If you don’t own a notebook computer but you still want to write term papers or browse the web from Starbucks, apparently the staff doesn’t mind. Recently, one Starbucks location in New York City was invaded by a few individuals who brought old Windows PCs, monitors included, to do some “work” and film the event for posterity.
It was the latest mission from Improv Everywhere, a group of undercover “agents” who create “scenes of chaos and joy everywhere” (but mainly in New York).
Some Starbucks customers believed these were public computers and stood behind the “agents” waiting for their turn to use the machines.
The Starbucks staff never gave us any trouble at all. In fact, it didn’t seem like it occurred to them that the three computer users might have known each other. One employee walked by me and laughed. I asked him what was going on and he pointed at the three computer users and declared, “They mean BUSINESS…” The manager told me that it must be “midterms” and that they were probably students from FIT, a college across the street… he didn’t put together that we were all part of a prank.
The Improv Everywhere report includes photos and videos of the “mission.”
Mobile Desktop [Improv Everywhere]
Published or updated February 25, 2008. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to the RSS feed or receive daily emails. Follow @flexo on Twitter and visit our Facebook page for more updates.
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Luke Landes founded Consumerism Commentary in 2003 and has been building online communities since 1990. Luke, also known as Flexo, has contributed to PC World Magazine, US News, Forbes, and other publications. 
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
The part about people waiting in line because they thought these were public computers made me laugh. Hehe
If the guy was smart he would charge $5 per person to check their email quickly!
That’s pretty funny, reminds me of when I was in a coffee shop last month and this older lady started setting up her iMac, computer, keyboard, mouse and all. It’s definitely not the full system these guys had set up, but still, I wondered has she heard of a laptop?