Airline passenger captures 'manspreading' moment in viral TikTok, sparking debate

A woman who was recently traveling on a flight said she experienced a difficult seating situation after a man invaded her legroom space.

Erin Rempel, 21, recently took an hour-and-a-half flight from Winnipeg, a city in the province of Manitoba, Canada, to Edmonton in Alberta, Canada, to visit her family. 

After she sat down in her assigned middle seat of the Flair Airlines flight, the man in the window seat spread his knees out wide — crossing into her personal space and "manspreading," she told Fox News Digital.

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"I kept trying to push his legs lightly back to his side to hopefully have him catch my hints," she said. 

In a TikTok video that has garnered more than 17 million views, Rempel showed the man’s legs crossing into her space and captioned it, "Why would anyone EVER need that much room???"

A woman posted a TikTok video, which has now garnered more than 17 million views, to show how a male passenger spread his legs so wide they crossed over into her legroom space during a flight. (@erinrempel/TMX)

Rempel said she finally reached down to grab something and pushed his knee toward him more aggressively.

She said the passenger might or might not have been sleeping but that he was awake enough to react when she pushed his leg back. 

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She said he "moved and shifted himself to a different position."

Rempel said that she stands 6-feet, 2-inches tall — and because the "older man" was shorter than her, he didn’t need to be in her space.

Rempel said the man on the flight (not pictured) immediately spread his legs when she sat down in her middle-row airline seat.  (iStock)

The comments on Rempel’s TikTok video revealed a mix of opinions, as many people said Rempel should have spoken up while others said they simply "would’ve cried."

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Some TikTok users asked Rempel why she didn’t pay for an upgraded seat to begin with.

But Rempel told Fox News Digital that her flight was only $90 and she was trying to be budget friendly. 

"I honestly didn’t want to upgrade because I was just trying to visit my family last-minute on a budget, so the flight wasn’t worth spending an extra $20," she said. 

Rempel said she chose not to tell an airline attendant about the "manspreading" because of the short length of her flight.  (iStock)

One user reacted to the story by saying, "Please just own your space. Take it. It is yours."

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Another user said, "This is giving me claustrophobia."

Other social media users asked why she didn’t speak up, either to the other passenger directly or to a flight attendant. 

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Rempel said she "didn’t think it was worth it to cause a scene for an hour-and-a-half long flight."

In an emailed statement to Fox News Digital, Flair Airlines said, "We don’t think we should be stepping into this disagreement between two customers."

The TikTok video taken by a passenger (not pictured) went viral as commenters debated on what she should have done in order to handle the flight passenger who was stretching his legs out into her space. (iStock)

Rempel said she recommends that other passengers speak to a flight attendant if this ever happens to them while traveling. 

"Having a second eye on it is always a very good idea," she said. 

Jacqueline Whitmore, a Florida-based etiquette expert, told Fox News Digital via email that "it’s important to respect everyone’s personal space on an airplane."

"If you plan to recline, do so slowly (to avoid crushing knees)."

She added, "That means keep your arms and legs to yourself and avoid leaning into your neighbor’s space."

Whitmore also suggested that travelers with extra long legs request an aisle seat or a seat with extended legroom.

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"If you plan to recline, do so slowly (to avoid crushing knees) and check to make sure the person behind you isn’t using their tray table, especially during meals," she said.

"When watching a movie or listening to music," she added, "always wear headphones and keep the volume down."