Submitted by _Hack_The_Planet_ t3_11de0sn in boston
Comments
_Hack_The_Planet_ OP t1_ja8h6jh wrote
After all, if you're homeless you have more rights to public property than old people that just need to sit down.
riski_click t1_ja8wgcv wrote
Benches already have two arms.
On these benches, there's not enough space between the two arms for two people to sit comfortably, yet there is enough space between the arms to require an extraordinarily agile "old person" to be able to use both arms simultaneously to get up..
It's always refreshing to find someone who thinks "old people" were just invented this year though.
also, what makes a bench "temperature resistant?"
_Hack_The_Planet_ OP t1_ja8xq8p wrote
Ask boston.gov.
Benches need to be temperature-resistant. People should be able to enjoy them regardless of temperature!
https://www.boston.gov/departments/age-strong-commission/age-friendly-boston/age-friendly-benches
There's also a great interactive map where you can find one near you, so you can go sit on it.
riski_click t1_ja8yk4l wrote
if the City just hired homeless people to keep the benches warm until an old person wanted to sit down, they'd solve both problems.
_Hack_The_Planet_ OP t1_ja95hjx wrote
Lol, have you ever tried asking a homeless person camping on public property to move?
riski_click t1_ja97cgs wrote
I can honestly say I haven't ever asked anyone on a bench to move.
Digitaltwinn t1_ja8ojfr wrote
oil and gas companies have even more rights to public property
_Hack_The_Planet_ OP t1_ja8qgxt wrote
Well let's just get rid of oil and gas companies then. What are the consequences of that?
riski_click t1_ja9k7w4 wrote
more benches, hopefully.
_Hack_The_Planet_ OP t1_ja9mfx4 wrote
Construct metal benches without the use of oil or gas? Is that made by a blacksmith in a coal furnace?
DawctorDawgs t1_ja9bes9 wrote
What did homeless people to do you, you sour bastard?
_Hack_The_Planet_ OP t1_ja9db4i wrote
Unlike you, I don't blame a collective for an individual's actions.
They have rights, but fewer rights than what they often take. This means, that they don't get to camp out on a bench meant for everyone. Public property doesn't mean that it's owned by any particular hobo.
[deleted] t1_ja9hnjl wrote
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WaldoWhereThough t1_ja9zvnu wrote
These benches are absolutely not designed to be 'age friendly' what a joke. They are to prevent ppl from lying down. Shameful display
Dontleave t1_jaaeq77 wrote
People can definitely lie down on them, they just put their body under the center railing. If it was truly a homeless deterrent they’d put two rails extending from the center armrest to the seat.
riski_click t1_jaalsat wrote
The MBTA is still chasing these terrorists who took it upon themselves to remove the extra arm-rests from the benches in Central two years ago.. I'm surprised they haven't put a price on their heads yet..
_Hack_The_Planet_ OP t1_jacoe91 wrote
What sort of "ppl" lie down on public benches? How long do they lie down for? Is it appropriate for someone to take over a public bench made for 2 people?
[deleted] t1_jacsolu wrote
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_Hack_The_Planet_ OP t1_jacy3ui wrote
I'm sure my fans would agree with you.
So called "unhoused people" are human beings. Many of which are what you would call "voluntary homeless." In fact there is a subreddit (that I'll let you find) where redditors talk about how to just be bums, "hang signs," live on the streets and otherwise just be parasitic on society.
The real homeless are people who are down on their luck, don't want to live on the street or are disabled. Society should find a place for them where they don't have to rest on public sidewalks.
WaldoWhereThough t1_jad0ncu wrote
Why is it bad to lie down on a bench?
_Hack_The_Planet_ OP t1_jad20e1 wrote
Because it's a public resource meant for 2 people and not just you.
WaldoWhereThough t1_jad35ex wrote
What if it's just at night? What if they got up if someone asked? Why don't they make more benches or single seat armchairs instead of these things? No doubt you wouldn't sit right next to a homeless person anyways so why do you care so much about this?
_Hack_The_Planet_ OP t1_jad7nrz wrote
> What if it's just at night?
So you would have these people sleep in the elements. How progressive of you.
> What if they got up if someone asked?
What if they don't?
>Why don't they make more benches or single seat armchairs instead of these things?
Apparently, your imaginary scenario has some imaginary logistics and imaginary budgets for public benches. I'm just glad that they are -they exist as they are.
If you are a public bench manufacturer, then I'm sure that you can offer Boston a deal on their bid. But I'm also sure that you are just some armchair quarterback, pretending that you know better than the contractors and the other experts who deal with this on a daily basis.
>No doubt you wouldn't sit right next to a homeless person anyways so why do you care so much about this?
Same back to you. Why do you care? The fact is that you are just ostentatiously pretending to care so much about the homeless. The same homeless that you think belong on the streets, in all sorts of weather and otherwise making a mess of a shared public space.
edit: grammar.
WaldoWhereThough t1_jadv00x wrote
I don't think those arguments were explained well. I can tell your mad but why did you made all those assumptions? Seems to me like your point of view can't stand up on its own without attacking ppl who agree with you.
_Hack_The_Planet_ OP t1_jadwkvw wrote
> why did you made all those assumptions?
Back at you.
Here are your assumptions:
> I can tell your mad
> No doubt you wouldn't sit right next to a homeless person
It's you that are attacking me for holding a realistic opinion that is simply different than yours.
You seem to think that people sleeping on public benches are somehow more deserving of the public space than anyone else. You go so far as to assume that adding a handle to the middle of the bench is somehow against the hobos. It's not. The central handle helps elderly people stand up from a seated position.
AwkwardSpread t1_ja8ysuc wrote
Those armrests look very uncomfortable. Those will only work in winter if you’re wearing a thick coat.
lostlittledoggy t1_ja8te3r wrote
I'm slim enough to still lay down on that
_Hack_The_Planet_ OP t1_ja8wpqq wrote
You're not 1/3 of the homeless, which apparently this bench wasn't made for.
https://hms.harvard.edu/news/one-third-us-homeless-are-obese
HerefortheTuna t1_jaagnfm wrote
I think they are doing better than the average US adult on that regard
ZetaInk t1_ja94yr7 wrote
Unless you're homeless. Then you can just remain perpetually vertical until the day you're perpetually horizontal, I guess.
Vivecs954 t1_jaauh1f wrote
Don’t get why do benches need to be comfortable for people to sleep on? Is that why we have benches? I thought they were for sitting.
currentprecedent t1_jactabi wrote
it's not the benches ought to be designed to lay down, it's that this is a form of "hostile design" specifically intended to deter it and deprive unhoused folks of simple comforts. benches were fine for hundreds of years with the normal bench design, it's not a coincidence that you see different ones popping up over the last couple of decades disguised as things like "benches made for the elderly!" -- from OPs comments it's clear that they have a lot of hostility and resentment toward unhoused people and it's hard to believe that wasn't behind why they decided to take the effort and time out of their day to post this.
Vivecs954 t1_jadi1x8 wrote
And if the new bench means more people sitting, that is a bad thing?
hemingwai t1_jaa0tgk wrote
Love these. Plenty of opportunity for an older person to get leverage and life themselves up, and discourages homeless people sleeping on the benches.
Digitaltwinn t1_ja8gxjz wrote
I love how cities and designers go out of their way to not build the typical wood benches we've had for hundreds of years until we decided they were homeless-friendly.