The man behind the great subway seat debate that has sparked thousands of replies is a Bronx native.

Gabriel Bautista says he was on his way to work in Manhattan on New Year's Eve, getting on the subway at the 205th Street station when he was faced with a rare New York moment.

"This was the first time I got to choose which seat I wanted to sit at," said Bautista. So like a true millennial, Bautista asked a simple question to the social media masses.

"All my New Yorkers, which is the best seat?" asked Bautista via Twitter. When he sent the tweet to his 40 followers, alongside a picture with five options, he first got a handful of replies.

Then Bautista says, "The next day I was working and I felt my phone vibrating, and I was like 'Who's calling me?' And it was just notifications all the time."

By Friday afternoon, more than 6 million people had seen the post. People all over the city weighed in on the great debate.

Activists, comedians and even presidential candidates threw their choices out to the masses.