Woman in Middle Seat Rages Over Manspreading on Flight: ‘Disrespectful’

The moment a Canadian woman found herself on a flight with a man “manspreading” in her space has sparked debate online.
Erin Rempel from Alberta, Canada, shared footage from her flight of her legs seated next to the man who had his legs open, noticeably encroaching on her space and pushing her legs out of the way—often referred to as manspreading. In the clip on TikTok, Rempel simply wrote, “Female rage,” and the video quickly gained more than 17.1 million views.
The flight between Winnipeg and Edmonton lasted for only half an hour but was noticeably uncomfortable for Rempel. She said she tried to push the man’s legs away, but eventually had to spread her own legs aggressively to get him to move.
“I didn’t say anything because I didn’t think it was worth causing a scene on such a short flight,” Rempel told Newsweek. “I was more so trying to record the video, not expecting sympathy but to shed light on a very common situation, especially for women.”
The term “manspreading” came into popular use around 2014, gaining traction on social media as more women complained about the way some men occupy more physical space in public settings.
In the comments, there was a distinct divide between people who were on Rempel’s side, and those defending the men in the video. “As a man it’s just more comfortable to sit like that,” said viewer Eividas.
“The reaction was pretty brutal. I had so many men trying to justify encroaching on people’s spaces and blaming it on having male genitals and needing the room,” Rempel said.
“I believe in manspreading but not in encroaching on people’s spaces. I’m 6 feet, 2 inches, with 38-inch legs, and while airplane seats don’t offer much room, I’ve never had an issue keeping to myself,” she added. “This man was at least 5 inches shorter than me, so legroom wasn’t the problem—it was his disrespect for my personal space.”
Other commenters were firmly on her side, as viewer Clouds said, “There is NO need for them to sit like that,” while @Shae Rosalee added: “The way I’d be screaming. Please stand up for yourself.”
In a follow-up video, Rempel provided advice for women in similar situations, particularly when dealing with men whose behavior might cross into “creepy” territory. She encouraged women to discreetly speak with a flight attendant rather than confront the individual directly, as creating a scene could escalate the situation. “Having a second eye on it is always a very good idea,” Rempel said.