Let's All Sit Super Close Together
The more time I spend cruising around Europe, the more cultural quirks and differences I notice. On the surface, these initially lack any sort of logic. However, they tend to grow on me as I experience more of the picture. The deep history and story that drives this way of life. The theory behind the choices that, from my perspective, seem odd or different.
Although my understanding and appreciation for these differences are growing. One, in particular, hasn't quite clicked for me yet. I think Europeans sit super close together. A strange observation, I know. However, if you have ever been out anywhere with me, you have probably noticed my tendency to spend most of the time analyzing the space around me. My design brain doesn’t switch off very often, particularly when I am somewhere new. That’s probably why I can’t seem to shake this newfound frustration with how close people sit over here. Whether it is a small cafe with enough chairs to fill a movie theatre. Or a 60,000 square-foot Oktoberfest tent with over 7,000 people sitting inside it. The Europeans know how to cram seats into every square foot possible, regardless of whether someone can even sit in them or not.
From a business owner’s point of view, I can see the appeal. More bums on the seats. More orders through the cash register. However, from the customer experience side of things. At least from my perspective. It doesn’t satisfy me with comfort. But then again, maybe that’s the point. Maybe I’m not supposed to be fully comfortable. The seat is there more as a function than it is an experience. It serves its purpose. It gives me a place to sit while I spend money and then leave, so someone else can fall in right behind me. I’m not fully sure of the rhyme or reasoning, and I’m aware that there may not ever be one. For Europeans, this is considered normal and a part of everyday life. It’s not strange, and there is more than enough space. For me right now, as I write this, I am sitting in a cafe in the south of France. Although I’m not stoked about the person sitting 2 inches behind me. There are certainly more pressing world issues to be considered before we get to the bottom of this one.
If you are interested or have any thoughts on this topic, feel free to reach out at hello@909design.co or DM me on Instagram @909_design
