Coffee shops look to oust 'laptop hobos'

[sygnus21]

Do you hang at your local book/coffee shop for hours just to use it's free Wi-Fi service?

Starbucks and small, independent coffeehouses alike now have growing concerns about the large number of customers who camp out for hours at their tables. These "laptop hobos" are working, surfing the Web, using the shop's outlets as an unlimited power supply for their wireless devices and occasionally getting downright territorial with other customers over space.

Source: Coffee shops look to oust 'laptop hobos'- MSN Money

For the record I hang out at my local Barnes & Noble with my lappy doing all sorts of stuff, especially schoolwork cause being at the house at times can get distracting when trying to get work done. In fact, I'm headed out to B&N now to work on a review

 

[MilesAhead]

It's going to become more of an issue because they are making more homeless people all the time. I don't have a laptop yet. But I'm anxious to get something that will utilitze this Free WiFi stuff.

It's too bad there aren't real Internet Cafes in the US like in Tokyo. I don't know if it's really as simple as shown in Japanese movies and TV shows, but a good way to get off the street cheap for a night is supposedly to rent a cube in an intenet cafe from Midnight to 8:00 AM.

 

[sygnus21]

That's a good point Miles.

Anyway outside the point you make, the issue is that no matter what is it, people will find a way to abuse it.

 

[MilesAhead]

That's a good point Miles.

Anyway outside the point you make, the issue is that no matter what is it, people will find a way to abuse it.

What happens in most cases, unforunately... is that those who use the resource as it's meant to be used, are polite.. civil.. don't hog it etc.. end up being denied access with the finger pointed to the ruffians as justification. It's the old guilt by association bit. "Black guys messed up the gas station restroom, so I'll never let any black use the restroom in my gas station" etc... Just substitute any group identifier for "black" and you get the drift.

 

[sygnus21]

Though that scenario is true in some instances, I can't see it being applicable here.

That out of the way, I can see where these places are coming from. As regular user of Barnes & Noble's free Wi-Fi service I see pretty much the same people at the place every time I go there - they're there when I get there, and they're still there when I leave - I usually stay about 2 hours. I know person who is there for hours on end and does play their movies for all to hear. It does kind of get annoying.

And then you have those that just come to use the service but won't buy anything, not even a cup of coffee or tea. At least when I go there I purchase at least 5-8 bucks in the coffee/tea shop. I also don't disturb others around me.

Anyway these places are a place of business and provide their free service as a way to create a social atmosphere where they can also make a few sales. If people just come in to abuse and use the free service all day, it defeats the purpose of what they were trying to accomplish.

Ironically the Barnes & Noble's in my area used to charge for their service, but later made it free to all. If abuses like the ones I and the article describes continues, I can see these places reverting to a limited paid/membership service, of just dumping it altogether.

None of these businesses claimed to be a cyber café so for them I can see the annoyance they face. The other issue is people taking up spots where paying customers could be.

My two cents.

 

[HerrKaLeun]

It's too bad there aren't real Internet Cafes in the US like in Tokyo. I don't know if it's really as simple as shown in Japanese movies and TV shows, but a good way to get off the street cheap for a night is supposedly to rent a cube in an intenet cafe from Midnight to 8:00 AM.

All over the world Internet-Cafes lose their business case. Many people now have mobile internet and home internet.

In the US you have libraries all over with plenty of free internet PCs. Since most potential Internet Cafe users likley don't have much money (for smartphone etc.), why would they pass the free library and pay?

 

[PeaB4YouGo]

I had a neighbor who noticed for weeks about a guy who parked in front of her bldg., day after day, to the point where she called the cops. They couldn't do much about someone parking legally on the street, but they promised to keep a look out while on patrol. After a couple days, they spotted him and questioned him. The cops told her that he was tapping the wi-fi of someone who hadn't secured their signal, and there was little they could do other than to warn him that he was spooking the residents.

So, she called me a couple of days later and asked me to come by to help her set up her new router. When the time came to set up the wi-fi section, I asked her what kind of passkey she wanted, she (inevitably) said she'd never had to set that up with her old router. Oddly enough, after setting this all up, and getting her laptop configured to connect to her new router, the guy stopped showing up, and several of her neighbors began to ask if they could use her wi-fi because they'd recently lost their connections.

:busted:

 

[MilesAhead]

Same type of thing happened to me in Borders. I used to go and sit in an easy chair and read some of those $80 computer books(or at least glance through them) that were too expensive for me to buy. The place started crawling with people flopping on all the easy chairs just goofing.

But I wonder why other places in the world seem to have things like public toilets that aren't shut down by abusers? Is it only in America with the six gun wild west mentality that we can't have a public facility that survives? It must be that this generation didn't go to school where the desks were bolted to the floor and the nuns made you hit yourself on the knuckes with a ruler, like I did. Hmmm, maybe that's what's wrong with me! I refused to hit myself on the knuckles!! I took a whaling from my old man instead. Seemed less like self-abuse.

