Like a bad penny...

...the idea that it makes sense for Wi-Fi users to pay for the ability to print at a hotspot just won't go away.

Gosh, I don't know.  Maybe there are people out there so wedded to the twentieth-century concept of having something on paper-and so steeped in the culture of instant gratification-that something like this does make sense to them.  I just don't recall running across any lately, that's all.

Anyway, I happened upon this on a blog local to Brockton, Massachusetts about the public library there implementing this coveted feature.  For only fifteen cents per black-and-white page, or thirty-five for color, you too can figure out how you'll get all that wood-pulp output home without crinkling or otherwise damaging it-a problem you wouldn't have if you'd just wait.

But here's the one sentence from the post I had to read twice to make sure I hadn't been struck with sudden-onset dyslexia:

"You’ll even be able to place your print command from home, come into the library within two hours, pull up your job at the printer, and print."

Give. Me. One. Good. Reason. Why. I. Would. Ever. Want. To. Do. That.

I couldn't resist, though.  I hit the library's website and here are the instructions.   My goodness, thirteen steps?  The Bible made do with only ten.

And I think it will come as a shock to whomever is running the show there that only someone really desperate is going to jump through that many hoops-especially on a regular basis.  I mean come on, you can still buy a decent single-function printer for less than $40 (all right, less than $50 if you buy the almost-certainly-not-included USB cable along with it if you don't have one lying around already).  Paper hasn't gotten that much more expensive either; you can still get it for around $3 a ream if you shop.  At thirty-five cents a pop, it'll all pay for itself soon enough.

Besides, all you true road warriors out there wouldn't dream of stooping to use someone else's printer while on the go, would you?  No, you'd suavely slide off your backpack, open it with a flourish and pull out one of these babies.

Or at least I would if I could honestly justify spending so much for something like that in this day and age. 

So, how much does free Wi-Fi in San Antonio cost?

Eight years.

Or at least it may come to that if you're the type who goes around in search of open networks in order to do things like the scumbag at the center of this story did.

And before the shrill cries of "Why was the router still running after hours?" and "Why didn't the library use a filter?" drown out the voices of reason, remember once more that this guy likely wouldn't have been caught so easily-or at all-if he'd done what he did behind closed doors on a private connection.  He'd still be victimizing kids, instead of perhaps now being in line to receive a well-deserved taste of his own medicine from his new neighbors-who, by and large, take a very dim view of his kind.

Enjoy your stay, señor.