Can we talk about the two benches outside the library in Missoula, and which one people actually pick
I was waiting on a friend outside the public library in Missoula for about 20 minutes and noticed something odd. There are two benches out front, maybe 15 feet apart, and almost everyone picked the one on the left. The right bench sat empty the whole time, even though both face the same street and get the same shade. My take is the left one wins because it's closer to the door, so people feel like they're not committing to sitting around. My friend thinks it's just habit and people copy whoever sat there first, which turns into a thing. Does it come down to small stuff like distance and sightlines, or are we all just copying each other without thinking? What small thing have you watched people do in a public spot that made you stop and wonder?