But anyway, how did we survive in the United States without machine gun toting security guards in airports in the 50s and 60s? Does cheap air fares allowing access to air travel by the unwashed inevitiably produce terrorism? Should we go back to paying $600 to get to LA from Boston? I dunno'

 

[strollin]

I tried free wifi in coffee shops and other places and found it to be worth just about what I was paying for it. The ones I have encountered have ads that you are forced on you and the connection is very slow (especially if there are people watching videos and such).

I have an RV and many RV parks/campgrounds offer free wifi but I have found the free wifi at RV parks to be almost completely useless to the point that I often don't even bother to ask for the ssid & password. I am actually paying for the "free" wifi since the cost is figured into what I'm paying per night to stay at the park. I wish they would offer the wifi as a separate charge so that I could decline it and possibly pay less to stay at the park.

I am fortunate to have a 4G capable smartphone (unlimited data plan) with the ability to create a wifi hotspot that gives me a decent internet connection almost everywhere I go so I personally wouldn't mind if free wifi completely disappeared.

 

[MilesAhead]

In the US you have libraries all over with plenty of free internet PCs. Since most potential Internet Cafe users likley don't have much money (for smartphone etc.), why would they pass the free library and pay?

Because they don't let you sleep in the library. A security guard comes over and raps on the desk to wake you up.

 

[jimbo45]

Do you hang at your local book/coffee shop for hours just to use it's free Wi-Fi service?

Starbucks and small, independent coffeehouses alike now have growing concerns about the large number of customers who camp out for hours at their tables. These "laptop hobos" are working, surfing the Web, using the shop's outlets as an unlimited power supply for their wireless devices and occasionally getting downright territorial with other customers over space.

Source: Coffee shops look to oust 'laptop hobos'- MSN Money

For the record I hang out at my local Barnes & Noble with my lappy doing all sorts of stuff, especially schoolwork cause being at the house at times can get distracting when trying to get work done. In fact, I'm headed out to B&N now to work on a review

Hi there
When I'm in Amsterdam (Holland) the Coffee Shops have a lot more "Services" available than just Internet. I'm sure Internet usage isn't the prime reason visitors / patrons use these places. !!!

In any case it would be quite simple for the business owner / manager / franchisee to say allow ist 20 mins free and then CHARGE for usage after that if no other purchase was made. You could even ensure that users had to insert a coin to access the Electricity supply.

I'm sure there are all sorts of ways to encourage "Deadheads" to move on while allowing genuine customers reasonably free access -- just needs a little bit of "Initiative".

It's not right either to expect a SMALL business owner (often making just a small amount of money and barely surviving) to provide HOMELESS facilities caused by the scandalous practices done by the Banking industry (remember the "Sub Prime Slime" issues) in creating huge amounts of homeless people with their aggressive re-possession policies. Shelters for Homeless people should be provided IMO by State, Federal, Local governments (City / Town level) and voluntary charities (e.g The Salvation Army - who do a fantastic job and I'm in now way religious at all) and not by struggling business owners who are trying valiantly in spite of the politicians to kick start the economy again.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[Layback Bear]

I wonder how many homeless people have laptops.

 

[MilesAhead]

I wonder how many homeless people have laptops.

Probably those who had them before they were evicted minus those who had them stolen after being on the street. It's a lot easier to get into a shelter if you get a disability check every month. That's one of the first questions they ask: "What benefits are you getting?" If in a shelter I don't know if they are "homeless" so much as lacking a permanent address.

I've seen one guy who always hangs around a college campus to use the WiFi. He probably takes one class at the college to get a student ID. That way security can't kick him out.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
I've seen in places like Brussels / Paris etc very well organized gangs of "Gypsy looking" like women --invariably with small babies in tow making a fortune begging around the popular tourist parts. They even "Swap babies" for a while - working in shifts -then at around 17:00 - 18:00 a man usually in a top of the range Mercedes / BMW / Audi picks them up where they disappear for the night counting out their "Earnings". I'm quite sure a load of so called "Homeless" aren't so "Homeless" after all. -- I'm not referring to genuine homeless people like some of the "Panhandlers" you see in the USA plying their trade under some Freeway Bridges in places like Houston TX BTW but there are a HUGE number of people begging who aren't anything like homeless at all.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I had a neighbor who noticed for weeks about a guy who parked in front of her bldg., day after day, to the point where she called the cops. They couldn't do much about someone parking legally on the street, but they promised to keep a look out while on patrol. After a couple days, they spotted him and questioned him. The cops told her that he was tapping the wi-fi of someone who hadn't secured their signal, and there was little they could do other than to warn him that he was spooking the residents.

So, she called me a couple of days later and asked me to come by to help her set up her new router. When the time came to set up the wi-fi section, I asked her what kind of passkey she wanted, she (inevitably) said she'd never had to set that up with her old router. Oddly enough, after setting this all up, and getting her laptop configured to connect to her new router, the guy stopped showing up, and several of her neighbors began to ask if they could use her wi-fi because they'd recently lost their connections.

