The public park bench that seems to hate people sitting together

I was at Riverside Park here in town yesterday, trying to enjoy a quiet minute, and I saw this new bench they installed. It has these three big, solid metal armrests dividing it into two tiny seat spaces. Like, each seat is maybe 14 inches wide. My friend and I tried to sit, and we were basically shoulder to shoulder, with these cold metal bars digging into our sides. It's clearly meant to stop anyone from lying down, but it also makes it impossible for two normal adults to sit without feeling like they're in a cage. The worst part? The bench is 6 feet long, so it LOOKS like a normal bench from far away. It's a perfect example of a design that solves one problem (sleeping) by creating a much bigger, sillier one (basic sitting). Has anyone else seen public furniture that seems to fight against its own purpose?

3 comments

3 Comments

josephs261mo ago

Yeah, the slanted seat @taylor_moore mentioned is called hostile design... it's not just uncomfortable, it's meant to be.

taylor_moore1mo ago

Saw one like that at the bus station. It had a weird slanted seat that made you slide off. Felt like they were trying to shove you back onto your feet the whole time. Defeats the whole point of a seat.

blair_butler4726d ago

Actually heard that slanted design is more about stopping people from sleeping on them. Still makes for a terrible seat though.