Elctronic device usage in café/restaurants.
Discussion
We ve all seen people using a laptop/tablet to undertake work/business in a restaurant/café, maybe we ve done it ourselves, if it doesn t inconvenience the proprietor/customers, what s the problem?
A lot of businesses, especially those in tourist areas realise, they need to provide facilities to attract customers who what to remain connected; I m sure a lot of us have viewed PH in a public space.
This has become far more prevalent as the technology has become increasingly portable. I ve recently seen customers with a mobile phone stand, lighting rig and separate microphone; live streaming from a restaurant/cafe.
This is intrusive on several levels, noise, lighting and possibly being part unwilling participant in their production, intervenes and asks for them to refrain I m just creating content man the business owner, is then placed in a difficult position.
However, there are dinning establishments in certain parts of the world, where the staff are too polite/embarrassed, to tell them to sod off . These nice alternative lifestyle content creators , knowingly abuse the goodwill of the proprietors, safe in the knowledge that their hosts culture, does not like confrontation.
Many of these businesses, become a victim of their own success, by providing a nice relaxing environment with decent food and beverages, they quickly fill up with so called digital nomads . I m not against people using their electronic devices, provided it doesn t impact on my experience.
If you don t mind waiting Sir, we ll seat you both shortly.
What happened to consideration for your fellow person? Are there other examples of poor digital behavior you ve encountered?
A lot of businesses, especially those in tourist areas realise, they need to provide facilities to attract customers who what to remain connected; I m sure a lot of us have viewed PH in a public space.
This has become far more prevalent as the technology has become increasingly portable. I ve recently seen customers with a mobile phone stand, lighting rig and separate microphone; live streaming from a restaurant/cafe.
This is intrusive on several levels, noise, lighting and possibly being part unwilling participant in their production, intervenes and asks for them to refrain I m just creating content man the business owner, is then placed in a difficult position.
However, there are dinning establishments in certain parts of the world, where the staff are too polite/embarrassed, to tell them to sod off . These nice alternative lifestyle content creators , knowingly abuse the goodwill of the proprietors, safe in the knowledge that their hosts culture, does not like confrontation.
Many of these businesses, become a victim of their own success, by providing a nice relaxing environment with decent food and beverages, they quickly fill up with so called digital nomads . I m not against people using their electronic devices, provided it doesn t impact on my experience.
If you don t mind waiting Sir, we ll seat you both shortly.
What happened to consideration for your fellow person? Are there other examples of poor digital behavior you ve encountered?
Edited by daqinggregg on Monday 13th October 10:16
daqinggregg said:
We ve all seen people using a laptop/tablet to undertake work/business in a restaurant/café, maybe we ve done it ourselves, if it doesn t inconvenience the proprietor/customers, what s the problem?
A lot of businesses, especially those in tourist areas realise, they need to provide facilities to attract customers who what to remain connected; I m sure a lot of us have viewed PH in a public space.
This has become far more prevalent as the technology has become increasingly portable. I ve recently seen customers with a mobile phone stand, lighting rig and separate microphone; live streaming from a restaurant/cafe.
This is intrusive on several levels, noise, lighting and possibly being part unwilling participant in their production, intervenes and asks for them to refrain I m just creating content man the business owner, is then placed in a difficult position.
However, there are dinning establishments in certain parts of the world, where the staff are too polite/embarrassed, to tell them to sod off . These nice alternative lifestyle content creators , knowingly abuse the goodwill of the proprietors, safe in the knowledge that their hosts culture, does not like confrontation.
Many of these businesses, become a victim of their own success, by providing a nice relaxing environment with decent food and beverages, they quickly fill up with so called digital nomads . I m not against people using their electronic devices, provided it doesn t impact on my experience.
If you don t mind waiting Sir, we ll seat you both shortly.
What happened to consideration for your fellow person? Are there other examples of poor digital behavior you ve encountered?
