Nearly Free in NYC

Had to happen:

Some busy Starbucks coffee shops in New York City have started blocking electrical outlets to discourage laptop users from hogging space, and to free up seats for other customers.

No doubt there were people who sat there for 4 hours, after buying one small cup of coffee, enjoying the Wifi and the electricity.

Look at it from the New Yorker's point of view.

This rich corporation says I can sit here all day on one cup of coffee, in this nice comfy chair, with a better view than my apartment, while working on my laptop. Who am I to say no? If they want me to leave, they can tell me so!

But, no. Starbucks isn't telling them to leave. It's just cutting off the power.

Starbucks may think that this is sufficiently strict,
but I will go out on a limb and predict
that some New Yorkers will reply
by buying bigger batteries that take even longer to die.