In some parts of the country, many coffee shops are 'pulling the plug' on laptop users. With the recession, many customers are spending hours in coffee shops without spending much money. Also, they are taking space away from other customers. The Wall Street Journal has the story.
This a great example of what businesses will do to attract customers but is frequently abused. And, as times get tight, these businesses have to make decisions on whether to continue these 'freebees'.
Perhaps when times are good businesses feel the services attract good paying customers. But during recessions, the services are attracting people who are out of work and will stay at coffee shops for hours while purchasing very little from the store. It is very reasonable to assume these coffee shop would curb the use of their Wi-Fi systems or eliminate them altogether.