I haven't come across the creator behaviour before but if I did, I'd ask them (as a paying customer) to pipe down and not bother me whilst I was eating. If they filmed me without my permission then their portable devices would get trodden on. A lot of businesses, especially those in tourist areas realise, they need to provide facilities to attract customers who what to remain connected; I m sure a lot of us have viewed PH in a public space.
This has become far more prevalent as the technology has become increasingly portable. I ve recently seen customers with a mobile phone stand, lighting rig and separate microphone; live streaming from a restaurant/cafe.
This is intrusive on several levels, noise, lighting and possibly being part unwilling participant in their production, intervenes and asks for them to refrain I m just creating content man the business owner, is then placed in a difficult position.
However, there are dinning establishments in certain parts of the world, where the staff are too polite/embarrassed, to tell them to sod off . These nice alternative lifestyle content creators , knowingly abuse the goodwill of the proprietors, safe in the knowledge that their hosts culture, does not like confrontation.
Many of these businesses, become a victim of their own success, by providing a nice relaxing environment with decent food and beverages, they quickly fill up with so called digital nomads . I m not against people using their electronic devices, provided it doesn t impact on my experience.
If you don t mind waiting Sir, we ll seat you both shortly.
What happened to consideration for your fellow person? Are there other examples of poor digital behavior you ve encountered?
Edited by daqinggregg on Monday 13th October 10:16
I've come across the loud video call in a restaurant and after about 30 seconds I got up and asked them to either end their call, take it outside or quieten down. They quietened down thankfully and there was palpable relief from the rest of the restaurant. My personal opinion is that creators are scum and shouldn't be allowed in restaurants or anywhere where other people might gather. (Yes, that means they should stay at home. Or failing that, get a proper bloody job.)
I‘ll get in before anyone else does, there’s some appalling typos in that and I wrote it, poor effort.
For anyone saying they haven’t witnessed this type of behaviour, maybe you haven’t visited an ‘insta-destination’ I can assure you it’s real.
Probably not such a problem in the UK, where ‘one’ would tell them to ‘sod off’, but in a country with a non confrontational culture, it’s a different matter.
It’s the total lack of consideration for others, these people display, which irks me.
For anyone saying they haven’t witnessed this type of behaviour, maybe you haven’t visited an ‘insta-destination’ I can assure you it’s real.
Probably not such a problem in the UK, where ‘one’ would tell them to ‘sod off’, but in a country with a non confrontational culture, it’s a different matter.
It’s the total lack of consideration for others, these people display, which irks me.
The Instagram TikTok influencer stuff is only really an issue in London restaurants I have noticed. Haven't seen it anywhere else. A lot of these proper influencer videos are filmed when the restaurant is doing a specific event for them and its closed to others. I have seen that often in London too. Its also why I don't ever take any notice of what they post because its obvious they are being paid for it and its an advert when they are trying all on the menu and going behind to the kitchen etc. The sites need to clamp down on the paid promotion stuff and start enforcing the adverts need to be properly displayed.
The other issue you mention of people working is something I have only ever seen in cafes, coffee shops and casual eating places. Never seen it in a proper restaurant. Not to say it doesnt happen. As above though some cafes, coffee shops and pubs encourage it and you can pay for a table to work.
Until it starts impacting on my enjoyment I dont worry about it. In a decent restaurant recently there was a mother with three feral kids that was more of a problem and when she was challenged by the staff she said "my generation dont parent the kids can do what they please" :O
The other issue you mention of people working is something I have only ever seen in cafes, coffee shops and casual eating places. Never seen it in a proper restaurant. Not to say it doesnt happen. As above though some cafes, coffee shops and pubs encourage it and you can pay for a table to work.
Until it starts impacting on my enjoyment I dont worry about it. In a decent restaurant recently there was a mother with three feral kids that was more of a problem and when she was challenged by the staff she said "my generation dont parent the kids can do what they please" :O
Possibly it’s not such a big issue in the UK, here in Asia, especially locations renowned for their natural beauty and laid back vibe, it’s becoming a problem.
