| the public seat |
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Trains, planes, cinemas, theatres, restaurants, lecture halls or village halls, as soon as we venture into the public arena, we have to sit on what is there. Many people find some public seats uncomfortable, but people with back pain may restrict their outings because of the pain poor seating causes. What makes public seats so uncomfortable? The ubiquitous, stacking, plastic, bucket chair is very cheap, which explains its popularity. It may be that there are extreme curves and angles built into the seat, curves and angles which don't fit everyone. Or the seats may be the latest design fashion. There are fashions in chairs as in everything else, but a trendy design does not necessarily make a good sitting tool. The Campaign for Better Seating would prefer a neutral seat with flat planes so people can assume their own shape and posture, not the shape of the seat. All seats should be firm enough to support the back and buttocks. Seats for eating or writing should not tip you backwards away from the table or desk. What can you do? Carry a jumper that can be folded into a cushion which can be used to improve the seat. Complain to the management and ask if there are cushions. Some theatres and cinemas have cushions available. If not, perhaps they can be persuaded to get some. At the request of the Campaign for Better Seating, the Arts Picture House in Cambridge obtained several cushions which modified the backrests of the cinema seats.
Read how an organisation changed to 'back friendly' chairs. The University of the Third Age in Cambridge recently had the opportunity to replace their chairs - the plastic bucket variety. Because of the awareness of one of the members, it was organised so that members had the opportunity to try out various models and then vote for their preference. The chair voted overall winner for support and comfort is the one used in the three classrooms. But a few of two other models will be available for members who prefer them. The U3A realized that not everyone will find the same chair comfortable and that individuals have different needs. The old bucket chairs were universally unpopular and all three new types are supportive of the back, and comfortable. One of the alternatives has a softer, more comfortable seat and the other has wooden arms to help with standing up. There are also two 'Back Friend' type supports available for members to use during classes. |
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