Today, I man-spread on the train.

[Trainarmrestfairy]

When a man sat next to me on the train and tried to manoeuvre my arm out the way, off the middle arm rest, so he could rest his there, I pushed back.

I’ve never ever put my arm on the middle arm rest between seats on a train before - I just take the one on the edge (either by the aisle or window).

But, today I fought back. Today I won. Ten years (excluding Covid) of men shoving their arm into my body and their legs onto my floor space, and today I fought back.

Incredibly petty, I know. But God it felt good. Not sure if that’s because of the surprised gasp the man gave or because of the power. Who knows? A victory to all women who have ever been squashed against the window of a train because a man felt it necessary to take up 1.5 seats!

Well done!

I've stopped moving out of the way of men in the street. The incredulous looks on their faces when they have to move is priceless.

Love this! I did the same on a plane last year. Piss off, spreaders!

Congratulations OP! For your next experiment, try the one where you don’t move out the way for a man ploughing his way along the pavement or descending the stairs.

I do this! Well done OP. Everyday feminism.

I’ve been commuting for 20 years and have no time for bullshit. I always put the armrest down, claim my booked seat, refuse offers of other person’s booked seat elsewhere and take no nonsense. Good for you.

Damn I love this thread!
Well done OP!

Go you! It is very satisfying I find. Last summer I went to a lot of sports events by myself and decided that I was not giving up any of my leg room to man spreaders and enjoyed sitting with my knees apart and occupying my own space.
I also recommend walking down the street without diverting to avoid men (I of course move to avoid women/children/ those with needs that make it harder for them to divert) - just walk in a straight line with your head held up high. Very empowering

Be careful - once on the underground I simply put my bag next to me to push back the arm of the bloke next to me which was taking up half my seat - despite me thinking this was a non-confrontational approach, he erupted into a raving, shouting threatening lunatic.
From then on, I just get up and move (if it's possible).

Hurrah for woman spreading 😬

I also recommend walking down the street without diverting to avoid men (I of course move to avoid women/children/ those with needs that make it harder for them to divert) - just walk in a straight line with your head held up high. Very empowering

I enjoy that one too - more when it's a group of men spread across the pavement. You do have to be prepared to jump (not into the road, as some seem to expect) or stop dead on occasion.

The pavement thing is called patriarchy chicken isn't it?

I absolutely refuse to move for a man on the street.

That sounds exciting. I’ll try that one next! Feeling very emboldened right now…

lol I do this too. I can't describe the look they give, it's not angry is just as if they're really really confused.

Good job everyone! 👏

If I'm on a bus and a man looks like he's going to sit down next to me,I surreptitiously move my leg a little further into the space before he sits down. I know there's a very good chance that he will start man-spreading,so I try to nip it in the bud before it starts. Glad I'm not the only one who's experienced the 'pavement patriarchy'. I'm totally done with moving out of mens' way. As a disabled person who uses a walking stick,I would have thought a certain degree of courtesy would prevail,but no,they always move onto the same side of the pavement that I'm on. It seems like a power game to me,who will blink first kind of thing. I don't move over now,I just keep going. When they inevitably have to move over,the look on their faces is priceless.

I used my bag to push a guy out of my space on the tube and make more space for myself. The look on the arseholes face was absolutely worth it, me & another woman just smiled at each other.

I was walking on the pavement a couple of months ago, there was a man coming towards me on the same side and then someone else diagonally behind him. I decided to stay on my side of the pavement which resulted in the first man having to move over and swearing at me as he did so.

Imagine you aren't restricted to having only one idea at a time. What a world it would be!

Gosh where do you guys live and why are the men so rude? I find men always move out of the way on footpaths.

Well done OP for your man spreading victory!!!

Oh give over. Of course it's not a 'pinnacle'.😂 meekly getting out of the way of men isn't going to help stop violence against women and girls either.

Don't be wet. We can be bothered about several things at once. It is hugely important to tackle everyday sexism and all this bollocks head-on.

A friend & I used to go for walks together during covid and were astounded by the men out for a run coming towards us - a few smiled politely, muttered good morning and jogged round us, but a huge number just ploughed grimly straight through us as if we weren't there, expecting us to jump out of their way, because, you know, it's a MAN and he's RUNNING

Just because there is a huge problem that is difficult for a person to solve as an individual doesn't mean we should stop trying at all. There is consumer waste pollution across the oceans which needs the concerted efforts of all the world's governments to sort out, but I still put my litter into a bin and I expect others around me to do the same.

It's not the pinnacle (obviously), but it's part of a spectrum of men feeling entitled to put their bodies, or body parts, in women's spaces (and yes, I do mean that in all the various ways it can be interpreted).