When Tables Become Offices

I don’t quite understand this.

It’s dinner time. The café is packed. People are walking around with trays, scanning for seats like it’s a competitive sport. Seats are limited. Every table matters.

And yet, a laptop is open on a table. One drink. One person. The dining table has quietly become a co-working desk. I counted. Three such tables.

I’m not against working hard. I respect hustle.

But a café at peak hour is not a private office. It’s shared space. It’s meant for people to eat, talk, and then move on so the next family can sit down.

Sometimes the issue isn’t rules. It’s consideration.

In a crowded city like ours, space is already expensive. Must we also rent it by the hour with one cup of kopi?

Maybe the real question is not “Can I?” but “Should I?”

What do you think?

P.S. I am not referring to Starbucks.