Is Manspreading A Crime? Arrest Of New York Men On Train Etiquette Charges Sparks Debate

[Purveyor]

New York police documents have revealed two Latino men were arrested for the crime of "manspreading" on a train, leading to debate over whether or not the social offence should be treated as a crime.

Manspreading is a term that originated online to describe men taking up too much space on the train by spreading their legs wide, while seated.

The arrests were revealed as part of the Police Reform Organising Project's report on racism and class prejudice in the NYPD, the ABC has reported.

The incident was debated on the TODAY Show this morning, though most of the discussion focused on public transport etiquette rather than the racial aspect of the case.

Manspreading has been the subject of a campaign by New York transport authorities, including signs on trains.

Read more at http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/06/02/09/35/first-men-arrested-for-manspreading-in-new-york#2vqqET1EEMu1vkpC.99

[HassleCat]

1. Jerk=Criminal?

I suppose they ask offenders to make room for other passengers. I'm assuming they don't just slap the cuffs on every guy with his legs spread out. If someone asks you to make room, and you refuse, then I say, "Hell yes!"

[TheCount_]

139. I say hell yes, too!

I used to live in New York. I am not a big or tall guy, so this affected me. It is really a not so subtle form of bullying. These bullies think they can push people around in their not so subtle ways. I also think it is offensive. Women don't want to see a man "spreading." It is uncouth and a veiled form of sexism. Just because you can do it, does not mean you should. I don't live in NYC anymore, but I sincerely hope there are more police on the trains. They should nudge every man who does this. It will also help keep other riders safe from all the other nonsense happening on the trains.

[gopiscrap]

142. Welcome to DU

[TheCount_]

143. Thanks.

Glad to be here. Didn't mean to rant so much on a first post.

[niyad]

2. hmm, a cup of hot coffee. . .oooooppps!! a pair of stilettos---ooops.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

6. Why violently assault someone?

[Cali_Democrat]

7. It's a joke

genius.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

11. I know it's not to be taken seriously (mot unlike your indignation) but I'm still curious to know

why such a non-issue would garner such a reaction. It has the vibe of recommending Molotov cocktails as a remedy for hanging the toilet paper the wrong way on the spindle.

[Dorian Gray]

13. I ride the subways daily

and I feel rage well up inside me at least 3 times a week. On a crowded subway when someone is hogging so much space, they're essentially giving off the vibe that their comfort is much more important than anybody else's.

And while I would never actually stick a stilletto in their leg or spill my newly purchased scalding hot coffee on them, I would have murderous ragey thoughts run through my head the whole while I was standing near them while they were taking up multiple spots. Especially if children or a pregnant woman were standing near them. Which happens quite often.

I'm a New Yorker, I feel rage regularly, and I'm proud of it!

[Nuclear Unicorn]

15. A poster downthread reports almost the opposite.

[Dorian Gray]

17. Well

two different takes. She/he said that she/he doesn't see it if the rider is conscious. (I assume meaning not asleep or passed out.) Rush hour is precarious. And while the majority of riders are polite, all it take is for one self involved jerk in a car to piss off a lot of people. it happens. More than it should. Multiple times a week, in my case. (I ride the subway at least two times a day. I'm bound to get pissed off.)

And driving? Yes, I also suffer road rage, especially when driving in NYC. Anywhere near tunnels or bridges at rush hour. (Which is why I choose to take the subway. Less rage.)

[KittyWampus]

63. 99.999% do it to take up room. It's worse than putting his luggage on the seat

to take up space because the luggage isn't part of his body.

[GreatGazoo]

18. As a NYer you should know that "Energy attracts like energy"

You put out an angry vibe, you attract angry people. etc.

Rage is an addiction for some but don't hang that on "NYers". Most of the people I know here, especially those who were born here, are very good at dealing with crowds and the small slights that come from being around hundreds of people who all have their own agendas and tunnel vision.

I have seen arguments over who gets to help another person and I saw a guy on crutches stand up to give his seat to a pregnant woman and she wouldn't take it -- he says "how would I feel if you fell down?" she says "I'm fine you keep the seat."

I'm a New Yorker (too) and the small stuff is 'water off a duck'.

