Greetings, Miss MannersThe ability to work remotely has given many people the flexibility to conduct job-related tasks not only at home but also in public settings like cafes and libraries—basically, anywhere there is Wi-Fi and seating for customers.
This is the situation at a coffee shop that I frequently visit to have a croissant and coffee. Coffee is served in paper cups, and all food is bagged to go, although if there is a seat available, customers are welcome to stay and eat there.
Since all of the tables for two are taken by single patrons using laptops, this is regrettably rarely feasible. They typically don’t have any food or drink next to them (probably because they’ve already eaten it), yet they stay put for one to three hours. As a result, I am forced to think about ordering takeaway.
How should one behave when using a laptop in a coffee shop? And how long is a fair amount of time to achieve this?
GENTLE READER: Although this is a business transaction, if everyone is aware of and follows the guidelines, even business transactions can be polite.
Unfortunately, nobody does. This is due to the fact that everyone has a strong opinion and is more than happy to share it, as well as the fact that camping at coffee shops is still a relatively new phenomena and the rules are still being developed. These views are typically interspersed with reprimands for noncompliance.
Since the establishment sells refreshments rather than office space, it makes sense to advise people who want to stay to restock their purchases at roughly regular intervals.
Greetings, Miss MannersMy best friend’s spouse and I got into a text-message dispute. There were no offensive exchanges.
I politely thanked him for attempting to assist my partner in finding employment, but I stated that I would rather take care of things on my own. I had expressed fears that my boyfriend would sustain an injury at work and that his professional background did not mesh with working as a caregiver for psychiatric patients. He went on to imply that my partner lacked motivation.
According to my acquaintance, her husband is furious with me. She frequently asks me to visit her new house, but I don’t want to bother either of them. Since I really don’t want to irritate her husband, what should I say to my friend?
PERSONAL READER:It’s too late. He already irritated you by labeling your partner unproductive, and you had irritated him by implying that mental health patients would harm your relationship.
If you wish to keep your friendship going, you should refrain from talking to your friend’s husband in person and instead limit your communication to texting him. Because texting omits important information, it is already prone to misconceptions. When the individuals on each end are unfamiliar with one another, this is even worse.
Invite your friend over for some genuine social interaction if you don’t want to go to her house.
Miss Manners can be reached by email at [email protected], via her website at www.missmanners.com, or by mail at Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
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