One woman shared a photo online of a male passenger encroaching on what little space she had on an airplane. It’s a common scene you’ll find on any kind of public transport.
Some suggest there may be a scientific reason why men sit with their legs spread apart.
Spinal neurosurgeon John Sutcliffe told The Independent that manspreading has more to do with physiology than poor manners.
“I suspect most men would suggest the reason for adopting the more spread posture in sitting, would be the avoidance of testicular compression from the thigh muscles,” he said. “The pelvic rotation goes some way to improve compression in both aspects.”
That said, some men take it to an absurd extreme, making transport uncomfortable for others.
What Did The Picture Show?
The woman posted the picture on a Reddit thread, adding, “this was how a four-hour flight went today. I am a 5’8’’ female.”
According to Your Tango, “in the image, the woman’s legs are uncomfortably wedged between the seat in front of her and the leg of a male passenger seated next to her.”
“The male passenger, however, appears to have plenty of room in front of him since his legs are sprawled on either side of him, intruding on the space of the passengers next to him.”
Many Believed The Man Was Rude
The physiology of the male body aside, most users believed that the man in the photo was obnoxious.
“The dude in that photo is a jerk,” one person said. “Unless you’re less than 48 hours out of a vasectomy, there’s no reason to be manspreading like that.”
A second added, “this guy is actively spreading his legs with his phone positioned between them. Like, why?”
A third suggested that “a hard bump to the right” would alleviate the situation.
Where Did The Term "Manspreading" Come From?
Metro reported “one of the first instances of the word appeared in Urban Dictionary in 2010. It continued to be used more widely since then.”
In 2014, New York’s MTA started an anti- manspreading campaign. Signs on trains read, “Dude… stop the spread. Please. It’s a space issue.”
Others Shared Similar Experiences
A flight to Los Angeles from New York was a “struggle” for one Reddit user, owing to being tall.
A second said, “I’ll lock my knees straight forward into the seat in front of me. It makes the person in front of me unable to recline more than an inch or two, but it’s fair to my immediate neighbors.”
A third added, “I’m 5’5” and even I get SO agitated and cramped up after an hour. I usually end up crisscross applesauce if nobody is beside me or with my knees to my chest with my feet on my chair.”