[Dorian Gray]

152. Of course there are good people

Dude, I don't argue with people or rant at anyone. Sometimes I rant to myself if I'm alone in a car. But I'm not a fool.

And when I was pregnant, I was shocked by all the positive attention people gave me daily.

But, there are still selfish/entitled people whose comfort/time is more important to them than anybody else. Everyone in NYC can see it. It makes me angry. Selfish people suck. (I always give up my seat for kids, pregnant women, people on crutches, older people, etc. And if the train is getting crowded, I often won't take a seat as to let someone who may be more tired than I am take it. That's why people who selfishly take up more than one seat annoy me.)

[phil89]

29. Wow get some help

that is concerning.

[geek tragedy]

56. man, it really bothers you when women talk back at men, doesn't it?

so much so you want to have them institutionalized and drugged.

[closeupready]

58. lol, hysterical. (Are you here all week?)

[geek tragedy]

59. still bitter that your fellow traveler Pab got the boot for being

a raging misogynist?

[closeupready]

60. lol

[yeoman6987]

81. I'm glad I drive to work and don't have to put up with this

Who needs that in their life. Driving is better for the experience.

[Dorian Gray]

151. Driving in

traffic ridden situations has the blood pressure raising moments, too!

Waiting in a long line of traffic for the Brooklyn Bridge only to have others going in the left lane cut in front of you at the last minute! That type of thing.

You know, when I speak of rage, it's more hyperbolic. I get angry. I've ranted at times to myself. But, mostly, I get annoyed at the entitled attitudes so many people exhibit. People who have suitcases on subway seats, not making room for others. People who think that their comfort is more important than anyone else. People on crutches getting on train only to be ignored by healthy younger people in seats... usually staring in the other direction pretending they don't see them.

Leaving fast food bags on floor of train.

You really just have to take a deep breath and move on.

[Taitertots]

24. Why? Do you think burning someones's genitals is funny?

[closeupready]

26. Some here think castration is funny. And male circumcision.

Not sure if there's a term for it, but admittedly, sometimes - in a certain context - sexist jokes are funny.

On the other hand, the post to which you reply seems to be a sexist punchline in search of the required but missing set-up.

Some here who hate men hide behind 'social justice warrior' while sniping.

[geek tragedy]

39. Averagejoe90 couldn't have said it

any better than the last paragraph.
The old "feminists hate men" canard from the Men's Rights crowd.

[geek tragedy]

51. 1. Rush Limbaugh agrees with your opinion on such matters.

Though he's at least entertaining when using words like "Feminazi" rather than your rather milquetoast and trite whining about feminism (your fellow travelers have been using that line since women demanded the right to vote).


2. I am a man. A man is a human male who has matured beyond the physical and mental state of being a boy. Criticizing childish behavior in men is not being anti-man. Perhaps you should reflect as to why you are confused on this subject.

[LostOne4Ever]

57. Are you really saying all feminist hate men is a fact?

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]Am I really seeing this comment on DU?

Between this and the thread on Graham, I really am losing faith in the liberalism of the average DU'er.[/font]

[geek tragedy]

62. we have a few MRAs on the board here.

they like to drop that canard and complain about how "Social justice warriors" or "SJWs" are oppressing them.

[Comrade Grumpy]

132. I think we have more people that yell "MRA" at every opportunity than actual MRAs.

[geek tragedy]

133. that would be a positive development, however right in this thread

you saw that crowd try to turn a rule against hogging subway seats into a Vast Feminist Conspiracy to oppress men.

That's pretty solid MRA material there.

[niyad]

96. yes, you are actually seeing that comment on du. and, sadly, it isn't the worst thing that gets

posted here-posted and let stand.

[cyberswede]

85. feminists don't hate men.

I'm sure some individual feminists hate individual men. A lot of men hate feminists, though.

[KittyWampus]

66. Well, if the person intentionally exposes them to take up three seats on a subway

it may not be funny to you but it does come down on the side of "subway justice".

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

And it is absolutely certain almost every single guy spreading out his legs like that is doing it as an aggressive space grabbing method.

[Taitertots]

71. Sounds more like subway terrorism, than "subway justice"

Just remeber this when someone burns YOU or your loved ones for being stupid and/or annoying.

Maybe you could make a list of all the situations that you think warrant genital mutilation.

[niyad]

31. you do know that stilettos are high heels?

