Baton Rouge could use chatty benches
A place to sit has become an invitation to connect with strangers.
Some benches are for resting. Some are for advertising trial lawyers. And some, it turns out, are for talking to strangers.
In Sheffield, England, b:friend—a charity serving lonely older people—has installed a “chatty bench.” The goal is simple: get strangers talking and help people feel a little less alone.
The trick is the color. The bench is bright pink—an invitation to sit down and strike up a conversation.
It tells passersby that whoever sits there is happy to chat. No awkward opening line. No wondering whether the person beside you would rather be left alone.
The idea has caught on. One town in Northern Ireland now has 18 chatty benches.
Baton Rouge could use a few, including at least one in City-Brooks Community Park. The fight over the golf course has dragged on for months, with residents on both sides making their cases at public meetings.
So put a bright pink bench in the horseshoe near the course. Let people sit down, say hello and talk about something—anything—other than golf.
Take a big swing, BREC.
