Are coffee shops, of all fucking places, going to become the latest bastion of rudeness in our society, in which a fellow American who simply wants to purchase a cup of coffee and sit quietly, for nine hours, typing on a laptop, with papers and shit spread out all over the table as if this is his personal fucking office, is "not welcome?"

We fear it may be so. Already, some of our city's snootier coffee shops have given hardworking laptop hobos the cold shoulder. No matter; internet-connected squatters always knew they would be welcome at Starbucks. But has even Starbucks' patience run out? Jim Romenesko's Starbucks Gossip site says yes! A Starbucks tipster tells him that some NYC Starbucks locations are now covering up their electrical outlets to discourage laptop hobos, because "some people just cannot be reasoned with."

Well. I. Never. That's what you get for your years of loyal patronage consisting of spending two dollars in exchange for an entire day's worth of space and electricity and wi-fi access! What next, no overnight camping in public libraries? Assholes.

[Starbucks Gossip; image via Mike Licht/Flickr]