Here on the caffeine-saturated left coast, the problem seems to be solved by
abundance. So many places offer free WiFi now, that it just isn't a scarce
commodity.

Table space, however was already in short supply, even before WiFi. The
baristas won't hesitate to throw out a "bum" who is hogging a table with his
laptop if there are customers waiting for a table.

Neil

On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 20:47:17 -0400, Lewis G Rosenthal
<lgrosenthal@2rosenthals.com> wrote:

  

Or "pay-for-fee" venues. Hautspot offers the pre-paid codes, which meter the time online. This helps cut down on the abuse.
___
Lewis
___
Lewis G Rosenthal, CNA, CLE
Rosenthal & Rosenthal
Sent via SnapperMail


...... Original Message .......
On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 20:37:18 -0400 (EDT) "Stanley Sidlov" <stanleys@cybernex.net> wrote:
    

On Tue, 14 Jun 2005 09:28:56 +0300, Stan Goodman wrote:

      

but what possible interest can he have in whether they are
oblivious to anyone around them?

People who live in crowded cities do their damndest to be oblivious of        

anyone
    

around them; that's what keeps them sane.
        

The cafe owners started the cafe as a meeting place for people, not for      

them to be    

oblivious. Some of these have entertainment too, and they don't like      

someone coming in    

with their Ipods on and listening to that. As for Lewis' remark on the Panera lunchtime, it seems to me that it would      

be proper for    

them to go to the guy when he comes in, and ask if he's going to have 3      

people meet him,    

and if he answers no, then to direct him to a table for two and reduce the      

losses. On the    

other hand, they may know him, and he may come in there daily and actually      

be a customer.    

What ever happened to 'cover charges' ? Seems like the next step.