Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Is anyone else fed up with the laptop squatters who continue to colonise East Dulwich cafes.


They sit for hours, spreading out so that they occupy several seats. They buy nothing and prevent genuine customers from enjoying a leisurely break.


Top two offenders:


1. The really irritating, smug hipsters in the excellent Brickhouse Cafe.


2. The less smug, but equally numerous, laptop squatters in Caff? Nero.


Please move on, you're selfish!


Does anyone agree with me?

Link to comment
https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/163797-laptop-squatters-lordship-lane/
Share on other sites

Chief Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Is anyone else fed up with the laptop squatters

> who continue to colonise East Dulwich cafes.

>

> They sit for hours, spreading out so that they

> occupy several seats. They buy nothing and prevent

> genuine customers from enjoying a leisurely

> break.

>

> Top two offenders:

>

> 1. The really irritating, smug hipsters in the

> excellent Brickhouse Cafe.

>

> 2. The less smug, but equally numerous, laptop

> squatters in Caff? Nero.

>

> Please move on, you're selfish!

>

> Does anyone agree with me?


Surely that is up to the proprietors of the establishments?

johnie Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I thought this had been covered:

> http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5

> ,1563597,page=1


Which was started by the same poster that started this thread


Clearly someone with a bee in their bonnet

I suspect these "squatters" are self employed people who go to "work" in coffee shops because it beats the boredom of working from home. Probably in the coffee shop they get to see things going on locally, now don't get me wrong, as a former self employed person, I'd have found it difficult to concentrate in a coffee shop environment, but each to their own.


An alternative was offered to these squatters, but it costs more than using coffee shop hospitality.


rbarton Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> For those "squatters" out there, by all means come

> and squat over at my establishment:

> http://www.creativedesksltd.com this has been

> built for you!

>

> http://www.creativedesksltd.com/images/49-Consort-

> Road---01.jpg

I don't use cafes that much so don't bother me.


What bothers me is Pub Quizzes where people sit there for 2-3 hours nursing 1/2 a larger or free Soda and lime.

Then sod off at 10 O'clock. Whilst real drinkers have to stand in silence with no music or sports.


DulwichFox

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I don't use cafes that much so don't bother me.

>

> What bothers me is Pub Quizzes where people sit

> there for 2-3 hours nursing 1/2 a larger or free

> Soda and lime.

> Then sod off at 10 O'clock. Whilst real drinkers

> have to stand in silence with no music or sports.

>

>

> DulwichFox


They seem to be the highlight of some peoples week.


actually there's one in the Commercial on Mondays and I don't mind it too much even though I never take part.

I'm with the Deserter blog when it comes to pub quizzes :-)

"You stride purposefully over to the bar, eyeing the punters hunched over their tables and wondering what it is that the atmosphere reminds you of? That?s it, it feels a bit like work. Weird.

?What?s going on?? you enquire of the barman as he pours you a pint.

?Quiz night,? says the barman.

?Oh, for f***?s sake,? you say.

?Shhh!? says someone next to you wielding a tiny pencil.

Quiz Night? If I?d wanted to have people shout questions at me from another room I?d have stayed at home with the family..."

https://deserter.co.uk/2015/03/pub-quiz/

KidKruger Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Oh come on !!

> A quiz ONCE a week in a pub (usually mid-week or a

> Sunday) is hardly depriving anyone of anything.

> Best stick to subject on this thread - there's

> already a general moaning thread.



I did stick to the thread. I said Laptop Squatters did bother me.


The reference to quizzes was an aside.


Fox

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> KidKruger Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Oh come on !!

> > A quiz ONCE a week in a pub (usually mid-week or

> a

> > Sunday) is hardly depriving anyone of anything.

> > Best stick to subject on this thread - there's

> > already a general moaning thread.

>

>

> I did stick to the thread. I said Laptop Squatters

> did bother me.

>

> The reference to quizzes was an aside.

>

> Fox


You might want to review this post DF or the previous one.

Nope, not bothered at all. Sitting with a drink while reading a book, the newspaper, chatting to a friend, watching the world go by ......or on a laptop/ ipad........that's what coffee shops are for no?


