I don't know about you, but I have a lot more sensitive information on the interwebs than what I carry on my person.
Protip: I've had my paypal account hijacked before, that isn't very fun to deal with
Protip: I've had my paypal account hijacked before, that isn't very fun to deal with
I'm happy enough using open wifi to read the news or check train times. I kinda rely on gmail "getting SSL right" so that if my mail checks while I'm doing that I'm still OK. I wouldn't log in to my internet banking or PayPal on open wifi. I know I'm leaving myself open to "forgetting" and accidentally using and open wifi connection for a sensitive transaction/login, but for me the probability of me forgetting multiplied by the probability of any particular open wifi being malicious is "low enough" that I'm happy to accept the consequences.
Be aware the open wifi has risks. Take suitable precautions. Use them if it's useful - but modify your behaviour to minimise the risks. But if you just want to check the news or the weather or the bus schedule, someone saying "never connect to open wifi" is probably not giving or taking into account appropriate context.