Saturday, December 27, 2008

Space Consumption

There is an interesting community post at Feministing called "Own Your Space!" about how men and women utilize public space. It is especially interesting to read after taking a ride on the train with several men I work with the other week. I'm tiny, and the man I ended up seated next to was tall. I tried valiantly to defend my little parcel of space allotted to me by Metro-North; but my colleague kept slamming his right knee against my left one. I acquiesced a little of my space, and his knee was still pressed up against my leg. By the end of the ride, I was pushed as close to the wall as physics would allow, and my legs were taking up about a quarter of my leg room. The rest was being occupied by my sprawling seatmate. It was more than a little uncomfortable for me. The same sort of thing happens when I walk down the street. I sometimes get plowed right into, and knocked off balance. And though I would love to follow Rachel in WY's example and call to arms to own my space, it is easier and faster (and less bruising) in most cases simply to slide through the crowds by changing the way I'm walking or the path I'm following than to fight that battle. Not very feminist of me, I suppose. I should work on changing that; I should push back against someone's leg when it is encroaching on what little space I have for myself. I should not shift and minimize my own presence on the sidewalk. And maybe I shouldn't be so willing to shove myself into the corner of the elevator when several guys get on and take up about two feet more than they need to. But, I probably won't. It is, however, an interesting fact that women are generally expected to alter their course if they are crossing paths with a man. I find it somewhat illuminating that gender inequality comes across even in something as seemingly random and innocuous in who pauses for whom in a hallway or on a sidewalk. 

4 comments:

MediaMaven said...

It is, however, an interesting fact that women are generally expected to alter their course if they are crossing paths with a man.

Are we really expected to, or is it just that we "change our course" because it is the path of least resistance? I know I often walk past people or whatnot because waiting for them to change is fruitless and it's quicker and easier for me to just acquiesce.

petpluto said...

"Are we really expected to, or is it just that we "change our course" because it is the path of least resistance?"

I think it is the path of least resistance because we understand (even if it is mostly unconsciously, as I generally don't consider my own change of course all that deeply as it is happening) that generally the other person - generally a guy - isn't going to do it. Would it be the path of least resistance if men and women would do so in equal numbers?

Also, the community post made mention of the fact that for the group of friends who decided to not alter their course when they were heading toward a collision with a guy who was also not altering his course, it was the guy who looked startled that a woman had walked into him. Time after time, it seemed like the guy expected that the woman would move for the way to be clear for him, while seemingly not considering that it may be polite to shift his movement for the woman in question.

John said...

I'm going to stick up for my fellow tall men and say that public tranportation is a hassle for everyone involved. I don't ever see people lounging about in their seats, just various types of people in various degrees of discomfort. It can't be helped, it would seem, but there's no reason why you shouldn't fight for the very few cubic inches you can call your own.

Emily said...

I actually think about this sort of thing all the time. Many years ago I read an article in Seventeen where a woman dressed as a man for a day. The one part that has stuck with me this whole time is how as a "man" she felt she was able to "spread out" more in public spaces. As a woman, she'd always take up a small space and cross her legs. I notice it all the time now, especially on the trains, and I catch myself making conscious efforts to take up as much of my own space as I can be without being rude. Why should I be the one who has to be squished?