[HEyHEY]

3. This bigoted law needs to be challenged in court

And I hope the department responsible has to pay big.

[geek tragedy]

10. How on earth is this 'bigoted?' nt

[HEyHEY]

19. Oh I don't know, cause it specifically targets one gender

I don't know what the law's specific name is but it's nickname itself is also sexist. We're now arresting men for not forcing themselves to sit in a position that makes them uncomfortable.

Do I think it's rude to spread out like that? Yup. When I sit on the subway I keep my legs together but at times it can be uncomfortable and even painful. Arresting peopel for it is out of line and I hope NYC pays big.

[geek tragedy]

20. it doesn't target one gender, it tells people to stop occupying three seats instead of one

Men sit that way at concerts, at movies, at baseball games, at the office. No reason they can't replicate that behavior on the subway.

Sitting like a polite adult for 30 minutes is not too much to require. If they find it unbearable they can stand.

[HEyHEY]

90. Then why does it name a gender?

It specifically casts a bad light on men.

[geek tragedy]

92. because it's men who do it, using the bullshit excuse that sitting like

an adult for 30 minutes harms their junk.

[HEyHEY]

97. Okay, so we should start a campaign against flopping purses out on the subway

And can we call it "woman-flopping" or something? No we couldn't and rightly so.

[geek tragedy]

99. men and women carry bags, and yes women have been ticketed for

putting bags on the seats.

One seat per person, no bags on seats.

[Chan790]

118. I think, but not sure, he was citing the number of women on the subway...

that mindlessly flop their purses around. (Edit: Think projectile, not taking-up-space)

I once got knocked silly twice in the length of the 4-line by random women who pay no attention where the 10# projectile on a leather strap around their shoulder is swinging. Woman A turned around while I was sitting down and got me in the back of the head, sending my glasses flying. Woman B a few stops later was gesturing frantically loudly-talking to her friend (about oral sex, if it matters) and busted me in the nose.

Rudeness and assholery is common on the NYC Subway.

[geek tragedy]

119. which pales in comparison to the sexual assaults and

harassment on crowded subways

[Chan790]

120. Did you hear me say anything about sexual harrassment or assaults on the subway?

Way to attack me for something I not only agree with you on but have confronted abusers for.

I don't think people being rude by sitting-wide on the subway however rises to a major feminist concern...it's a matter of banal human non-decency and rudeness--it's futile to address as criminal unless we're going to address all 10,000+ small ways people find to be assholes on the subway on a daily basis too.

[geek tragedy]

121. 1) I did not attack you; 2) this isn't an issue of feminist concern but

there's a lot of "just men being men" excuses for bad behavior in this thread, including some men's rights dudes claiming this is about feminists oppressing men.

Subway seating space--no stuff on the seats, no lying down, etc--have always been subject to rules.

[pnwmom]

124. The law doesn't name a gender. That's the media nickname for the practice. n/t

[AngryAmish]

115. Do we arrest fat people, too?

[geek tragedy]

117. If they put their bags on the seats or spread their legs like they're riding a horse nt

[LiberalElite]

22. You do huh?

Men by sitting this way take up three seats when they paid for one, apparently just because they want to. There is no medical reason for it. https://www.yahoo.com/health/is-manspreading-a-medical-necessity-106551544862.html

[niyad]

32. sure there is. remember "wide stance" larry craig?

[LiberalElite]

49. Oy. The original TMI nt

[LostOne4Ever]

69. It can be uncomfortable or even painful

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]Look, I was born at night, but it wasn't last night.[/font]

[HEyHEY]

88. Do you have a dick and testicles?

[LostOne4Ever]

95. AMAB (nt)

[LanternWaste]

108. You may want to practice the art of sitting down.

You may want to practice the art of sitting down. It seems as though you're having motor-skill challenges with the simple concept of shifting weight while maintaining balance. Granted, it can be somewhat difficult for a handful of people-- much like putting one's pants on successfully, or walking while chewing gum can be a challenge...

Else I'm forced to believe you're simply rationalizing an irrational position to better validate your biases (which may in fact, be much closer to the truth than we'd like to admit aloud).

[NCTraveler]

74. "I keep my legs together but at times it can be uncomfortable and even painful."