Are some people more entitled to be in a coffee shop than others?


I don't get it!

binkylilyput Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Nope, not bothered at all. Sitting with a drink

> while reading a book, the newspaper, chatting to a

> friend, watching the world go by ......or on a

> laptop/ ipad........that's what coffee shops are

> for no?

>

> Are some people more entitled to be in a coffee

> shop than others?

>

> I don't get it!



I was in the Costa in central Peckham a few weeks ago.

Couldn't help noticing the crowd there was actually waiting for the 'Drovers' to open :)


My favourite though is in Hatton Gardens - all kinds of dodgy dealing going on if you look around.

The borderline comical actually was seeing a guy at Cafe G who had his keyboard and mouse along with him for his laptop and was properly setup!


I get why people do it and I guess if Cafe's didn't want them then they wouldn't offer free wifi... does it p!ss me off when I can't find a seat in a cafe? Yes but thats not really their fault.

Calsug Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The borderline comical actually was seeing a guy

> at Cafe G who had his keyboard and mouse along

> with him for his laptop and was properly setup!

>

> I get why people do it and I guess if Cafe's

> didn't want them then they wouldn't offer free

> wifi... does it p!ss me off when I can't find a

> seat in a cafe? Yes but thats not really their

> fault.


I think Cafes prefer to look full than empty (everyone

likes the popular pubs and cafes).

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • A Google search brought up eleven Chango  branches, although they don't all seem to be listed on their website. In the order they came up: East Dulwich, Clapham Common, Mayfair, Wandsworth, City of London, Wimbledon,  Parsons Green, Kensington, Highgate, Richmond, Hampstead. I think it is the positioning of this new branch that has mostly got to me. I accept that they would have to go for where a space became vacant, but Lordship Lane is pretty long, even just the part with shops in,  and choosing to  open a stone's throw away from Chacarero seems mean, to say the least. I wonder if they have made contact with Chacarero. It would be nice to think they had (in a friendly way, obviously!) As regards the apparent  marketing spiel, at least one of the online reviewers also refers to a Chango branch (the Parsons Green one in this case) as a "gem". Probably just coincidence and a word in common use to describe such places. I wouldn't know. I'm ancient 🤣
    • I like empanadas. I don't think Chango is a massive chain - it's got a few stores all in London I believe (stand to be corrected if I've got that wrong). I don't see a problem with them opening on the Lane personally. I really like Chacarero, but that doesn't mean that they should be immune from competition - if they're successful and open a couple more stores, are we then meant to stop supporting them for being a 'chain'?  That opening post does sound a lot like marketing spiel though. Is the OP perhaps connected to the new business I wonder?
    • According to what I can see online, Dynamic Vines and Cave de Bruno sell totally different kinds of wine to each other.  Dynamic Vines  "work with independent winemakers who produce outstanding wine using sustainable practices in the vineyard and minimal intervention in the cellar".  Cave de Bruno specialises in French wines and spirits from small independent producers. So two different USPs, and no doubt two different but overlapping customer bases who can afford these wines. Probably different again to the people mainly  shopping for wine at Majestic or the Co op. On the other hand, the two empanada shops appear on the face of it to be selling virtually identical products. But time will tell, won't it? Let's see how they are both doing in - say - a couple of years' time. Impossible, of course, to compare that with how they would have done if there had been only one of them. I just feel more  sorry for the original one than for  the one which can apparently already afford to have a number of shops in places like Mayfair and Highgate. I'm tempted to buy something there every week, and I don't even like that kind of pastry 🤣
    • Not only can he turn olive oil into Vermouth, but also water into a wine. A true miracle worker.  I wouldn't say a wine shop sells a wide variety of things - and there are two right next to each other.  And once upon a time, upmarket pizza shops were very specific. So were burritos etc. These Argentinian cornish pasties are clearly becoming mainstream; we should consider ourselves lucky to be witnessing this exciting upward trend within our lifetimes and on OUR HIGH STREET. We can tell our grandkids that we remember when there was no internet and no empanadas.  I'm sure that if the family empanada people have a good business head, they'll be able to ride this wave of competition, just like Bruno has. 
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...