The new benches near Dornbirn railway station, located in Western Austria, became the talk of the whole country. They provoked anger, because special sticks passed through their middle, making it impossible to sleep. People in crisis of homelessness talk about discrimination.
At the end of November, the benches in front of Dornbirn railway station in the west of Austria were replaced with new seats. Word of the exchange quickly spread to local and national media. The voice of critics of the project was increasing. It's a “cruel and inhumane, even sadistic concept,” wrote Robert Schneider, a columnist for the Kronen Zeitung newspaper, about the chairs.
The boxes look like classic chairs. What makes them different is the wooden slats running over the seats, making it impossible to lie on them. According to the authorities, this decision is intended to ensure greater safety of passengers. But people in the crisis of homelessness see it as a sign of discrimination.
Skambas caused controversy in Dornbirn.
SEE ALSO: “The demand for heat never ends.” Actions have been launched to help people in crisis of homelessness
Dornbirn authorities made a statement
– The problem with these wooden sticks is just discrimination – said Daniel Trupp, who is in the crisis of homelessness, and the reporters at the station met him in front of the cameras of the Austrian TV ORF. Another interlocutor at the station, Helmut Leitenbauer, noted that sleeping on station benches is neither the first nor the most frequent choice for a person in a homeless crisis. “You really only sleep here in emergencies,” he said. – If politicians thought about how to help people who don't have a home and need to stay here for a night in case of emergency, – he added.
Dornbirn Station, Austria Shutterstock
On Tuesday, Dornbirn authorities issued a statement saying that “seats at train and bus stations are mainly reserved for passengers” and that “care for the needy is very well established in Austria and no one should live or spend the night on the streets. .” Ferdinand Koller, director of a nearby shelter, disagrees. In his opinion, such chairs are a “symbol of rejection”. – This can be interpreted as an expression of the institution's indifference to the problem of homelessness, – says Koller. – We have a very good social system, we have very good social institutions, and we can solve social problems, apart from removing the homeless from the city, – he adds.
Last year, the Austrian statistical office estimated that there are about 20,000 homeless people in this country. This number is gradually increasing in recent years.
SEE ALSO: “Women Make Up 20 Percent of Homeless Crisis”
PAP, Kronen Zeitung, Vorarlberg Online, ORF Vorarlberg
Main image source: Shutterstock
