Awwww shit

So, I'm sitting at a coffee shop. And it's pretty pretentious as far as coffee shops go. But it's close to my house and it's fairly priced, and there's a good nook for people like me who just want to work on their computer and not be in the center of all the action. So I came here. (Side note, I was planning on working on my thesis, but that kinda went through the roof..so I wrote thank you notes instead. That counts for something, though, right?)

Anyway, the first hour or so was kind of a bust since their internet was out. But then the internet turned back on, but then I ran out of coffee. So I internetted for a while, debating if I should buy something else--I didn't really want more coffee since I'm already wired, and I don't really want food since I'm trying to eat healthy. Well, the internet sucked me in, and I'm still holding on to the hope that maybe I'll get some real work done. So I went and got a refill. It's cheap enough. Plus I gave a dollar tip, soooo....

So I'm sitting here waiting for my coffee to cool down, and some guy walks out of the kitchen and stomps down to the end of the row. And sitting at the end of the row is a girl with two empty iced-something cups (y'know, the plastic clear ones?) and a buttload of books and a laptop. And he said, "Are you going to buy anything? Because you've been sitting here for a few hours and I gave you that free water when you first came in and you haven't bought anything else." And she was like, "yeah yeah." And he was like, "seriously, you're sitting here and I need you to help me pay my rent. You can't just sit here with free water." And he was really really indignant about it. And she reassured him again that she would buy something, and he stomped back into the kitchen. She hasn't gotten up to buy anything again.

I'm kinda nervous that he's going to blow his shit if he comes back out here. He was already on the verge of yelling as it was.

But the whole episode was just kinda silly. I mean, on the one hand, I totally understand why he would do that to her. I mean, just because they give out internet for free, doesn't mean that the coffee shop gets it for free. This isn't a public library. And there's definitely an unspoken rule about buying at least something per hour that you're here.

But on the other hand, she's not hurting anyone. She's sitting in the very corner, all by herself quietly working away. I can understand if she were homeless and yelling and stinking up the place. Or if she did this all the time. Or if there were people waiting for tables. But none of those things are true. So he just made a big deal to make a big deal. He came off as someone on a pretty big power trip.

Oh well, not my coffee shop. And I'm not really taking any sides. Believe me, when I worked at a coffee shop I would have loved to do that to people. It's just..interesting, to see my fellow humans interacting. And that's why I like coffee shops. Even if it means I'm not going to get any work done.