Free Wifi Adventures
I had some internet problems yesterday so last night, I was forced to seek out alternative sources of internet. My phone has terrible data coverage where I am right now, so the only option I had was to find a place that has free wifi. In comes the public library.
The library was already closed at this point, so I chose to do what any normal person would do: sit in their car with a laptop in the parking lot and use their wifi! There was already another van of two people who seemed to already be doing the same, so I guess I was in good company. Once it got dark though, I felt super creepy for sitting in a car at night in an empty parking lot. Every single twig crunch I heard caused me to look around for the person who could be approaching my car (I was getting paranoid for some reason too).
About 2 hours into my internetting, a car pulls in and parks right next to me. I avoided looking over for as long as I could, as to not be any extra creepy. But then I saw the glow of a laptop screen in their vehicle. Does everyone seriously do this at night? Is going to the parking lot of a place with free wifi just a common thing that I, for some reason, never knew about? Maybe the people in this small town (read: population 6k) are just different than other people =)
In related news, I have internets now where I’m staying and will not have to do the above again!
-Justin
It sounds like you were smoking down. Not accusing you or anything, just it sounds like you wanted to get high and used laptops as a metaphor.
Definitely does kinda sound that way =P
apparantly the library is where all the cool kids hang out at night . . .
I wish our libraries had free internets. They charge us 1€/h, which is kind of cheap, but you also can't buy extra time when the library's closed. Same thing with the train stations, although their pass words are easily hackable. McDonald's still has free wifi, I remember one night when I really had to tell all my Facebook friends how high I was, and how awesome it was that I could tell them at 4am sitting outside the McDonald's.
Way to be sketchy J. Maybe those folks were wardriving?
Maybe you slipped into an alternate reality and somehow was time teleported back to 1995 and the Hackers movie!
Sorry, can't chat right now. I'm hacking the Gibson.
I always use Starbucks! You can just stand right outside and it's on 24/7. And the best part is that Starbucks is EVERYWHERE. NOt for you coffee needs but for internets needs. (=
No Starbucks within and hour and a half of this town. There was one about 30 minutes away, but it closed about 6 months after opening. I guess people here just don't respect coffee and coffee-related products.
I live in a small town too, and it actually is a really common thing. Lots of people use the free library wifi after hours, whether sitting on the sidewalk or in their cars…it's free! why not, right?
I thought I had such an unusual idea, but was saddened by all the old people already doing what I was doing.
Thanks for the confirmation on the small town thingie things =)
i take a walk in the neighbourhood until i get a signal. not with a laptop of course, no with my iPod, because that just makes it so much better. suburbia has its perks
i've gone out with my friend around midnight and sat behind the library with her ipod touch using their wifi because it was closer than walking back to my house.
When I left University I had no job for 6 months and my parents refused to pay for the line rental to have the internet where we lived.
So I used to take a trip into the nearest town on the bus (I couldn't drive back then either) with my Mac and pop into the local Pub. They had free WiFi so I made that glass of Cola last as long as humanly possible…
Never underestimate the power of the can-tenna. I've pulled in a signal from waaaay off with one. Also try a DirecTV dish … they're dirt common since folks leave them behind when they move. You might be able to source one from a rental community.
I have never thought of this, and I will definitely do this if I need to. I didn't think it was a metaphor for smoking, because this sounds like something I would seriously do if I lost my internets.
F*ckin’ awesome things here. I’m very glad to see your post. Thanks a lot and i’m looking forward to contact you. Will you please drop me a e-mail?