Plane passenger slams ‘manspreader’ who invaded her space
This entitled “manspreader” was a plane in the butt.
A female air traveler has sparked fierce debate after posting a photo that showed her squashed into her seat because a male passenger next to her was spreading his legs.
Emily Kauai took to Reddit on Monday to share the snap, which was taken on board a Southwest Airlines plane.
“This was how my entire 4 hour flight went today,” Kauai captioned the photo, without revealing the destination to which she was traveling. “I am a 5’8” female.”
In the image, the man next to Kauai had his thighs spread in a wide-open V, clearly invading her personal space. He appeared to be watching a video on his phone, unbothered by the fact Kauai was almost spilling out into the aisle because she had so little room.
“A couple of times I mentioned it to him, and he would move over,” she subsequently wrote beneath her Reddit posting. “But his legs would casually return to where they rested during his movie.”
!["A couple of times I mentioned it to him, and he would move over," Kauai wrote beneath her Reddit posting. "But his legs would casually return to where they rested during his movie.”](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/11/southwest-airlines-manspreader-03.jpg?w=762)
Kauai’s photo quickly went viral, garnering more than 1,200 comments, with many slamming the male passenger as “inconsiderate” and “entitled.”
“I would have told him his balls aren’t that big. Close his darn legs,” one raged.
However, there were others who claimed the male passenger wasn’t in the wrong, as he was also stuffed into his seat without adequate room.
“I don’t see a win for either person. It doesn’t appear the guy can get his legs forward either. This is the airline’s fault, not the passengers. They will continue to treat us like cargo as long as we let them,” a defender declared. “For everyone saying he should move his leg, look closely at where his knee is, jammed against the seat divider in front of him.”
Several others said it was the fault of the airlines, who now pack as many passengers as they can onto their planes without consideration for comfort and space.
![The incident occurred onboard a Southwest Airlines flight on Sunday.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/11/southwest-airlines-manspreader-01.jpg?w=1024)
“It’s horrible what the airlines have done to the seats. No room, no recline, and no comfort,” one popular comment read.
Meanwhile, some criticized Kauai herself, saying she should have been more assertive and asked him to close his legs.
“I like how females typically reduce stuff to being the victim of a dude,” one blasted. “If you’re on a budget (male or female) expect your flight to suck. Maybe you should’ve offered him your seat so he could at least have that leg in the aisle.”