The city of Madrid has joined the likes of other Progressive cities like New York City and banned “manspreading” on mass transit.
According to Spanish news source the Local, the Municipal Transportation Company (EMT) will be posting signs on the bus system discouraging men from spreading their legs when sitting.
A tweet by the Madrid City Council shows the signs will include a big red “x” next to a photo of a man with his legs spread and the phrase, “Respect the space of others” next to it:
In a statement provided to the Local, the EMT said, “The new information icon indicates the prohibition of taking a seating position that bothers other people.”
“It’s to remind transport users to maintain civic responsibility and respect the personal space of everyone on board,” the EMT continued.
The ban on men sitting in a particular fashion on the train comes after feminist activists in Madrid, known as the Mujeres en Lucha, petitioned the government using Change.org.
In 2014, New York City created a “Dude… Stop the Spread, Please” campaign targeting manspreading.
Two men were reportedly arrested in New York City for manspreading in 2015.
Madrid banning manspreading comes after research allegedly shows that manspreading is due to men’s body ratios.
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