Everyone wants something for nothing. That something varies, but we all want something don’t we. One of the intriguing things I have come to notice is the position that people take as it concerns the use of a free wifi connection in public places and businesses especially in coffee shops and hotels; people are acting as if these are absolute rights! And that the business owners are privileged to have them around. All around we see laptop users moving from one place to the other attempting to gain access to the internet in other to do one thing or the other.
Does cutting laptop use during the normal lunch period makes sense or completely restricting the use of laptops more desirable. Not everyone that carries a laptop into a coffee shop make proper use of the free wifi facility , since you cannot eat and type at the same time and do either of them well.
Sometime,I really wonder just how coffee shops which is traditionally meant for coffee break and relaxation became a place where people would work and study at the same time. There are certainly some exceptions but a good number at coffee shops and places like hotel Budapest have little or no reason why they feel it is a good idea to browse the net over a cup of coffee.
To the business owner there are possibilities of lose of sales when a customer is buying one or two cups of coffee and and using his laptop to displace someone who could have buy lunch or dinner simply because he has occupied the table and in addition is using the free wifi connection for an indefinite numbers of hours, it's better to lose the occasional coffee drinker and gain the customer that wants to have lunch and is very likely to leave there after. The provision of free wireless access to customers doesn't mean that they want you to sit there for five hours with a $1.70 cup of coffee while other people have to turn and leave because there isn't anywhere to sit.
Its not that business owners can't make money from laptop users. sometimes they come with their computers for a couple of hours with only some cups of coffee. They next time they visit, they come in for lunch and leave almost immediately. The next day, coffee and food to go with. Then, they filled the place during off peak hours and in the evenings often ordering dinner. You can't have it both ways. You only need to adopt policies that pleases your customers and does not compromise your business.
While I recognize all the advantages of laptops and cell phones - I THINK I use both - their intrusion into the public space makes life less civil. Laptop users should be more aware that as they are using their laptop so also others too should have their turn with the use of such public facilities like the library. I'm so tired of going to my local coffee shop and finding someone has taking up two full tables with their laptop while I can't find a seat for lunch or dinner, its really annoying. Often they're also listening to music or other audio contraptions or gadgets through the speakers rather than on headphones. I don't get it, this is suppose to be a quiet public place not a ROCK N' ROLL concert. I don't fancy playing loud music with your laptop or cell phone because it will distract other library or coffee shop users.
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