‘Weird’ bench in bus shelters confuses people in Mississauga
Published May 23, 2024 at 3:33 pm
A bench in new bus shelters have perplexed some people in Mississauga.
The City of Mississauga embarked on a project last fall to install larger and warmer MiWay bus shelters. These enhanced shelters are larger than current structures and offer more seating and upgraded heating, the city said last year.
But some people are questioning some of the seating in the shelters.
There are tall, slanted benches, which are impossible to sit on, according to a post, titled “Weird seating at bus shelter,”on Reddit.
“Looks uncomfortable,” one person wrote.
“You’re not meant to sit on it. Nobody is. It’s to keep the homeless from setting up shop,” another said.
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Many cities implement what is known as “hostile architecture” to prevent or restrict certain activities in public spaces.
But the benches are, in fact, meant for leaning on, not sitting, a spokesperson for the City of Mississauga told insauga.com.
“The leaning benches were installed in the MiWay shelters as another option for customers who may prefer to lean rather than sit, as some people prefer to stand/lean,” the spokesperson said.
These leaning benches are only in the enhanced shelters. These shelters also have one or two sitting benches depending on the size of the shelter (whether it is eight metres or 12 metres long respectively).
However, some people on Reddit found the leaning benches were not comfortable for someone of an average height.
“…at my height (five-foot-six-inches tall) it’s at the end of my spine which is just deeply uncomfortable if not painful,” the poster wrote.
Currently, there are 30 enhanced shelters across Mississauga and the plan is to build 92 such shelters over the next four years.
Before the project is complete, there are plans to gather public opinion on the new structures.
“MiWay will survey customers to determine if they are enjoying the leaning benches, and has the option to change to full benches if customer feedback indicates that the leaning benches are not effective,” the spokesperson said.
For more information on the new shelters, see the City of Mississauga page here.
Weird seating at bus shelter
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Photos: City of Mississauga
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