This had to happen at some point, right? Women (and some men) have been complaining about it for years. I’m talking about “manspreading”, people. It’s a problem, trust me.
And now, finally, someone has come along and done something about it.
Laila Laurel is a student at the University of Brighton in England who is set to graduate with a degree in 3D Design and Craft. Laurel said she decided to create the anti-manspreading chair due to her “own experiences of men infringing on my space in public” and also from the Everyday Sexism Project, a website that allows people to share their experiences with sexism.
This anti-manspreading chair is absolutely brilliant pic.twitter.com/LI1v0rTwsl
— Mashable (@mashable) July 24, 2019
The chair has two wooden barriers on each side that forces people to sit with their legs closed, and with knees touching for most folks.
Laurel’s design was so impressive that she won the New Designers Belmond Award for emerging talent.
Laurel also created an inverse chair that encourages women to spread out. See what she did there?
The judges called the chair,
“a bold, purpose-driven design that explores the important role of design in informing space, a person’s behaviour and societal issues of today”.
Calling all manspreaders, your time is over 👋😂 https://t.co/ZCR6JGlNIY
— The Standard (@EveningStandard) July 22, 2019
As for the designer herself, Laurel said,
“I have received a lot of explicit messages nearly entirely from men who seem to be under the impression I am trying to castrate them and that I hate all men, which couldn’t be further from the truth frankly. This has been pretty disappointing but I guess tackling social issues is often very polarising.”
Now, let’s get these chairs on all public transportation and park benches, ASAP!