You’ve been sitting all wrong on public transport.
So says etiquette expert William Hanson, who offers advice on the correct way to sit in a now-viral TikTok clip.
And how are people skewing their sitting technique? By man-spreading, says William.
‘Never man-spread,’ he says on the clip. ‘This is not the way to sit.’
And what’s the issue with man-spreading?
You’ve been sitting all wrong on public transport. So says etiquette expert William Hanson, who offers advice on the correct way to sit on a now-viral TikTok clip. ‘Never man-spread,’ he says on the clip
‘So many people [man-spread] without realising – and not just men,’ says William
He tells MailOnline Travel: ‘So many people [man-spread] without realising – and not just men. People from all backgrounds and genders. It’s very selfish and can make some people feel threatened – or annoyed.
‘Part of the bargain of using public transport, or commercial aeroplanes, is that you have to share with other people and respect their rights and space.
‘If you don’t like that concept, charter a jet or take a taxi.’
He continues: ‘Obviously, however you want to sit at home is up to you and not of concern to me. But when around others, when you are sharing the space, it is really important to not impinge on the space of others.
‘The good news, is that the leg muscles will quickly adapt to a new sitting position if you train yourself to keep the legs together and not apart. Muscle memory is a wonderful thing.’
In the clip, William reveals a technique for nailing the perfect sitting position – ‘get your hand, make a fist and place that between your knees’. Then you press your knees against your fist.
This will, he explains, give you the correct position for knees, with the feet directly underneath.
What are the do’s and don’ts for sitting with one’s legs crossed? Is that also acceptable?
William adds: ‘For those wearing trousers, it’s fine to cross your legs, so long as you avoid having too much distance between your ankles. Try to keep your ankles as close to each other as is comfortable rather than creating a triangle with your legs.’
For more from William visit his TikTok here and Instagram here. He can be found tweeting at twitter.com/williamhanson.