The practice known as "manspreading" will likely be addressed by the CTA this spring - albeit indirectly and even as riders themselves differ on how much it bothers them.
In New York City, the nuisance on subways is apparently such a problem that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is focusing on its own campaign to curb obnoxious behavior.
Chicago transit officials say the act of manspreading - defined as riders, typically male, sprawling across two seats with their legs in a wide V-shape, even as others stand nearby because they don't have a seat - is not in a category of its own here in the Windy City.
"We are going to launch a campaign that talks about all the basic courtesies and etiquette," said Brian Steele, a CTA spokesman.
Chicago is currently analyzing customer service calls and social media complaints to organize a public awareness campaign on rider etiquette to launch in the spring. The CTA has done similar awareness campaigns before and there has been no recent spike in rider feedback, Steele said.
The top three customer courtesy-related complaints on Chicago trains and buses are, in no particular order: littering, eating and taking up too much space, according to the CTA.
"These are issues that existed for some time and they're issues that every transit agency faces," Steele said. "Every so often, we want to come up with a campaign that serves as a reminder to customers about the importance of courteous behavior."
The space issue has generally been in regard to people with bags or backpacks on seats and those who put their feet up on seats. Manspreading - a "distasteful" practice according to a recent New York Times story - also would apply.
Chicago riders say they've seen it here but differ on whether it's a problem, and where it ranks with the long list of other behaviors that irk them.
Tomas Miniltas, 34, of Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood, said he rides CTA trains about once a month and has seen manspreading in Chicago.
"I would say - at least I believe - that it's not a big problem," he said. "But I'm not that sure if I was to be female, how it would look."
As a person who can neatly tuck into a seat on the train or bus, the petite Kellye Washington had harsher words for her fellow riders.
"Manspreading is a huge problem," said the 36-year-old who takes the train at least five days a week from her home in the Edgewater neighborhood to work as an event planner. "We're all trapped in this tin can together."
Washington listed a number of other bothers.
She said she has seen people smoke weed, drink from a bottle of bourbon, eat smelly food, talk loudly about very personal affairs, blast music, and take up multiple seats and lots of space with their bodies, bags and backpacks.
She said she has been treated to a rude attitude when she has made such requests as: "Sir, can you close your legs?" Or "Ma'am, can you put away your Flaming Hot Cheetos?"
"The train has a large swath of people who ride it. It's a public space," Washington said. "I see so much disrespect and so much bad behavior."
But the experience must be different when viewed from the outside.
Marcos Silva and Deborah Amaral, both 23, said on Day 3 of their visit to Chicago that they think the CTA has been a "five-star" experience. The Brazil natives described the public transit in their native city of Rio de Janeiro as far inferior and full of "uneducated, noisy" people.
The couple on vacation said they have seen people put their bags on the seats on the "L" trains. Silva said he hasn't noticed much manspreading - but Amaral nodded knowingly to a description of the nuisance.
The two also said they consider the CTA an overall better ride than other places they've been to, including New York City.
"We would think that Chicago is more polite," Silva said.
Steele, the CTA spokesman, also said he agrees with the assessment that Chicago riders follow the basic rules of public transportation.
"The overall majority of our customers display it every day," Steele said.