Starbucks: There should be meters

When it comes to the long-standing festival debate, I'm with the lawnchair people.

I absolutely hate waiting for hours for a special act, only to be toppled by a group of interlopers, armed with beer cups and errant cigarette butts, who come in at the last minute and block my view.

That is why I don't go to festivals in Ottawa.

I don't lineup for food, either. The buffett is an absolute puzzle to me. Why would I pay a hundred bucks to go to a restaurant only to have to get up and get my own food?

I believe I am not alone here.

Today, I enter the coffeehouse debate.

There is a story in today's Citizen about people who use Starbucks or Bridgehead, or any of these places as their personal offices. Thanks to somebody's bright idea, there is now WiFi in coffee places.

This means that people with nothing better to do can spend the entire afternoon sipping a cuppa cuppa, writing on their laptops and doing their homework.

There should be a law.

Two weeks ago, my cousin came to town and I invited her to the Elmvale Acres Starbucks for a gab. I only see cousin Pat once a year and it would have been nice to catch-up over a grande non-fat latte, hold the foam, about all the news.

Try finding a seat in that establishment. It's full of students and Lone Stars who somehow feel more at home in the world when surrounded by sipsters. We took a seat by the window for a while, but found ourselves blinded by the light, cut loose like a deuce another runner in the night.

Sorry, I got carried away. Speaking of this song, didn't you think he was saying "douche" all along?

I digress.

Anyway, Pat and I got tired of getting sunstroke, so we left and found refuge at the Maple Laundromart where her husband Don was doing the laundry.

Another day, we met up at Starbucks with my old college buddy Steve. We managed to find an outdoor spot, only to be rained upon. There were no seats inside, so we drank our coffee on the sidewalk.

The sidewalk!

People.

Get a life and get out of my coffee spot.

Follow my example.

I'm writing this at home on my desk having my Starbucks latte made from pods I bought at Starbucks, swirled in my very own Starbucks coffee maker. I'd rather eat glass than try to find an uncomfortable chair amidst all the students with their books scattered everywhere.

Carleton students!

Go to the library.

A coffee shop is meant to be a place of conversation and meeting up. It's not a place to cram for the finals.

I don't mind if you bring a book, but close it up after you've finished your coffee.

Instead of WiFi, there should be meters.