I'm sure they will make exceptions for medical conditions.

[HEyHEY]

87. Do you have a penis and balls?

[geek tragedy]

91. I do, and you're spouting bullshit.

men sit on airplanes, in movie theaters, at baseball games, without spreading their legs for much longer time periods than a subway commute.

[HEyHEY]

94. No, I am not spouting bullshit

Perhaps YOU are comfortable like that. Perhaps YOUR anatomy allows you to sit like that, for a lot of men it does not. Does that mean they should spread out so much? No. Does it mean they should face arrest? NO

[geek tragedy]

98. the anatomy doesn't vary that much. you're talking to a guy here, don't bullshit

they sit that way so they can hog space, it's a mini power trip and they like having three seats to themselves.

[NCTraveler]

103. If you are a woman that poster won't listen to you on this topic.

If you are a man, you are nothing like them and they won't talk about it. I'm thinking it's more of a medical condition with them. That or a simple MRA.

[ieoeja]

134. It has fuck all to do with testicles.

Our hips are aligned differently than women's. That is why it is more comfortable for men to spread.

That said, it can always be handled with a little adjustment to the way we sit.

[NCTraveler]

101. If you want to be graphic....

One of my boyfriends had a well above average set. Almost always sat with his legs crossed. Almost always. Might be different for Hummer drivers.

[peecoolyour]

4. Our jails are full enough without arresting people for bad manners. nt

[MisterP]

5. I've been on transit for a decade and I don't see too many (of any gender) blocking seats with their

legs if they're conscious

transit's funny that way: once someone got trapped in a door and I and someone else helped free her, and nobody made eye contact or uttered a word

of course I'm not a badly-disguised Victorian Tumblrina, sooooo

[romanic]

8. What a bullshit crime.

Just another way for crooked cops to throw people in jail.

[geek tragedy]

9. Shouldn't be worth jail time, but definitely a

ticket. Manspreaders on crowded trains are assholes.

[Dorian Gray]

14. I can deal with

ticketing them.

Jail time is ridiculous.

[boston bean]

12. I'm wondering why the guy

has one black sock and one tan sock on?

Is that a new style??

[GreatGazoo]

16. There is no law specifically against "manspreading"

The MTA has a rule against taking up more than one seat...

only if doing so “interfere(s) or tend(s) to interfere with the operation of the Authority's transit system or the comfort of other passengers.”

The two Latino men in these articles were cited at 11:12 PM so the trains were unlikely to be crowded. The arrests seem to have come from failure by the two to show up for previous court dates.

91% of "broken windows" arrests in NYC are POC and critics cite the racism in statistics like this:

there were an average of eight summonses per year for bike-riding on the sidewalk in the largely white neighborhood of Park Slope from 2008 to 2011. During that same period, a couple of miles away in the largely black neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, police issued an annual average of 2,050 such summonses.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/28/manspreading-arrest-broken-windows-policing_n_7462944.html

[Iggo]

21. No, but not showing up for your court date is.

[Arkana]

23. "Manspreading"?

[geek tragedy]

41. MRA bingo!--double score for "Men being men" and "social justice warrior"

P.S. Manspreading isn't 'men being men' it's men being assholes. No one taught you the difference?

[closeupready]

45. LOL, you are hysterical.

[geek tragedy]

54. Nice choice of words, given your claim that I'm 'anti-man' above.

Of course, the joke is on you, as I am a man so your attempt to use a sexist term kinda fell flat.

here are some websites where your views will be better appreciated.

www.avoiceformen.com
www.returnofkings.com

[GoneOffShore]

44. Ah, I'll fetch the fainting couch.

[NuclearDem]

46. You've got to be kidding me.

[Warpy]

27. On a crowded train, it should be

While I don't expect males to sit with their knees clamped tightly together, the above picture is an example of a total fucking asshole.

[Arugula Latte]

28. I'm glad manspreading is getting attention. I've been around these arrogant jerks far too often.

"Look at me! I've got balls! I'm more important than anybody else here! I'm gonna make everyone around me suffer for my sense of entitlement!"

Assholes.

[NightWatcher]

33. How do you know they were showing them off? Maybe it was hot and "the boys" needed air

[Arugula Latte]

35. Men do this even when it's not hot -- I have experienced it many times.

[geek tragedy]

55. someone doesn't like it when women talk back to men nt

[niyad]

61. and the same mra's every time women dare speak their minds.

