New benches are a pain in the ****

Started by Spookie Monster, October 01, 2010, 07:05:17 AM

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Spookie Monster

New benches are a pain in the ****

Park officials in China have found a way to stop people from hogging their benches for too long -- by fitting steel spikes on a coin-operated timer.

If visitors at the Yantai Park in Shangdong province, eastern China, linger too long without feeding the meter, dozens of sharp spikes shoot through the seat.


Ummm... O.K.  Isn't this one of the signs of the End Times?

(Just curious, but how many of you fine members of Elliquiy would actually put coins into a bench so that spikes would shoot out rather than would not shoot out?)

Hope that you enjoy the article!

Spel


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Oniya

Mr. Oniya said 'This is where someone just brings in a piece of wood (steel, plastic) to put on top of the bench seat.'
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Jag

I'm guessing that the spikes are visible at all times till the meter is activated. So one wouldn't need to put a quarter in to intentionally make the spikes come out. If the spikes aren't activated till the meter is, then there would be no reason to worry, right?

Either way...wow...aren't benches there to sit on and relax and rest your feet? Who cares if someone sits on one all day. I assume they wouldn't take up the whole bench. There would still be a spot to sit...*sighs*
Ons/Offs // Request Thread (Updated 3/10/24) // Slow to Reply at the Moment

Oniya

The problem is that the parks are overcrowded to begin with, and even assuming three people per bench, there aren't enough benches for all the squatters to claim their spaces and leave room for the average park-goer to take a 5 minute rest.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Jag

True. But do they really have to resort to putting what I assume to be push pin sized spikes in the benches, along with meters? Couldn't they of used the money from installing all that to put in a few more benches? O_o

People will just find ways to break the machines and the spikes and then someone will have to be paid to go out and fix it, again with money that could of been used to just put in a new bench. *shrugs*
Ons/Offs // Request Thread (Updated 3/10/24) // Slow to Reply at the Moment

Will

If you can heal the symptoms, but not affect the cause
It's like trying to heal a gunshot wound with gauze

One day, I will find the right words, and they will be simple.
- Jack Kerouac

Synecdoche17

This is a genuine wtf. Isn't the solution to a lack of benches adding more benches?!
A book, a woman, and a flask of wine: /The three make heaven for me; it may be thine / Is some sour place of singing cold and bare — / But then, I never said thy heaven was mine.

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Wolfy

#8
Quote from: Synecdoche17 on October 01, 2010, 03:01:22 PM
This is a genuine wtf. Isn't the solution to a lack of benches adding more benches?!

Not for China, apparently. :D


Oniya

I'd personally have to see how much bench-space is actually available.  I know I've seen video footage of some of the Asian shopping districts, and the mass o' people is truly frightening.  (I'm amazed more people over there aren't agoraphobic.)  If the park traffic comes anywhere near that, then you could line all the paths through the park with benches, one next to another, and it still wouldn't handle the load.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Will

Quote from: Oniya on October 01, 2010, 04:05:46 PM
I'd personally have to see how much bench-space is actually available.  I know I've seen video footage of some of the Asian shopping districts, and the mass o' people is truly frightening.  (I'm amazed more people over there aren't agoraphobic.)  If the park traffic comes anywhere near that, then you could line all the paths through the park with benches, one next to another, and it still wouldn't handle the load.

That was my initial thinking, yeah.  I have to to assume that there's a valid reason for not taking the obvious route of adding more benches.  They may have tons of benches already.
If you can heal the symptoms, but not affect the cause
It's like trying to heal a gunshot wound with gauze

One day, I will find the right words, and they will be simple.
- Jack Kerouac

Oniya

"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Jag

That looks uncomfortable to sit on in the first place. I don't think I want to pay to sit on small pegs that will in a few minutes shoot spikes into my bum.
Ons/Offs // Request Thread (Updated 3/10/24) // Slow to Reply at the Moment

Oniya

I'm not sure if that's the deployed position or not.  As Mr. Oniya remarked, though, all it would take is something reasonably sturdy to put on the bench ahead of time, and you could sit all day.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Spookie Monster

Thanks for the replies, guys!  I'm glad that you found it curious.  Thanks particularly for the picture, Oniya.  To be fair, I'm not yet convinced that we're getting the whole story -- I mean, maybe there are further details to the setup, maybe it's all a hoax.  Still, how could I resist mentioning here at Elliquiy anything that involves getting spikes in the butt?

Thanks again!

Spel


She's got a police spike... she's got cheeks of rose...
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