Report: NYC Cops Arrested Men for ‘Manspreading’ on the Subway

National Review ^ | May 28, 2015 | Katherine Timpf

[EveningStar]

Smash the patriarchy!

New York police allegedly arrested two men for “manspreading” (sitting with their legs far apart) on the subway, according to a report entitled “That’s How They Get You” released by the Police Reform Organizing Project.

“On a recent visit to the arraignment part in Brooklyn’s criminal court, PROP volunteers observed that police officers had arrested two Latino men on the charge of ‘man spreading’ on the subway, presumably because they were taking up more than one seat and therefore inconveniencing other riders,” the report states.

[EveningStar]

ping

[windcliff]

[dp0622]

I thought it was going to be something far worse lol

[windcliff]

Twink vs Lou Reed

[Jeff Chandler]

What do they want? We gotta make room for all that luggage.

[Dilbert San Diego]

This is rude behavior on the part of people, no sure we should arrest men for this.

Then again, this comes back to issues of, were these boys ever taught any sort of manners, how to behave in public, how to be considerate of other people, etc. These lessons seem lost on many, especially young people, nowadays.

[Baynative]

" arrested two Latino men "

All they have to do is say this is part of their latino culture and then sue the city for millions. Luis Guiterrez will be right there to give a presser and Comrade Del Blasio will put the checkbook on the table..

[Political Junkie Too]

-PJ

[Cowboy Bob]

Wow. The dude in the shorts. Looks like he’s advertising...for men.

[momtothree]

Don’t answer if you are uncomfortable BUT don’t guys sit differently than women? I mean the whole difference of women being “fancy on the inside” vs men being “fancy on the outside” would mean that men would need to sit differently?

[Shadow44]

Worse than the Gestapo. Now we’re arresting people for inconsiderate behavior?

Welcome to the police state.

[kingu]

Then again, this comes back to issues of, were these boys ever taught any sort of manners, how to behave in public, how to be considerate of other people, etc. These lessons seem lost on many, especially young people, nowadays.

I realize it wasn't in the excerpt, but it should be noted that this happened after midnight. I'd call this pretty empty reason to arrest someone.

[9YearLurker]

You’ve maybe never been in a NYC subway car where only half of the seats are taken because of a chain of man-spreaders sitting in every other seat.

I don’t see how anything short of arrests will change it—it has long been illegal to take up more than a seat on the subway.

[9YearLurker]

Men don’t need to spread their knees so they take up three seats on the subway—but too often that’s what they do. And, you can pretty clearly see it as a strategy for keeping anyone from sitting on either side of them.

Finally, the DeBlasio NYC takes some action I can agree with!

[9YearLurker]

It happens all day long on the NYC subways.

[Amendment10]

This is good to know if I ever visit NY. It is arguably a valid issue.

”… two Latino [emphasis added] men ..."

Interesting mention of race. We’d probably never hear mention of some other races.

[Starstruck]

Stop and frisk is no longer legal so this is the new way to do it. If there is any gap between your knees it is man spreading.

[Sooth2222]

PROP president Robert Gangi told Newsweek that the organization’s staff and volunteers had observed arraignments for misdemeanors in four of the city’s five boroughs since June 2014 over the course of about 35 sessions lasting a few hours. The observers found, according to the report, that “out of the 850 total cases seen, 797, or about 94 percent, of the defendants were people of color. 756 people, or 89 percent, of the persons arrested or ticketed were able to walk out of the courtroom.”

They don't report the truly significant numbers here -- the number of persons of color and of uncolor who were observed and the proportion of each who were observed breaking the law.

[samtheman]

I agree with you. I’d rather see them tazed than arrested, but as that’s not practical I’ll settle for arrests. These people are effectively spitting in the face of the general public and the public, or its representatives, should spit back.