Outside Seating

I have been living in my new home for about 7 months now. On my way to work every day, I walk pass many restaurants (about 15 restaurants). I notice one common theme among them - they all have outside seating. These outside seats weren't being used during rainy winter season in Seattle but they are being used extensively during the nice summer season, which is what we have been having in the past few months.

Outside seating is nice but I think it's only nice if you oversee a lake or some nice view. Who would want to sit outside and look at a parking lot, a road with lots of traffic, and a street with lots of bums or drug dealers? Even worst, who would want to eat food that is covered with dust, which I don't think is a good thing? I seriously can't make sense of outside seating in the city. Maybe I just don't know how to enjoy life. Lol...