Plug Me In

I don't demand much. I'm not someone who needs a lot to be happy (thank God, because I don't have much). Anyway, I'm really bugged that so many coffee joints and bookstores offer me internet access but no electrical plugs.

Who's the genius that decided to offer laptop users a place to work, drink overpriced coffee, read overpriced books, yet not provide them a place to plug in?

I visited a Border's Bookstore yesterday that had two plugs in the entire sitting area of their cozy cafe. Nice chairs, tables, coffee, thousands of books, two plugs. This particular store's cafe was in the back, with tables and chairs arranged neatly to the side and back right. A small nook hidden in the far corner looked promising. As I looked for a place to sit among the many tables in the open area just in front of the coffee bar, laptop upon shoulder, I could find no plugs. Finally, in th back corner nook I found two plugs available, one behind an end table and one behind a chair.

Many Starbuck's Coffee shops are also plugless. One of my favorite places to write, read, and netbrowse is Starbucks. I have unlimited net access at all Starbucks (and Border's locations), so I'm either drinking coffee or reading a book, sometimes both, almost every day at their stores. Why are plugs so hard to come by?

I visited a Starbucks this morning that had two plugs. Nice chairs, plenty of tables, expensive coffee, two plugs. Two table lamps were plugged into one of the outlets forcing me to unplug them to use my laptop and printer. So now I'm in the dark. Starbucks, you can certainly do better.

I know what you're thinking: they don't want to pay a high electric bill. More plugs equals more users equals higher bill. Border's Bookstores and Starbucks Coffee shops make a huge profit by charging a small fortune for a cup of coffee and can afford a few cents of electricity. They offer internet access for a fee, which I gladly pay. I'm only suggesting they also offer enough plugs so we can actually get some work done.

Oops, my battery is just about dead. I've got to go.