Manspreaders - do you call them out?

[Floofydawg]

I've just done a 4.5 hour flight; when I boarded the plane the bloke in the seat next to me had his legs spread such that they took up literally half my seat space. Oh he'll move, I thought to myself as I sat down. Did he fuck move. So I thought I can either sit here seething for the duration of the flight and trying to make myself as small as possible, or I can call him out. So I did. His wife tittered, like I was joking. But he bloody moved his legs.

So I'm posting this to encourage others to have the difficult conversation instead of being embarrassed about claiming your own space that you've bloody well paid for!

Good for you, OP!

Oh @Applestroodle is setting the scenario that she’s not there AND he’s too tight to pre select an aisle seat AND no extra leg room available

Oh then he'll shift but have have nobody to simper and explain how he's a Golden Boy who can't possibly be uncomfortable when a random woman could be made uncomfortable instead.

I’m tall too and the entitlement of some guys is ridiculous. I’m always especially seething if I’m sat next to a man spreader who when he stands up is about up to my shoulder. Why oh why do his short legs need more space than mine.

He was in the middle and his female partner was in the window seat. She had plenty of room, just like me.

Are you referring to me? If so, then that’s ok! I don’t mind being weird!

situations, I stopped, fully turned to him, looked him slowly up and down while shaking my head. Then I licked my lips, touched my hand to my neck and winked.

If I saw someone do this, I would worry that they’d somehow manage to escape close supervision

Slightly different but me and DD were on the bus not that long ago and the man in front of us kept dropping his arm over the back of his seat so my daughter kept moving her leg as it kept touching her. I usually wouldn’t say or do anything as I hate confrontation but I gently hit his arm with my bag until he moved it. He turned round and looked at me but moved it.

He'd be moved. Pretty much every airlines terms include keeping within the confines of your seat and not encroaching on other seats.

Because she’s married a thoughtful and considerate man. Unlike @Applestroodle

How does it work if it is a row of 3 long limbed men?

I will tell you how it works: They do fit with legs under the seat in front - even in a standard seat. However a lot of men feel entitled to make themselves feel more comfortable by spreading into someone else's space and compromising the other persons comfort

Am wondering if your husband was the snooty , inconsiderate twat I had the misfortune to sit beside on a recent trip to Rome . I was in the middle seat , he was in the aisle seat but clearly felt that he needed leg space more than me and that he was entitled to it !
When I asked him to move he suggested I cross my legs to give him more space !
I refused .
He spent the flight repeatedly trying to spread his legs , claimed he had cramp ( tough) and sighing .
He tried stretching his legs into the aisle but was told by cabin crew to stop it .
When we landed he said I had probably caused him to develop DVT .
I don’t care !!

I doubt he would mind being moved if it meant he didn’t have to encroach on somebody else’s space.

And of course, whether he minds is the only relevant factor.

Hopefully middle seat between two very large and tall men. See what happens there!

Oh course.

A match made in heaven this marriage

As I’ve got older I’m much more direct now and just ask them to move over, but in my younger years I have been known to do a strong leg cross that involved high heels landing ‘accidentally’ on their feet in my space and laptop bag corners bashing into the side of their knees particularly at the point where it hurts!

My husband is 6 foot 4 and never has to invade a strangers foot well on trains or planes. He can invade mine as I'm 5 foot 4 and offer, and am his wife. He would never think it acceptable to put any part of his body in another person's foot well, it's ridiculously rude. He just has a mildly uncomfortable flight as many tall people put up with unfortunately if we don't get extra leg room.

Agreed again! When men are sat next to other men on planes/trains etc they manage to keep their legs to themselves. DH and DSs are all well over 6 foot and I hope polite with how they sit. When they’re sat next to other men all legs are forward none of them ever spread.

I was copying what he did to the young girl.
Funny that you had that reaction to m doing exactly what he did.

Hopefully @Applestroodle now understands that her husband’s insistence that he has absolutely no alternative BUT to spread his legs like Neanderthal is BS

Prob best to have actually said he did that? As without that bit of info you just came across as doing something incredibly weird

Fair point! Apologies, after re-reading I realise I hadn’t actually said that!

Years ago I was on a bus and a woman loudly told the man sitting next to her 'your not hung like a horse get them shut.'

I told a woman in front of me on the train to stop spraying her perfume because I could literally taste it. She went “oh sorry” can’t stand people who act like they are the only ones on public transport. I would have defo told him to move.