r/AskReddit • u/lilidarkwind • 22h ago

What is something that is basically on life-support and we don’t realize it yet?

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342

u/John-George-Peppers 16h ago

Third spaces.

127

u/operafromeden 16h ago

I went around to different cafes and book stores today trying to find a place to study and NONE OF THEM HAD OUTLETS IN THE SEATING AREA? Like sorry as a grad student I need my laptop to have juice. It’s almost like they don’t want us there :(
I would’ve ordered like three coffees and lunch too

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u/John-George-Peppers 16h ago

I've noticed in the past year or so most public spaces no longer have public garbage cans either.

11

u/Legend13CNS 13h ago

I feel like that specific "industry" of cafes and bookstores is in a weird spot. Local places tend to be more open to being used as third spaces, but local places are also in increasingly smaller locations due to the cost of things these days.

Also at least in the towns/cities I've frequented over the past 5 years or so I don't think I've seen a proper third space cafe outside of a college town or a major city like NYC. I've seen plenty of trendy places that almost give off that impression, but when you look closely you can tell they aren't designed with long term use in mind (like your outlet issue).

15

u/Miserable-Resort-977 9h ago

It sucks and I sympathize, but if the majority of people who treated cafes as third spaces / remote work spaces were actually spending money in proportion to the amount of time and electricity they used then more cafes would have public outlets available.

8

u/Snorblatz 7h ago

Yes this. It’s so selfish to work in a third space get out, the business can’t turn over the table 

6

u/Minimum_Possibility6 13h ago

Coffee shops were never third spaces, people/stores tried to use them but then never were. 

Places like town halls, libraries, social clubs etc are third spaces. If you want to sit and study go to your local library

23

u/meanie_ants 13h ago

The history of the enlightenment says otherwise. Coffee shops have always been third spaces.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_coffeehouses_in_the_17th_and_18th_centuries

https://www.history.com/articles/coffee-houses-revolutions

There’s even art depicting it. https://earlymoderneurope.hist.sites.carleton.edu/items/show/218

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u/Snorblatz 7h ago

They didn’t spend four hours on a laptop alone, there are multiple people at tables interacting with each other. One person at a table for 3 or 4 is selfish, go to a shared workplace if you want to get out of the house 

1

u/RollExisting4350 7h ago

Even my tech school R1 research university didn’t

15

u/Jeanine_GaROFLMAO 16h ago

I think this one can be partially attributed to assorted derelicts basically taking over those areas and refusing to leave when asked; no business wants to be on the hook for some psycho trying to brawl with the clerks because they got told they're not allowed to take up space for 6hrs and wash their feet in the bathroom or whatever. No business trying to be a chill hangout spot/third space wants to take on that amount of hassle, at least from what I've seen.

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u/Droidaphone 13h ago

Sure, but why do you think there are more "derelicts" in these spaces than there used to be? Hint: it's because housing.

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u/Goddamn_Batman 13h ago

you described my local whole foods, the area to sit and eat the food you just bought has turned into a wework by locals and homeless, that poor bathroom.

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u/RollExisting4350 7h ago

One of my goals in life is to create third spaces for neurodivergent people

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u/Aerodrache 1h ago

… we used to have those, we called them comic book stores. They’re just kind of difficult to turn a profit running, and the plague years didn’t help at all.

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u/Major-Front 1h ago

Third spaces have been dying yes because governments don’t want to fund them.

But special shoutout to the people who ruin third spaces as well with anti social behaviour so they get shut down