People who take the San Francisco Bay Area transit could soon face a fine if they hog multiple seats. This would help solve the extreme overcrowding happening in the metropolitan area's train seats, as well as to fight off the rude behaviors of passengers known as manspreading.
The Guardian was among the first to report about the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Agency's decision to have a rule that would formally ban riders from spreading (or hogging) multiple seats on the train. According to the publication, the BART is considering implementing this punishable rule with a fine of up to $500.
The proposal for such a controversial ban is reported to be a resolve for mass transit systems in dense urban centers throughout the country. With the massive problems encountered in ridership, this ban could just help solve severe crowding on train cars and buses. At the same time, it could help make people get rid of their poor etiquette.
The SF Gate has reported that in the past social media shaming has been an effective tool used to expose this offensive habit. On social media websites, commuters have continued to publish photos of seat hoggers, which they call as manspreaders. These individuals were typically men and women who spread their legs wide enough so they can occupy more than one seat, without taking consideration of the person seated next to them or the ones that don't have anywhere to sit on.
Transportation officials in the city are currently considering an aggressive tactic which would fine $100 for the first violation, $200 for the second, and $500 for the succeeding offense. In part, this is also a way of raising awareness for the campaign.
The BART shuttles over 420,000 individuals per weekday in the San Francisco area and the nearby California cities and suburbs. Transportation officials agree that the BART system has major capacity problems, particularly during rush hour.
Aside from resolving to a fine, the officials should also consider looking into cleaning up the BART system; especially since the SFist published a finding that the BART trains tested positive for Bacillus bacteria responsible for many infections.
