You might have heard of the man who was arrested for stealing a bus stop bench.

Another point of interest in that case for Singaporeans was just how much the bench cost, S$1,500.

With many balking at the expense.

One of the more creative offerings from this whole situation came from IKEA, who put out this very funny ad.

With this caption accompanying the image in their Facebook post.

Bring home a way more affordable bench from our store (not the bus stop).

The bench in question being this:

Ouch, burn notice for the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

[related_story]

LTA explains

In an Instagram post on Saturday, the LTA cleared the air on why their benches cost that much more than an IKEA bench.

Using a picture that looked mighty similar in concept to the earlier IKEA ad.

Firstly, they bemoaned the fact that they could not use the IKEA benches.

"IKEA, “Industriell” is one nice wooden bench you’ve got there! But, #IfOnlyWeCanUseYourBench"

And why can't they use it? One of the reasons is the materials used for the bench.

"Our bus stop benches may come in different materials (such as aluminium or concrete and stainless steel), but they're all meant to last for more than 20 years – even with 24/7, 365 days of use by thousands of commuters each day, rain or shine!"

According to The Straits Times, older benches are made from concrete and stainless steel, while newer benches are made with aluminium.

Which ensures every bench remains usable, and lasts for at least 20 years.

Also they ended the sentence off with this hashtag.

"#YouGetWhatYouPayFor"

Yikes.

An LTA spokesman said that each bench ranges from S$500 to S$1,500, excluding installation costs.

Having benches that can hold up better also ultimately results in a lower maintenance cost.

"We’re always looking at ways to enhance daily journeys for you, our commuters ? And this includes consideration for about 5,000 bus stops in Singapore with different designs, materials and features, so that we can meet commuters’ needs while easing the maintenance of the infrastructure."

Here's their Facebook post on October 19.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpIzeLpDezz/

Top image from IKEA and LTA

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