Madrid cracks down on 'manspreading' on public transport

I am much taller than average, way above the 99th percentile. On public transportation and on planes, as a matter of fact, I occupy more space than most people. Sometimes seats are designed so that I cannot help but invade someone else&#x27;s space. Usually it takes just a second a tiny bit of common sense to ask someone to move a bit. Most often just eye contact is enough.<p>On the other hand I saw my fair share of jackasses on public transportation (feet over a seat, bringing in bikes during peak hours when it is explicitly forbidden, screaming on phone, drinking beer and then throwing the can on the floor, occupying more than one seat) and -- surprise surprise -- males and females were equally represented among jackasses.<p>This feminist trend of making up problems and sticking a &quot;male&quot; label on it really makes me sick!

There are so many things that are stupid about this, here is some examples:<p>1. IMHO this is directly sexist towards men. There are numerous socially awkward things you may do at a public transport. Why only crack down on one of them?<p>2. Even if manspreading would be an issue, which it is my belief that it is absolutely not, it would affect men more than women since men are generally speaking physically larger than women. Have anyone heard a man complain? EDIT: What I meant by this is that if this really was a problem, men would suffer more extensively from it.<p>3. This will most likely create the opposite effect and make more people spread their legs just because it is sexist in the first place.<p>EDIT 2:<p>Those who simply state that &quot;this is an issue&quot;. Have you ever actually asked the person in question if they could take up less room? This &quot;issue&quot; needs a sign just as much as &quot;women who places their handbags on other seats&quot; or &quot;dont stare at people intensively&quot; or &quot;dont dig out your nose in front of everyone&quot; or &quot;dont talk very loudly in the cellphone&quot; or &quot;dont play a music instrument&quot;. Also, since this is a it and startup related forum, where the fuck is the actual evidence that this is an issue?<p>If you would make a sign of every single bad behavior on a public transport, there would be no room for anything else. Just talk to people and if you are too afraid to, that itself is a way larger issue for you than people taking up too much space.<p>I know at least that if this would come in my hometown, I would manspread in every fucking ride.

Funny thing is, I see women taking up more space than they need about as often as men. Not with their legs spread wide, perhaps, but by sitting sidewise, or plopping their bag on a seat. It&#x27;s rude, but it&#x27;s not gender-specific. I mean, call it what you will, but I think pretending only men do it is only likely to make people treat this less seriously.<p>(And the sign doesn&#x27;t actually say man-spreading, so no real issue there)

Finally, the real societal issues are getting the attention they deserve.

There&#x27;s a reason men spread their legs: it&#x27;s hot down there, we need to cool it.<p>Also, how about shebagging? And all the other unacceptable behavior people have in public transportation? I&#x27;ve seen people clipping their nails, blasting music(?) on their phone, etc<p>We&#x27;re headed down a dangerous path with these regulations.

Curious if signs have any effect on behavior that the perpetrator probably already knows is rude.<p>Maybe it just works by allowing those seated next to them to point at the sign?

This is a bullshit issue. I take the bus and the subway almost every day and this never happens. I hate first world feminism.

It would be great to see tube tickets priced by weight as you step through the barriers. Lots of fat people and tourists (with bags) taking up room makes traveling on the tube much more uncomfortable than it needs to be.