Greektown Streetscaping

**French777** · November-30-10, 02:13 PM

I was walking through Greektown yesterday and saw these new streetscaping posts. What are these going to be?

Attachment 7909

**French777** · November-30-10, 02:14 PM

Attachment 7910

another image I took.

**DetroitHabitater** · November-30-10, 02:19 PM

what the.....

**Detroitnerd** · November-30-10, 02:29 PM

I asked one of the workmen. He kinda laughed and leaned on it and said, "I think you're supposed to lean on these."

I have no idea why they want to take up sidewalk space in one of the few busy pedestrian areas in downtown. Idiocy. At least if they were bike racks, I could understand, but -- this? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

**kryptonite** · November-30-10, 02:47 PM

they look like subway station rests I have seen in Paris and London. You sit on them, more like a lean but you put your booty against them. They take up less room than benches I guess. I tried them but it's not any different from standing, your weight is still on your feet, maybe a bit less so.

**BrushStart** · November-30-10, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

I asked one of the workmen. He kinda laughed and leaned on it and said, "I think you're supposed to lean on these."

I have no idea why they want to take up sidewalk space in one of the few busy pedestrian areas in downtown. Idiocy. At least if they were bike racks, I could understand, but -- this? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I could get my bike chain around one of those posts...

**Detroitnerd** · November-30-10, 03:09 PM

In other words, we want to make something that can help you rest comfortably, but homeless dudes can't crash out on. And you get a compromise that pleases nobody?

**jcole** · November-30-10, 03:14 PM

I thought maybe they were there to keep the drunks from careening into the streets

**kryptonite** · November-30-10, 03:27 PM

Well, the idea of no benches to keep drunks and druggies from passing out on them would make sense. European subway stations have plenty of them passed out here and there. Benches are probably not a great idea in such a scenario. I have also seen fold-down seats in the subway stations there, they fold back against the wall as soon as the occupant stands up.

I actually saw a homeless man in Paris wake up from sleeping on the floor of the subway station and walk over to the edge of the platform and urinate onto the tracks.

**wirt** · November-30-10, 03:30 PM

I could have sworn that there were street trees in Greektown.
Now there are only about 4!

It is a shame.......seems like the same bad planning that has occured along Martin Street in Birmingham [[Shain Park and City Hall parking fiasco).

**EastsideAl** · November-30-10, 04:08 PM

They need to flatten them out more so I can put my beer down.

**DetroitPetanque** · November-30-10, 04:21 PM

Yep - "Commuter Leaning Benches" - http://www.korkat.com/commuter-leaning-bench.html

Though, as folks have mentioned, it really doesn't offer anything comfortable - especially with all of the hard-angles cut into them which will collect dirt and transfer said muck to the coats and bottoms of leaners...

**Detroitnerd** · November-30-10, 04:25 PM

Should be interesting tableaux for those experimenting with grafitti, though.

**iheartthed** · November-30-10, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

I asked one of the workmen. He kinda laughed and leaned on it and said, "I think you're supposed to lean on these."

I have no idea why they want to take up sidewalk space in one of the few busy pedestrian areas in downtown. Idiocy. At least if they were bike racks, I could understand, but -- this? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Detroit can't resist fixing things that aren't broken...

**Ray1936** · November-30-10, 05:10 PM

Wonder how many scrappers already have their eyes on them?

**Jimaz** · November-30-10, 05:53 PM

It reminds me of those new compact SkyRider airline seats. They could offer passengers complimentary sardines to thoroughly complete their humiliation.

**Gistok** · November-30-10, 06:21 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Detroit can't resist fixing things that aren't broken...

LOL.... those light pole skirts are looking quite nice these days....

**stasu1213** · November-30-10, 07:13 PM

Vegas has those type of benches also. On Las Vegas Blvd

**Detroitnerd** · December-27-10, 01:39 PM

Who was the contractor on this job? Seems like a way to pad a construction bill by adding something nobody will use and probably won't last.

Attachment 8193

Oh, I also noticed that instead of using stainless bolts to put it together, they used plain ones that corrode. A month after their installation, they're already corroding nicely. Soon you won't be able to open them, because they'll strip, and they'll start to stain the other parts of the post so that you can get nice orange rust stains if you lean on them.

Attachment 8194

Great work, Detroit!

**Pcm** · December-27-10, 02:03 PM

I'm glad you pointed out the rusting bolts. I, too, noticed them this weekend and chuckled out loud.

**EastsideQT** · December-27-10, 02:44 PM

They are "Wailing Benches" for the people who left all their money at the casino.

**DetroitHabitater** · December-27-10, 03:21 PM

Encourage loitering?

**Detroitnerd** · December-27-10, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitHabitater

Encourage loitering?

Yeah, I wasn't clear on that. It seems to make some sense to have a place for people to sit, someplace that homeless people won't sleep on or shit all over. But that's only in a place where you have to wait, such as in a subway. What is the point of giving people a place to lean on a busy street? All while taking walking surface away and blocking people who'd get out of a car there? Uhhhh ...