Repeatedly this is my biggest complaint about the people around me here in NYCity. I mean, come on... in a city this big, where so many of the places we have to travel are so small, why do certain people have to take up so much space?!?

This isn't necessarially a complaint about people who are especially large, hefty, bulky or excessively massed. I see plenty of small people on the subway at rush hour demanding much more space than they need...

• Urban Backpackers who not only have to carry their entire homes with them wherever they go, but are oblivious about the fact that they block doors, elevators and seats with their belongings.
• Those people who stand in the doorway of the subway car with no intention of getting off the train.
• The people standing in front of the subway doors who want to get on the train but don't want to let anyone else off first in case they lose the seat they've spotted.
• People who slowly walk down the middle of tight staircases, blocking both those who want to go down faster, and those who want to go up at all... This includes people walking together who insist on walking side by side even when that obviously is not possible.
• Anyone who goes on a massive shopping spree right when they know the subways are going to be crammed like sardines. Hey - it's 5:30 on a Wednesday - of course my eight Macy's bags deserve the same space as three humans... what the hell - I'll even use up these two seats next to me and then not make eye contact with anyone lest they tell me how rude I am...
• I'm not sure this is necessary to mention, but since I saw it yesterday and it's probably the reason I'm ranting right now: bringing your unhappy Saint Bernard onto the train takes up too much goddamned space.

  What were you thinking?!?