[cyberswede]

89. But nobody's trying to shut women up...

Right?

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and the same mra's every time women dare speak their minds.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6767587

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[niyad]

93. thank you for that. was not even aware of it.

I wonder if anyone alerted on the post to which I was responding? nahhhhh, silly me.

[Arugula Latte]

73. Oh, you've decided I should stop?

How fitting.

[WinkyDink]

78. Awwwww, que lastima, pobrecito!

[cyberswede]

80. LOL - use ignore and quit bellyaching.

[KittyWampus]

68. who cares if the "boys" need air? that doesn't entitle the seat occupant to occupy 3 seats.

It's an aggressive grab of space.

[NightWatcher]

75. The only silliness is trying to define "rudeness" and codify etiquette

I'm sure men aren't the only people hogging space. I don't want somebody nearly in my lap when I ride the train or go anywhere.

[WinkyDink]

79. There is actually a difference between "a crowded situation" and "causing the crowding."

[jamzrockz]

82. The truth is that

most of this pics that get posted on social media, you look at it and you will see that most of them were taken when the trains are almost empty. Yea, I too will spread my legs when very few people are riding with me.

Also don't forget women putting their luggage sized handbags on the seat like it has a ticket. I don't say this so anyone can use it to criticize women for sitting their handbags, because they too do it when there are many empty sits available. This kind of bullshit is the reason why I don't support movement feminism.

[Smarmie Doofus]

100. They aren't.

>>>'m sure men aren't the only people hogging space.>>>>

But people stuck politically and psychologically in 1971 can't see it any other way.

Don't stress. It's the best they can do.

[WinkyDink]

77. BWAHAHA! Yeah, really. Only men have legs that meet at the groin.

[niyad]

36. this:

[Arugula Latte]

37. :)

Cute!

[Smarmie Doofus]

30. Can't We Do ANYTHING Right?

I ride the NYC subway frequently.

I've never had trouble finding a seat because of "manspreading". ( Ugh. What a vile, sexist neologism.)

I've never seen anyone have trouble finding a seat because of "manspreading".


BTW... if that's a pic of NYC subway train .... I'd like to know what line, precisely, and who put the patterned slipcover on it.

That I've NEVER seen either.

[Arugula Latte]

34. I can tell you that as a woman I have dealt with this many times.

Not just on subways -- airplanes too. A lot of men think they should be able to take up as much space as they want and you should be forced to smash yourself over as far as you possibly can to accommodate them. It's either that or have their legs pressing against you the whole time -- which they WILL do. They don't care about invading your personal space; it's a way for some men to assert their power over women...I'm sick of it.

[niyad]

40. phyllis chesler talks about how women are socialized to take up as little space as possible, to

be as inconspicuous and invisible as possible, because men do exactly what you are referencing. we see it in so many ways.

[geek tragedy]

43. I have seen it plenty of times. So has my wife, who has rheumatoid arthritis and has had

to stand because of it.

And, who is 'we', kemo sabe?

[bettyellen]

155. Tell her to say "can you move that please? While lowering herself down...

Works every time. Give them just enough time to clear out and they do. Then you smile and say thanks- works for backpacks purses and legs!

[geek tragedy]

156. she's tried that and been threatened with a beat down.

some nasty people on the subways, you never know who you're dealing with

[bettyellen]

157. On a crowded train? Wow- I've done this dozens of times and people are generally to embarrassed to

React.

[geek tragedy]

158. people who threaten beat downs on trains are generally immune to

embarrassment.

[bettyellen]

159. Yeah, but they are a relative rarity during rush hour.

I believe in safety in numbers. And asking others for help and calling the cops when threatened.

[geek tragedy]

160. cops would be at least 15 minutes from being able to respond.

onlookers would be much more likely to record it on cell phones and giggle than to intervene.

avoiding confrontation is usually the surest survival tactic.

[NuclearDem]

48. And no one I knew voted for Nixon.

[Smarmie Doofus]

102. Still waitin ' to hear about that slipcover. Is that the D train? n/t

[Chan790]

122. Probably the Brooklyn-bound L.

You know, through Park Slope, Bushwick, Williamsburg and Greenpoint with all the damned hipsters.

