NYC, weather permitting, ride a bike.

I hate the fucking subway even more now.

Boo this 'womyun'.

Post: #18

Women in America have it so rough... Having to endure guys sitting with a sort of wide posture on subway cars. ='C




Meanwhile...

Post: #19

The solution to this terrible problem is obvious: women should invent, finance, build and operate their own subway system, instead of riding the oppressive patriarchal rape train.

Post: #20

How poignant that her solution to this "crisis" is public shaming.

Public shaming you say? Hmmm...I think there's some irony in there somewhere...

If she really wants to go there, surely there's something, some MINUTE little discrepancy that we men can conjure up, that we can publicly shame as well...what would that little something be?...

Post: #21

(08-14-2014 01:23 PM)thedude3737 Wrote:  How poignant that her solution to this "crisis" is public shaming.

Public shaming you say? Hmmm...I think there's some irony in there somewhere...

If she really wants to go there, surely there's something, some MINUTE little discrepancy that we men can conjure up, that we can publicly shame as well...what would that little something be?...

I doubt any woman has the balls to publicly shame a man. A moment like that to throw out some douchebag bombs would be so entertaining.

Ironically, no one seems to want to call out a guy that has 100 lbs on you.

Post: #22

This is almost a right of passage for at woman whom wants to dip into the Rad-Feminist waters. The two dubious issues which keep society at a stand still under the oppressive patriarchy is that men can pee standing up freely while women are oppressed to sit, and that men taking up public space and encroaching on a woman's space perpetuates rape culture and hostility towards women by marginalizing their ability to occupy free and public space.

I wish I made that barf up but I've heard that non-sense come out of a woman's mouth before and she was dead serious in believing what she said.

Post: #23

Which gender takes up more space on the bathroom counter? In the closets? Women.

Which gender takes more time off from work? Women.

Has a woman ever given up her seat on the subway as a courtesy to a young or middle-aged man? No.

They hypocrisy would be almost comical, if it were not so deadly earnest.

Post: #24

She looks pregnant. No-one's going to tell a pregnant woman to move. Lose the gut then try again.

Quote:Of course, taking up more than one seat is not the same thing as sexual assault.

Correct. Article over.

Quote:Public transit, like all public spaces, is a cultural battleground, and what goes on there sets the tone for the cultural standards at play in the rest of our lives. It’s worth it to make that space as welcoming and comfortable as possible for all people.

But not a welcoming or comfortable space for men who want to sit naturally, of course.

"I'd hate myself if I had that kind of attitude, if I were that weak." - Arnold

Post: #25

Quote:Is the leg-spreader exercising his male privilege...?

Yet if we call out leg-spreaders exercising their female privilege, they say that we're slut-shaming.