laptop hobo
English
Noun
laptop hobo (plural laptop hobos)
- (informal) A heavy user of freely available Wi-Fi and/or power outlets at coffeeshops.
- 2011, Stephen Quinn, "Hobo with a laptop", Globe and Mail, 30 September 2011:
- Real laptop hobos you'll find in the windows of coffee shops up the street that offer free WiFi and unprotected electrical outlets.
- 2012, Denise Ryan, "‘Laptop hobos’ face crackdown", Vancouver Sun, 8 January 2012:
- Starbucks started the war on laptop hobos (you know who you are, essay/screenplay/blog writers) who camp for the free Wi-Fi, nurse a single coffee for hours and take up valuable real estate.
- 2013, Steve Raabe, "Colorado coffee shops putting limits on power, Wi-Fi use", Denver Post, 5 July 2013:
- The "laptop hobo" phenomenon — patrons buying one coffee and spending ensuing hours browsing the Web — is a growing issue with food and beverage operations.
- For more examples of usage of this term, see Citations:laptop hobo.
- 2011, Stephen Quinn, "Hobo with a laptop", Globe and Mail, 30 September 2011: