MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Many indie coffee cafes now restrict, or ban outright, the use of e-reading devices

snipenekkid · 02-17-2011, 04:53 PM

people seem to be overlooking that the coffee shop in the US is an American icon. In small towns everywhere there is always at least one coffee shop where locals gather, often for hours on end to gab, gossip and even, gasp, drink a single mug of coffee with bottom-less refills. People even eat now and then. But these places are and always have been places to get to know others, whats happening in town and even who died or is boff'in who.

While I "get it" that some places need to make all the money they can, in fact I applaud it, I think it's somewhat a swingandamiss to introduce such polices as in the US anyway, it really goes against the cultural traditions of a coffee shop.

I suspect the cafes and coffee houses in other countries with even stronger traditions surrounding the social bonding of sharing coffee or tea, but these countries would never even consider such a move to assembly line feeding of customers.

To me it is rude of the shops but it is also rude on the part of those who over use the ability to setup an office for a few hours every day. However I see nothing wrong with someone using it whenever they need it in a pinch. It's no more a bother than three people walking in and only one person buying something with the other having just a water who then proceed to sit at a table or counter for an hour chatting.

I think shops would be better served to banish the sorts who cackle at the top of their lungs to make sure everyone for 3-counties can hear them. THOSE are who drive other out of the business. My ditch water hometown is filled with these sort of people and is my primary reason to avoid SB's whenever other options exist. funny part is I never see this behavior at other coffee houses/shops. I see it only at SB and really only here where I am currently sentenced for the rest of my days it would seem. But these people pretty much treat our SB as a dive bar where such behavior is fine. So perhaps it's not the booze after all that makes people obnoxious, it seems it's the individual them-self that is obnoxious.

Anyway, it's what I see here and it's just weirdly interesting to me.

02-17-2011, 04:53 PM	#235
snipenekkid Banned Posts: 760 Karma: 51034 Join Date: Feb 2009	people seem to be overlooking that the coffee shop in the US is an American icon. In small towns everywhere there is always at least one coffee shop where locals gather, often for hours on end to gab, gossip and even, gasp, drink a single mug of coffee with bottom-less refills. People even eat now and then. But these places are and always have been places to get to know others, whats happening in town and even who died or is boff'in who. While I "get it" that some places need to make all the money they can, in fact I applaud it, I think it's somewhat a swingandamiss to introduce such polices as in the US anyway, it really goes against the cultural traditions of a coffee shop. I suspect the cafes and coffee houses in other countries with even stronger traditions surrounding the social bonding of sharing coffee or tea, but these countries would never even consider such a move to assembly line feeding of customers. To me it is rude of the shops but it is also rude on the part of those who over use the ability to setup an office for a few hours every day. However I see nothing wrong with someone using it whenever they need it in a pinch. It's no more a bother than three people walking in and only one person buying something with the other having just a water who then proceed to sit at a table or counter for an hour chatting. I think shops would be better served to banish the sorts who cackle at the top of their lungs to make sure everyone for 3-counties can hear them. THOSE are who drive other out of the business. My ditch water hometown is filled with these sort of people and is my primary reason to avoid SB's whenever other options exist. funny part is I never see this behavior at other coffee houses/shops. I see it only at SB and really only here where I am currently sentenced for the rest of my days it would seem. But these people pretty much treat our SB as a dive bar where such behavior is fine. So perhaps it's not the booze after all that makes people obnoxious, it seems it's the individual them-self that is obnoxious. Anyway, it's what I see here and it's just weirdly interesting to me.