This object was at Pike Place Market in Seattle (map). While it looks rather like an IKEA creation, it seems more likely that it was cobbled together. Note the grime (large), probably from lack of use, and the straps connecting the top fasteners to the bottom support bar. Also note that this on a slope - so the green seat is closer to the ground than the red one...

Encounters with objects like this (which do not immediately make sense) invariably involve a moment of uncomprehension - as we are trying to understand what the creator might have intended this object to do (give two tired city dwellers a brief rest, perhaps), it occurs to us that the creator might have designed the object for what he intends us to do. This is an act of social engineering that we are not quite prepared for. We withdraw. If we are somewhat paranoid, we do not even examine it, because we do not want to be seen peering at something unremarkable, attempting to discover its secrets, because everyone else probably knows already, and the joke would be upon us.

It might well be that the construction is simply the result of improvisation, but the opacity of designer intent keeps us away. How often does this happen unnoticed in designed products - that people don't use something because they don't understand it? What are the social costs of using (or misusing) something?