I have no gripe with people doing work (I guess that’s hypocritical) one could argue influencers are doing work.
However, it’s the people using an establishment to create/livestream content, their not moving until they’re done; your space is their space.
These tasks can be done from a hotel room, oh but they wouldn’t have the laid back vibe as a backdrop.
It’s not about people making content about the restaurant more about using the restaurant to make content.
I’m not against influencers reviewing restaurants, if their making good content, fair play to them.
I am against them passing off ‘paid for content’ as an impartial review, same for car reviews; disingenuous behavior.
What really gets my goat, many of these ‘content creators’ would not behave this way in their home countries.
However, in countries with a none confrontational culture, they abuse that safe in the knowledge they wont be challenged.
I have no gripe with people doing work (I guess that’s hypocritical) one could argue influencers are doing work.
However, it’s the people using an establishment to create/livestream content, their not moving until they’re done; your space is their space.
These tasks can be done from a hotel room, oh but they wouldn’t have the laid back vibe as a backdrop.
It’s not about people making content about the restaurant more about using the restaurant to make content.
I’m not against influencers reviewing restaurants, if their making good content, fair play to them.
I am against them passing off ‘paid for content’ as an impartial review, same for car reviews; disingenuous behavior.
What really gets my goat, many of these ‘content creators’ would not behave this way in their home countries.
However, in countries with a none confrontational culture, they abuse that safe in the knowledge they wont be challenged.
I remember reading a BBC article about this recently, it’s such a problem in South Korea that they even have a name for the punters … Cagongjok. Places are starting to put rules and restrictions in place to deal with this, which is a good thing. Not sure how successful that will be though.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c80d9e8ep7do
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c80d9e8ep7do
It's never bothered me. Certainly not someone on a laptop, most of the time they're not even having a phone conversation.
Beyond that, there's plenty you could get annoyed about with other people, whether it's in person conversations at the volume level of Americans, dogs barking, kids screaming. Live and let live.
Beyond that, there's plenty you could get annoyed about with other people, whether it's in person conversations at the volume level of Americans, dogs barking, kids screaming. Live and let live.
I was in sunny Bormuff in July and popped to Southbourne to get some bits for my bicycle rebuild. The place was rammed!
Turns out the bike shop owner, in order to keep going, turned probably 70% of his shop into a cafe and it’s now filled with folks working on laptops all day….. so long as they keep buying coffee and cakes, the guy doesn’t care!
Most coffee shops in Luxembourg’s capital village are filled with day users. No idea why. There are plenty of really good shared working spaces available for cheaper - when the coffee there is free.
Turns out the bike shop owner, in order to keep going, turned probably 70% of his shop into a cafe and it’s now filled with folks working on laptops all day….. so long as they keep buying coffee and cakes, the guy doesn’t care!
Most coffee shops in Luxembourg’s capital village are filled with day users. No idea why. There are plenty of really good shared working spaces available for cheaper - when the coffee there is free.
blueg33 said:
I'm having lunch at Fallow on thursday, it seems to be popular with the vlogging restaurant reviewers, i wonder whether there will be any there?
The two head chefs are more likely to be filming as much as any other punters, from what I can tell 
For the avoidance of doubt, I quite like their channel, some good cooking content.
Digger said:
blueg33 said:
I'm having lunch at Fallow on thursday, it seems to be popular with the vlogging restaurant reviewers, i wonder whether there will be any there?
The two head chefs are more likely to be filming as much as any other punters, from what I can tell For the avoidance of doubt, I quite like their channel, some good cooking content.
I note there's 'crispy Old Spot pig's head' on the menu at £59.
That's a must
RustyMX5 said:
If they filmed me without my permission then their portable devices would get trodden on.
You'd probably be arrested for criminal damage. In a public place you have no expectation of privacy and the only person or people who could state 'no filming' would be the owners of the cafe/restaurant. Even then someone could film you through the window from the pavement outside and there would be sweet FA you could do about it.Gassing Station | Food, Drink & Restaurants | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff