Part of me was pissed off and thought “it’s their loss” — I was probably going to buy some coffee and now I wouldn’t. But another part of me thought that it’s their business and they can choose to ask me to leave if they want, whether I like it or not, and whether or not I think it’s plain ol’ bad business.

I would add that attracting people to sit at their tables is a part of Starbucks business strategy. Having people sitting and using their wireless network actually helps to make them appear to be cool, useful, busy (choose your positive description) which helps them sell more of their products even if the people sitting in their chairs don’t actually purchase anything (sorry if you made this argument already - it just occurred to me).

In any case, I think sitting at Starbucks and using their wireless network without buying anything is akin to using the restrooms at a gas station or McDonalds without buying anything which I would argue is commonly accepted as a reasonable practice. Granted using Starbucks is probably a longer process but I think the analogy holds true.

As I’ve stated all along - This is a business decision & practice by Starbucks to improve their bottom line of sales. It is not opposed to their profit, rather, it is part of why they are so profitable. They are willing to invest in customers like me, their services & free products in order to promote sales. They know that if I’m at Starbucks (vs. the local library) that I’m more likely to purchase something from them than if I’m not there.

And so they encourage my presence by extending their tables & chairs to me free of charge because they know basic economics principles. They know that there is “no free lunch” or in this case, free coffee. My presence at their table and the “free” samples are “paid for” or included in the price of their products.

Ultimately, I believe that this is what causes so much disdain & reaction to my practice. Not as though I was “pulling a fast one on Starbucks” or “sticking it to the man,” but because I make purchases based on desire not obligation (all within Starbucks business practices), causing others who make obligatory purchases recognize the short-sidedness of their own purchasing practices.