Resting with a view of birds

Every city has public benches. They can usually be found in public parks, but often also in other places where it’s comfortable to sit. For instance, to take a short rest across the water or at a playground. When sitting down, you can feel the wood or plastic underneath your upper legs. After rain showers, the wood has absorbed all of the rain, while there's a pool of water on top of the plastic. If a bench has been there for decades, you won't fail to notice. They come in all shapes and sizes, with one being more comfortable than the other.

In Leiden, there's this bench in a park in the south of the city center, called 'Plantsoen.' When sitting down, the view is a cage with many different birds. Walking from the west of the park, this is one of the first benches you come across. The dark, metal frame supports the smooth, evenly positioned wooden planks. From one side of the trail, the bench is visible from quite a distance away; from the other side, the view of the bench is obscured until you get closer, as this space is just around a corner. There are a few meters of open space in front and behind the bench. People frequently walk by, many of whom stop to look at the birds.

It can be a place to rest for a moment, to look at the birds, or to think about life – but the bench can just as much be a reason for someone else to change their walking route and actively avoid it. How is that possible?