Comment by NoboruWataya
6 months ago
They used to be places for people to meet and socialize, yes, but that means that you generally had multiple people per table, buying multiple drinks, and adding to the lively and social atmosphere. Compare that to laptop users, who are generally taking up a table by themselves and making the place feel like an office. So it is different, not to mention that skyrocketing rents compound the problem.
I've been in cafés in New York that looked like open plan offices because everyone was on a laptop (and there were no free tables), and many cafés in London now have laptop policies so I think the problem is broader than you suggest.
It was before my time, but my idea of these coffee houses was that people would also sit and read a book or newspaper by themselves.
> I've been in cafés in New York that looked like open plan offices because everyone was on a laptop (and there were no free tables), and many cafés in London now have laptop policies so I think the problem is broader than you suggest.
I agree it's bad taste to sit there with your laptop when there's no tables available, and establishments who suffer from this should implement laptop policies. But I've also been many times to cafés which would be completely empty if it wasn't for the people working on their laptops.
Yep, on a recent vacation to my favorite city, London, we couldn't find a seat for a coffee break because of the laptop users. If they're drinking a beverage and it's packed, we didn't worry so much.