Space Hogs
Apr. 26th, 2002 10:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
judecorpI'm wondering when it is that women/girls learn to take as little space as possible, and men/boys learn to take as much space as possible. I began wondering about this on the campus bus this morning.
I ride the campus bus for about 15 minutes from my parking lot on West Campus to my Big Gay Job at the Union. Usually I can find a seat, but sometimes, depending on what time, I stand. I stood for a little bit this morning, but as some people began getting off, I could see there were some seats in the back. Three of them, to be exact. One in the way back, and one on either side in the back.
There was one seat that was all but obliterated because a male student (assuming student) was sitting with his legs spread so wide open that his left leg was blocking the open seat. He was taking over 1.5 seats on a full bus.
Guess which seat I chose of the three? :)
He was very obviously put out, and his body language was rather hostile. He never moved his leg, and I practically sat on him and squeezed my booty in the space he'd provided, and continued to relax until I had pushed him partially out of my seat. He held steadfast onto that extra space, though, and frowned, and was very stiff and angry.
I wonder if his reaction would have been the same if I had been some traditionally beautiful young female student. I wonder if he would have shifted, or been more polite. (I'm fairly ambiguous today on first glance - cargo pants, hooded sweatshirt, Adam's baseball cap, and I'm bound pretty tightly.) I wonder a lot of things.
But mostly I'm wondering how this stuff is learned. I don't remember anyone ever telling me to sit as smallishly as possible, although I have always watched women cross their legs (which takes up much less room and - gods forbid! - conceals the cooter!) or at the very least put their knees together.
Either way, I eventually took back my whole damned seat, suckah. He murmured something at me when he got off the bus. Oops. :)
I ride the campus bus for about 15 minutes from my parking lot on West Campus to my Big Gay Job at the Union. Usually I can find a seat, but sometimes, depending on what time, I stand. I stood for a little bit this morning, but as some people began getting off, I could see there were some seats in the back. Three of them, to be exact. One in the way back, and one on either side in the back.
There was one seat that was all but obliterated because a male student (assuming student) was sitting with his legs spread so wide open that his left leg was blocking the open seat. He was taking over 1.5 seats on a full bus.
Guess which seat I chose of the three? :)
He was very obviously put out, and his body language was rather hostile. He never moved his leg, and I practically sat on him and squeezed my booty in the space he'd provided, and continued to relax until I had pushed him partially out of my seat. He held steadfast onto that extra space, though, and frowned, and was very stiff and angry.
I wonder if his reaction would have been the same if I had been some traditionally beautiful young female student. I wonder if he would have shifted, or been more polite. (I'm fairly ambiguous today on first glance - cargo pants, hooded sweatshirt, Adam's baseball cap, and I'm bound pretty tightly.) I wonder a lot of things.
But mostly I'm wondering how this stuff is learned. I don't remember anyone ever telling me to sit as smallishly as possible, although I have always watched women cross their legs (which takes up much less room and - gods forbid! - conceals the cooter!) or at the very least put their knees together.
Either way, I eventually took back my whole damned seat, suckah. He murmured something at me when he got off the bus. Oops. :)
