Maine: Who's The Genius Who Installed Oceanside Benches Facing The Wrong Way

By Ted Cohen

A southern-Maine taxpayer is wondering whether government workers were on a coffee break when they put in the benches along a popular beachfront.

The wooden seats were supposed to provide a vista of the water, not of the homes across from East End Beach in Portland.

But instead the benches were placed backwards.

“I’d like to know who the genius was who decided to install these benches so close to a drop off,” says Portland-area resident Frank Thiboutot. “Most people prefer to face the water and boats, not Munjoy Hill, when sitting and taking in the view.”

“It’s a dangerous situation, especially for kids, and a lawsuit waiting to happen,” Thiboutot added.

He's tried to get answers from officials in Portland's largest city, so far to no avail.