5 ms·

In very big cities, this is a huge gamble on top of being a lot of faith put into a stranger.

joenot443 4y ago
Well if you're working there every day and so are they, one would hope they're not a stranger anymore :) Also, no one's stopping you from bringing your laptop to the bathroom if you're worried the person you asked is going to steal it. I've personally never been in a restaurant or co-working space where I didn't feel comfortable asking a stranger to watch my stuff, but perhaps we frequent different places. It's one of those things where you just need to flex some social and observational muscles, remember your priors, and make a decision. What can you discern about the person you're asking? What kind of trends or aggregates can you use to decide if this is the kind of person who's going to steal your stuff? Are you in a nice part of Manhattan, or are you in the Tenderloin? Lots of factors, naturally. It's the kind of thing you have to decide for yourself in the moment, but I'd hope most people intelligent enough to be reading this have the social awareness to know when it makes sense to put your trust in strangers like that.
reaperducer 4y ago
In very big cities, this is a huge gamble on top of being a lot of faith put into a stranger. I've done this thousands of times in cities from New York to Los Angeles, and never had a problem. It's part of modern cafe culture. If you're worried, you take your computer with you and leave your wires and stuff behind to mark your place.
- bombcar 4y ago
  Now I'm imagining a laptop with a suction base that "sucks down" onto the table and won't let go until you login.
  - reaperducer 4y ago
    There used to be a Mac program for this situation ("There's an app for that!", right?) You start the program and it counts down from 10. At zero it disables sleep, and displays a warning screen stating that the computer is alarmed and should not be moved by anyone but the owner. When the owner returns, he enters a password to end the program. If anyone tries to move the computer in his absence, the vibration sensor triggers a screeching alarm.
  - tdeck 4y ago
    If your laptop has a Kensington lock slot you can lock it with a cable that wraps around a table leg.

Well if you're working there every day and so are they, one would hope they're not a stranger anymore :) Also, no one's stopping you from bringing your laptop to the bathroom if you're worried the person you asked is going to steal it. I've personally never been in a restaurant or co-working space where I didn't feel comfortable asking a stranger to watch my stuff, but perhaps we frequent different places. It's one of those things where you just need to flex some social and observational muscles, remember your priors, and make a decision. What can you discern about the person you're asking? What kind of trends or aggregates can you use to decide if this is the kind of person who's going to steal your stuff? Are you in a nice part of Manhattan, or are you in the Tenderloin? Lots of factors, naturally. It's the kind of thing you have to decide for yourself in the moment, but I'd hope most people intelligent enough to be reading this have the social awareness to know when it makes sense to put your trust in strangers like that.

reaperducer 4y ago

In very big cities, this is a huge gamble on top of being a lot of faith put into a stranger. I've done this thousands of times in cities from New York to Los Angeles, and never had a problem. It's part of modern cafe culture. If you're worried, you take your computer with you and leave your wires and stuff behind to mark your place.

bombcar 4y ago
Now I'm imagining a laptop with a suction base that "sucks down" onto the table and won't let go until you login.
- reaperducer 4y ago
  There used to be a Mac program for this situation ("There's an app for that!", right?) You start the program and it counts down from 10. At zero it disables sleep, and displays a warning screen stating that the computer is alarmed and should not be moved by anyone but the owner. When the owner returns, he enters a password to end the program. If anyone tries to move the computer in his absence, the vibration sensor triggers a screeching alarm.
- tdeck 4y ago
  If your laptop has a Kensington lock slot you can lock it with a cable that wraps around a table leg.