Getty A woman says she is "fed up" with people using public coffee spots like their own personal "offices" She recently "popped in for a coffee at a local shop and was surrounded by four separate people working with laptops, headphones and piles of paperwork" The woman shared her experience on Mumsnet, where her post generated much debate among her fellow community members A woman says she is "fed up" with people treatingcoffee shopslike "offices" — and her complaint has sparked an online debate. The woman detailed her experience in the"Am I Being Unreasonable?"forum on the U.K.-based site Mumsnet, a place where people can go to seek advice and input from their fellow community members. In her post, titled, "Fed up with drinking coffee in other people's offices," the woman shares that she recently "popped in for a coffee at a local shop and was surrounded by four separate people working with laptops, headphones and piles of paperwork." Getty The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! She adds that some of the people around her were"loudly talking"to clients and "arranging chairs" for meetings — noting they had "no food or drink in sight." While the original poster (OP) says she has "no particular problem" with "people working in coffee shops," she thinks that things have gone too far. She also wonders if there might even be a "confidentiality issue here," noting that one of the people working had a list containing other people's "personal information" — in clear view of other customers. "Does anyone else feel fed up with this or am I just being a misery?" the woman asks at the end of her post. A number of Mumsnet members were quick to commiserate with the OP, sharing that they, too, dislike the phenomenon of people using coffee shops as work stations. "That sounds awful. The only work that should be done in coffee shops isquiet computer work, no meetings or calls," said one person. "As someone who could work from coffee shops myself if I wanted, I have to say that [working in them] kills the vibe for me … I just don't want to be reminded of work when I'm going for a coffee," added someone else. Getty Others, however, said they think the situation is more complex, noting that a lot of coffee spots rely on those customers to stay in business. "Coffee shops are community spaces. Places to study, work, meet friends, escape. Whatever the community needs them to be. Take away coffee is a great option if you're looking for a space that's less sociable. You could take it to a park, and sit on a bench," one person said before adding, "These coffee shops wouldn't exist if they didn't provide such space for people. And in the absence of local libraries these days, where else are people to go." Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Getty "YABU [you are being unreasonable]," said someone else. "I regularly work from my local coffee shop on my WFH [work-from-home] days. I will buy coffees etc., tip the staff well and they don't mind it. If you don't like it, you are free to go to another coffee shop." Another person said, "Dunno what the difference is between people talking on a call or people talking to each other or to their kids? As long as they aren't asking you to hush orexpecting a library like atmosphere, then I can't see the difference." Read the original article onPeople