:busted:

Your police are either lazy or ignorant. Unauthorized internet access is a Federal violation. Loitering is also illegal in most jurisdictions.

 

[sygnus21]

Geez, how did this turn into a homeless debate?

Yes, homelessness is a big issue all over the world, but that's a political discussion elsewhere. No where it the post or link I provide talks about the homeless problems with regards to the main issue... users who camp out all day just to use free Wi-Fi, thus abusing the system.

Getting back on track...

Do you hang at your local book/coffee shop for hours just to use it's free Wi-Fi service?

Starbucks and small, independent coffeehouses alike now have growing concerns about the large number of customers who camp out for hours at their tables. These "laptop hobos" are working, surfing the Web, using the shop's outlets as an unlimited power supply for their wireless devices and occasionally getting downright territorial with other customers over space.

Source: Coffee shops look to oust 'laptop hobos'- MSN Money

For the record I hang out at my local Barnes & Noble with my lappy doing all sorts of stuff, especially schoolwork cause being at the house at times can get distracting when trying to get work done. In fact, I'm headed out to B&N now to work on a review

Hi there
When I'm in Amsterdam (Holland) the Coffee Shops have a lot more "Services" available than just Internet. I'm sure Internet usage isn't the prime reason visitors / patrons use these places. !!!

Yeah, I'm aware of that part

In any case it would be quite simple for the business owner / manager / franchisee to say allow ist 20 mins free and then CHARGE for usage after that if no other purchase was made. You could even ensure that users had to insert a coin to access the Electricity supply.

Yeah unfortunately I think it may come to that

I'm sure there are all sorts of ways to encourage "Deadheads" to move on while allowing genuine customers reasonably free access -- just needs a little bit of "Initiative".

Agree

As I said, I use these services when I'm out and about, but at least when I do, they make a few sales off of me. I usually don't use places unless I plan on at least having a few cups of tea or snacks. In this, they at least make a few sales.

I think the chief complaint is that people are camping out all day taking up seats/spots where paying customers could be; that even if they use the Wi-Fi services - it should be a brief in and out move... not take up spots all day.

The other is the social aspect, they want people to socialize, not turn the place into a work space.

 

[Solarstarshines]

I tried free wifi in coffee shops and other places and found it to be worth just about what I was paying for it. The ones I have encountered have ads that you are forced on you and the connection is very slow (especially if there are people watching videos and such).

I have an RV and many RV parks/campgrounds offer free wifi but I have found the free wifi at RV parks to be almost completely useless to the point that I often don't even bother to ask for the ssid & password. I am actually paying for the "free" wifi since the cost is figured into what I'm paying per night to stay at the park. I wish they would offer the wifi as a separate charge so that I could decline it and possibly pay less to stay at the park.

I am fortunate to have a 4G capable smartphone (unlimited data plan) with the ability to create a wifi hotspot that gives me a decent internet connection almost everywhere I go so I personally wouldn't mind if free wifi completely disappeared.

This +1 Wifi anywhere else but home sucks and will be limited like Strollin said it's pointless !

Been to Las Wages aka Las Vegas many times in the last few months and it all sucks in the Hotel unless your hardwired you might as well go outside and use your phone much faster when you have a signal all kill zones out there :shock:

 

[sygnus21]

It's not about whether its quality or add riddled; its about being able to get free Wi-Fi to do what you need to do for the time being until you get home.

Now if you want to rely on it for your primary use, than that's on. Personally free Wi-Fi service should only be used for general browsing or short work... NOT as a main source, especially since it's usually not secured anyway.

As for adds being forced on you... I've yet to see this, especially places I frequent the most - Barnes & Noble, or my local coffee shop. I don't know what places you frequent that forces adds on you

Anyway perhaps I'm being a bit naïve because I'm thinking about those like me who just use the service when out and a about, but also do have Wi-Fi at home.

 

[strollin]

...
As for adds being forced on you... I've yet to see this, especially places I frequent the most - Barnes & Noble, or my local coffee shop. I don't know what places you frequent that forces adds on you
...

If you haven't had ads forced on you then you have been fortunate. Some of the free wifi hotspots I have used actually steal about 20% of your screen real estate to display ads.

 

[Solarstarshines]

...
As for adds being forced on you... I've yet to see this, especially places I frequent the most - Barnes & Noble, or my local coffee shop. I don't know what places you frequent that forces adds on you
...

If you haven't had ads forced on you then you have been fortunate. Some of the free wifi hotspots I have used actually steal about 20% of your screen real estate to display ads.

I don't get adds on my phone when I connect wifi anywhere I just loose signal or can't get anything at all then I have to switch to 4G it is ok but if you're in a place that buries your phone signal then your totally F'ed that would be my gripe

My phone does perfectly fine with the screen and browsing web on the go for that is it's purpose I have already got my moneys worth X10 fold with this device and navigational features

I also can turn my phone into a hotspot but I did it one time for our tablet I just let my daughter use my phone instead it is the same thing pretty much