TikTok captures ‘manspreading’ moment on plane, sparks debate

*Attached video: Mom hammered for TikTok video on why she doesn’t return shopping cart

(WJW) – A woman traveling by airplane posted a TikTok video about her recent experience, and it has started a larger conversation about “manspreading.”

Manspreading is “the act or practice by a man of sitting with the legs spread wide apart (as in a public seating area) in a way that intrudes on the space of others,” according to a Merriam-Webster definition.

Erin Rempel, 21, took to TikTok to show a man invading her leg space on the flight. In the video, her legs are seen squished together while the legs of the people sitting next to her seem wide and spread out, invading her personal space.

“Why would anyone EVER need that much room??? I tried to get him to move but he wouldn’t,” the caption of the video said.

The video, which now has more than 17 million views, garnered a lot of comments and mixed opinions.

Some said they would have been uncomfortable in that situation with comments including, “I would cry,” “I would be traumatized” and “Do some people not know what personal space is?”

One commenter even said, “My partner has LEGS FOR DAYS and he still always makes sure he isn’t touching a stranger.”

Other commenters said Rempel should have “just said something” so the man would keep his legs in his space.

One person said, “I do this cause I am tall and my legs don’t fit really well.”

According to Fox News , Rempel stands 6-foot-2 and probably could have used the leg room herself.

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