Benches Drawing Curious Stares Give Invaluable Service
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Dozens of cities across the country are installing colorful benches in their parks that do more than just draw curious stares.
The environmentally friendly benches are free phone charging stations and can be WiFi hotspots and they don't use any electricity.
The benches are already in cities throughout Florida including Doral, Coral Gables, Sunny Isles, West Palm Beach, Stuart, Sarasota, and Ocala.
They are also in 20 other cities throughout the U.S.
The distinct benches are causing double-takes in Washington, DC and that's exactly what Parks and Recreation Director Keith Anderson wants.
"The goal here is to get people outside, to enjoy our parks, stay longer," said Anderson.
The Soofa benches, named after the Boston company that makes them, use a square solar panel in the middle to power two phone chargers on the front and the WiFi signal, which is free and doesn't come with a password.
"Cities are really excited about it," said Soofa CEO Sandra Richter. "We've been bringing Soofa benches into low-income neighborhoods… low-income schools. We're slowly but surely beginning to ship them overseas."
In fact, the seven-foot benches, which are bolted to the ground, are already in five countries and 65 cities - among them Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, and Saudi Arabia.
