• Zahille7@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Bro, look at the bus stop “benches” at 1:33. What the fuck is that? I thought Metropolis was supposed the be “the city of the future.”

    • hersh@literature.cafe
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      9 months ago

      Not sure if you’re referring to the graphics or to the shitty bench design. If the latter…it’s a real thing. :(

      They’re called “leaning benches” or “lean bars”. This bench design is sort of “futuristic” in the sense that adoption has only recently started taking off around the world. They are a user-hostile design made specifically to prevent people (specifically homeless people) from lying down, sleeping, or otherwise, y’know, using it as a goddamn bench. Because removing the ability for anyone to sit down is apparently, in the eyes of authorities, a small price to pay to make homeless people’s lives that much harder.

      The Wikipedia article for “Leaning bench” redirects to hostile architecture, where you can read more about this and similar efforts, if you are in the mood to be enraged at the sheer malice of bureaucrats.

      I’ve seen them in several cities across America. NYC starting rolling them out within the past decade and you’ll see them in any recently renovated station. See https://www.nydailynews.com/2017/09/11/subway-riders-slam-brooklyn-stations-new-leaning-bars-as-incredibly-unwelcoming/ (scroll through the image slideshow to see the new).

      Not sure if the image embed will work here but I’ll try:

      • Rocket@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        My city has both benches and these. I like these because I can lean on them without removing my backpack. I think it really depends on the City whether their hostile or not. I also noticed McDonald’s has them in their order waiting area too.

        • pixeltree@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          9 months ago

          It’s pretty simple, if they’re being used to replace benches to stop people sleeping there, they’re hostile. I certainly wouldn’t mind having them in addition though.

          • Zahille7@lemmy.world
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            9 months ago

            Right? Like maybe a normal bench, then a seat or two like this, in case someone actually decides to sit there.

      • scutiger@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        They’re good for people with mobility issues who would struggle to fully sit down on their own and get back up again, so they do serve a valid purpose. But they suck for everyone else.

      • Zahille7@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        I already knew what it was irl-design-wise, I’m mostly shocked that the devs decided to use that style of bench for the bus stops in the game. Sort of like “I can’t believe they’re using this style as a way of normalizing it” kind of thing.