[Dorian Gray]

141. There

is no L in Park Slope. And few hipsters.

[Chan790]

153. It's been a while since I was in Brooklyn. :/

I moved to DC (connections) then Hartford (cheap rent) chasing the dream of starting a communications/PR/Development firm for NPOs and activism organizations. (We're a virtual firm...spread across the nation/globe and connected via VPN and Campfire...so it doesn't matter where I live.)

It's probably been 2-3 years since I was out that way. (NYC is home...but up-uptown: Marble Hill. Family moved to CT and I eventually followed.)

[Dorian Gray]

161. Sorry if I came

across sharply. I wrote that quickly and didn't mean to sound rude. (I just realized that it could be read that way upon rereading before I read your response!)

The L train path in Brooklyn is Greenpoint, Williamsburg and Bushwick. The hip line!

Park Slope is the mommy and daddy neighborhood. Totally unhip. And not served by the L! No need to apologize, as I get train lines in this city mixed up all the time. I live in the Slope, though, so I know how un-hipster it is!

[hifiguy]

50. Being a rude jerk is not a crime.

I am more put out by the people on public transportation who have no indoor voices who feel compelled to punctuate every one of their sentences with "motherfucker."

[Blue_Adept]

53. I know! Won't someone think of the children?!

[hifiguy]

67. It gets tiresome on a long bus ride.

I can and do swear like a sailor but I don't do it in public in a closed area. And it betrays a certain lack of taste, manners and brains especially when practically bellowed.

[closeupready]

65. That's why Dog created earbuds.

But I know what you mean - cardinal rule for me is to avoid the L train at just about any time. It's not just the way your participation is imposed upon you, but the fact that you are made an unwilling spectator in public displays of affection.

[hughee99]

104. I think you have a "fan".

I've noticed pretty much every post but this one was replied to by the same person, and all of those responses seem to have a lot more to do with you than the topic of the thread, which seems almost incidental. I'm bookmarking this thread as it's an excellent example of a certain type of behavior.

[WinkyDink]

76. When your leg rubs up on mine, it is. Men need to STAY THE HELL IN THEIR OWN SPACE.

[pnwmom]

125. As long as you're not spreading your legs out into the space in front of the adjoining passenger,

you're not being a rude jerk or committing a possible crime.

If you're forcing the person next to you to pull her legs in so you're not rubbing up against her, then that is a problem.

[hifiguy]

126. Exactly, but that's still

Just being a rude jerk and not a criminal.

[pnwmom]

127. If you're purposely rubbing up against an adjoining woman, invading her space,

that can be a crime, depending on the circumstances.

[hifiguy]

131. Agreed. Misunderstood

Yr prior post.

[Blue Owl]

52. Ironically when apprehended & frisked...

The cop says "spread em..."

[Starry Messenger]

64. Related:

http://mentakingup2muchspaceonthetrain.tumblr.com

[Inkfreak]

70. Arrest?! This can't be solved with a citation?

[WinkyDink]

72. Let's not be coy. These men want to touch women using the excuse of "needing space" (they wish).

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

106. with their knees? really?

That sounds like a Beavis and Butthead storyline.

[WinkyDink]

162. And you would offer what other reason? A medical condition that somehow women don't ever get?

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

163. It's called being an asshole, it's just affects women's handbags instead of their legs.

I have a very hard time believing anyone is finding sexual gratification in brushing against another passengers knee. I find the asshole affliction is very common on the east coast where people use public transit.

[TexasBushwhacker]

107. I agree

Somehow I doubt they need to manspread when they're sitting next to another man

[TeeYiYi]

83. Classic DU manspreading thread...

...from December: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025987267



TYY

[Skittles]

145. that expression cracks me up!!!

[Comrade Grumpy]

84. Good lord! This thread is a disaster.

Just a chance for DU factions to snipe at each other.

Like many other threads, I guess.

[Purveyor]

113. What the hell, no ones cares to discuss actual news around these parts anymore so I'm going with

what 'sells'.

I haven't initiated a thread with this many replies is quite some time.

[Puzzledtraveller]

144. You wonder what a physical gathering of them all would be like.

I may share the same politics as most members but more and more I am thinking they would annoy the bejesus out of me in real life.

