It's the same here, which is part of why I say it's more homophobia than anything. Given the culture is as you described, for a man in an uncrowdes d bus with plenty of open seating to suddenly spread 'em out so that both seats on either side of him become unavailable JUST because there's new men getting on the bus screams homophobia.

I can't call this manspreading because I do believe that manspreading is about a particular dominance display directed specifically at women (if we were pigeons, we'd call it hen pecking) and this is clearly about fear stress.

But as I take public transportation to work so Urchling can have the car, I see it several times a week. It's funny and pathetic at the same time.

If there's any one thing you could do signal to the world that you're fretting catastrophically about your manhood, this is it. You might as well get yourself a flashing neon Tshirt announcing it in 7 languages.