Seen

Non-coffee shop-goers often labor under the illusion that people go to coffee shops to work. The depth of this illusion proves just how misunderstood coffee shop culture is. To be fair, we ourselves often misrepresent our reasons for frequenting these places. Witness, common things we tell ourselves (or others) about our habits:

1. We want to read the paper over a good cup of coffee (with or without the requisite biscotti).
2. It's a convenient place to meet with people to discuss business, projects, love, life, whatever.
3. It's a change of scenery from the office/department/house/hotel, one that is somehow (and inexplicably) conducive to Getting Work Done.
   

No matter what pretensions we have for ourselves as far as doing "work" goes (whatever kind of work we might actually be attempting to do), in reality we go to coffee shops and sit for three reasons:

1. To kill time.
2. To observe others.
3. To be seen.

Don't let anyone try to fool you. Unless they habitually tuck themselves out of sight into a quiet nook to read, no one sitting in a coffee shop really expects any serious privacy. We might not admit this to ourselves, but it's a simple cultural truth. And while some of the things we say might actually be true (e.g., it sometimes is better to discuss business at a place like this, especially if the subject is too sensitive or politically dangerous to discuss at the office/department/whatever), the bottom line is that we come here to see and be seen.

And those guys/gals who do tuck themselves away in a corner with a book? They're not fooling anyone.