Free WiFi: Why?

When we as a family used to travel a lot either by plane or by car, the options for occupying oneself in the hotels and airport terminals were limited. A pile of books was the chief means. Sometimes I would have some music on a cassette tape. The hotels usually trumpeted the availability of HBO, which tended to be a disappointment. If all else failed, the other members of the family could be engaged in conversation. It never would have occurred to me that the family computer be brought along for amusement or productivity.

For one thing, it was obviously far too heavy and fragile to even contemplate such a thing. Secondly, the internet was hardly even a thing at that time. How things change. Most places you go now offer Wifi. I have said that if they have it on Greyhound buses and at Denny's, then they must have it anywhere they ever will. It's a very handy thing, and I found it indispensable on this trip. Numerous times did we consult it for logistical matters that would have been brought to the man at the front desk, and heavily did I lean on it for amusement instead of the tv.

It does have its limitations, however. The hotel (or other business) has no real liability with other amenities it offers. From the tv to the little coffee machine, there's just so much mischief an occupant can get into. Not so with the internet. There are any number of very serious crimes that the hotel might find itself embroiled in as a result of granting free internet, and so they saddle you with a most inconvenient procedure for consenting to their terms of service. You might think that consent just once would be enough, but they insist that you reaffirm it every few minutes. This was the case most places I went.

Lest I appear to be complaining about minor matters on the periphery of a miracle, let me say that I'm positively delighted by this development in travel. Even the airplane offered internet access, and at a price I would even call somewhat less than gouging. I was still content to read during that time, but I can imagine finding the service quite useful. It really is most handy to have on hand, and there goes another thing that we used to get by without and now can't remember how.