[romanic]

148. Lbr

Some members here wouldn't make a peep IRL. The ones that talk the most online are the ones who are too scared to say as much in a crowd. :lol:

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

105. Lets just try and prioritize here

I would much rather see people the people who piss on the floor targeted than these clowns. Of the disgusting, annoying and terrifying behavior I have seen on the NY subway and public transit in general, this doesn't even make a list of a thousand.

[snagglepuss]

111. It anti-social behavor so I think there such at least be hefty fines.

Its the same principle at work in Singapore which fines people who spit in the street which I support. The other day I witnessed a slob discharging his snot filled nose directly onto a sidewalk. If people can't be civil on their own then society has to step in.

[Dorian Gray]

149. I agree.

I live in a building in Park Slope, and we have a (Very tiny!) garden out front of the building. I can't tell you how much garbage is discarded in the garden. Every day, I pick something out of the garden or off of the sidewalk going up to the entrance. Every single day. And I am talking about diaper wipes, soda cans, plastic bags, newspaper pages, etc.

There are garbage cans on both corners of the street, too.

If people don't want to be inconvenienced for twenty seconds to hold onto garbage til the corner, then imagine that mentality in a crowd like situation.


And then there are all the mothers in my neighborhood who peek up to cross at a crosswalk when they don't have the light, often pushing their strollers almost into the line of traffic to see if any traffic is coming. I get so angry because they are exposing their children to danger so they can get across the street thirty seconds faster.


Again, take that mentality onto a subway.


Ticketing for littering and jaywalking may be the answer. I don't know.

[Prism]

112. Criminalization of pet peeves

We're a society of children.

If I were King of BART, no one would be riding it. Massive purse/carrier bag? Gets thrown on the track. Strong scent? Please use the new shower stalls just outside the train. Talking on your mobile at fifteen hundred decibels? Enjoy our complimentary shock collar. Do not ask me for money after that mediocre dance performance. Save it for YouTube. Yay, you're drunk. Unless you've brought a flask to share, stop breathing on me.

Or, I just do my business and ignore people, because I'm an adult and don't really expect all of the world to cater to my every irritation.

That's an option, too.

(the yearning for burned genitals frankly worries me about some people here)

[Smarmie Doofus]

114. Me too.

>>&gt the yearning for burned genitals frankly worries me about some people here)>>>>>

Question is.... what, if anything, do we do about it?

eom.

[Prism]

130. Nothing at all

Fantasy violence against men is fine because . . . social justice or something. Don't ask for specifics. You'll be dumber for having heard the explanation. There's no logic or philosophy involved, just leaking of the id. You could alert, if that's your thing. I just roll my eyes and continue on. The tumblrs and twitters of the world that dabble in this sort of thing are usually manned by unhappy people =(

We should send air hugs!

But keep your air genitals a respectable distance.

[Prism]

138. Fatal Attraction

Been there, done that (albeit with men). Not too long ago, I met a guy for coffee in a platonic context. 20 mins later, I was fleeing out of the shop.

Always be on alert for crazy eyes.

(Statements like, "Well, if we were married . . . " when it's supposed to be a non-romantic context are also red flags)

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

123. Pointing and laughing would probably cure that tendency.

[stevenleser]

128. Sorry, had to...

[Vinca]

135. I wasn't aware of a "manspreading" statute.

Unless their "man" parts were hanging out, I can't imagine what they were charged with.

[magical thyme]

150. not showing up to court dates. nt

[ManiacJoe]

137. Seems like a simple solution would be

for the men in question to get pants that properly fit.

[Skittles]

146. have you seen the guys who claim they have to manspread because they are so HUGE

methinks perhaps their pants are just.....too small

[Warren DeMontague]

147. Maybe boot them off the train if they don't stop.

Seems to me that arresting and charging with an actual crime is a misuse of limited law enforcement and court resources.

[HockeyMom]

154. Excuse me? Can I please sit next to you?

That is what I would say to them if they sat like this. I am very small and can fit almost anywhere. Yes, almost always they would put their legs together and let me sit.

Long time ago, but I suppose most men don't mind a (then) young woman sitting next to them, especially back when mini skirts were popular. Of course, women wearing that HAD to cross THEIR legs.