Some of Senica's idlers (source: SME)
A BIG BED was installed on the Small Square (Malé námestie) in Senica and people were offered an opportunity to lie there in public for a pre-arranged time. The exact time had to be booked in advance and there was a huge demand for this form of what the organiser called “public idling”.
The bed was available from 10:00 till 20:00 in ten-minute intervals and it was up to individuals if they wanted to lie down solo, in couples or in groups. Jaroslav Fodor, the principal organiser of the event, told the TASR newswire that he wanted to set a Slovak record.
The bed was positioned opposite a small stage where local musical groups made the public idling even more pleasant.
On the first day of May, children as well as adults eagerly laid down on the public bed as singles, couples or in groups – even ten people at one time, the Sme daily wrote. Books such as the Harry Potter series, Dostoyevsky’s The Idiot and non-fiction treatises on quantum theory were available for the idlers.
A local couple told Sme that actually three of them were laying on the bed, as the woman was pregnant and soon expected to give birth to a girl. Sme wrote that her husband did not want to leave the comfort of the bed but had to do so when their time was up.
All participants received a certificate and a cushion after their time period was over.
Fodor said only six people who had reserved time on the bed failed to show up, but that the organisers had plenty of substitutes as interest was enormous, Sme wrote. To establish an official record, the organisers must now send documentary evidence such as video footage, the testimony of witnesses and photos.
In all, the event attracted 166 people. Fodor did not reveal to Sme whether the event will be held in the town next year but said that he has already received requests from other towns to organise a similar event.
