Notspot

Today,

I decide to go for a walk, to enjoy my “newfound freedom”. In my infinite wisdom, I think to myself “Self, why not bring the laptop with you? There are a ton of coffee shops in the neighborhood, I’m sure they have wireless Internet. It’ll be great! You can sit back, sip some tea, and keep that there website thing you do up to date.”

Well, to my surprise, there is a lot of wireless Internet in my ‘hood, but, it all costs money. Starbucks, Timothy’s, and though I can’t confirm (yet) Second Cup all have some stupid Hotspot access scheme, that works through Telus Mobility. You need to create an account or sign in with a credit card and PAY to use the Internet at the café. This is AFTER you’ve already bought something, and had to put up with the cackling group of middle-aged behind you women talking about what fabric softener smells the most like lavender, or the literary differences between such great films as The Aristocrats and The Aristocats.

The reason I say that Hotspot access (that’s the name of the program) is stupid is because making people pay to use the internet at a café for anything other than checking your email is not going to work. If I owned a store in this neighborhood, the first thing I would do is head to the nearest computer store, plunk down the $40 for a wireless router, and viola! Free Internet for my customers. Anyone with half a brain knows free is good. I can tell you right now I won’t be using my newfound freedom time at any of the cafés in the surrounding area again anytime soon. That’s why this is being posted from home, and not, as I had hoped, from the comfort and pseudo-cool environs of the coffe shop.

(As a side note, I am attempting to down my tea as fast as the laws of thermodynamics will allow. Every second I spend here reminds me why I stopped hanging out at coffee shops… at least during the day.)