California joins New York in crackdown on manspreading, easing of rules against public urination

Brett T. | 12:51 AM on April 21, 2016

The scourge of manspreading — that is, sitting with one’s knees too far apart on mass transit — is finally being addressed in California, where the Bay Area Rapid Transit Agency will lower the hammer on “that knucklehead who, when asked by a courteous person to vacate a seat, refuses to do so.”

My article on 'seat hogs' and 'manspreaders' on trains. Got to use the words "wide-legged oblivion" in a sentence. https://t.co/h0z4bez2Hc

— Alex Dobuzinskis (@Adobreports) April 21, 2016

Reuters reports that BART will fine riders $100 for using a commuter train seat for something other than sitting, although the article makes no specific mention of #shebagging, or taking up a second seat with one’s purse or handbag.

New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority spent a reported $76,000 on a public relations campaign to convince men to “stop the spread,” an act that was elevated to the level of misdemeanor. Meanwhile, the city has softened its stance on public urination, with health officials agreeing to repeal rules that forbid public urination and defined it as … a misdemeanor.

And speaking of public urination, San Francisco isn’t content to let New York have the title of best place to pee outdoors, even if it means fighting a lawsuit. From February: