I can't stand the leaners. It doesn't bother me if they just hate to sit and the train is empty, but I don't get why they insist on leaning on a pole when people are holding on everywhere. Sometimes they move if I just dig my hand underneath their back to grab the pole, and sometimes they don't.
Obviously a lot of people who take up way more space than necessary are willing to move when someone is going to sit next to them, but they hope to encounter as many shy people as possible who would rather stand than ask them to close their legs or put their bag on their lap or the floor. It's not just the subway, it's trians, buses, and anything else that doesn't have assigned seats. They just like to be the last resort, so people will take all the other seats first; but they will usually move when asked.
One of the sillier things I've witnessed on the subway is this one guy on the N train who decided to strike up a conversation with me. He was like "A beautiful woman for a beautiful day" and I just thought "here we go..." So anyway, he spent the ride from Ditmars to Queensboro chatting it up with me, and he was drinking one of those orange juice pints with a straw. He went to get out of the train, and he left his orange juice on the floor. I chided him for this, and he justified it by saying he's giving the people who clean the train a reason for their job. He was completely serious. What a thoughtful guy. :roll: