Cafés need to stop insisting we put our laptops away

Imagine the scene. It’s a bright, sunny day, and instead of working from the grim bedroom of your basement flat-share, you decide to treat yourself and head out for the day.

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You arrive at your favourite local café; order an artisanal (read: expensive) coffee and pastry; get yourself settled in a window seat where you can people-watch in between tasks and pull out your laptop.

But wait — an invisible line of red tape has been crossed! You've unwittingly committeda cardinal sin at this particular establishment! The barista gives a passive-aggressive cough and nods towards the window, where a jaunty “No laptops please! Thanks for understanding (winky face)” sign sits in judgement.

This scenario is increasingly becoming a reality in independent cafés across the UK. A recent Guardian article referenced three separate London proprietors who explained the reasoning behind their enforced computer ban. One bussiness owner cited the “energy” being off when his three branches were full of hunched, silent punters tapping away on laptops rather than a community of people chatting and laughing.