I am in the bay area (east bay, not SF) and frequent a couple of local coffee shops to do some work. Thankfully, the places I go don't have quite the turnover a

I am in the bay area (east bay, not SF) and frequent a couple of local coffee shops to do some work. Thankfully, the places I go don't have quite the turnover a busy area like SF does, and there are a lot of regulars. People kind of keep an eye out for each other and their stuff when they leave to use the restroom. In 2 years I haven't seen or heard of anyone having anything other than a bicycle stolen. Of course I know that doesn't mean someone won't drop in, swipe something and run out, so I still occasionally will take my laptop with me and leave my (otherwise worthless) backpack on the chair and coffee on the table. But if I see a few familiar faces nearby I don't feel too bad about leaving the laptop on the table for a couple of minutes. Of course, I'm rocking a 4 year old off-brand PC... not exactly a desirable item. A high-end machine or anything Apple and I might handle it differently just because of the value. The cell phone is another matter, as I feel like those are a much easier and somewhat more desirable item for thieves. I don't even leave that on the table while I'm sitting there, it stays in my pocket at all times unless I'm talking.