Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site watdcsu.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!watnot!watdcsu!dmcanzi From: dmcanzi@watdcsu.UUCP (David Canzi) Newsgroups: net.women,net.singles,net.consumers Subject: Re: A *real* problem (and a *utopian* solution) Message-ID: <1552@watdcsu.UUCP> Date: Mon, 22-Jul-85 04:29:41 EDT Article-I.D.: watdcsu.1552 Posted: Mon Jul 22 04:29:41 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 24-Jul-85 21:04:54 EDT References: <11626@brl-tgr.ARPA> <901@bunker.UUCP> Reply-To: dmcanzi@watdcsu.UUCP (David Canzi) Distribution: net Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 41 Xref: watmath net.women:6562 net.singles:8086 net.consumers:2684 Summary: In article <901@bunker.UUCP> garys@bunker.UUCP (Gary M. Samuelson) writes: >> Stores and any other retail businesses that have hours like 9-5 on >> weekdays and either limited or no Saturday or Sunday hours. >> ... >> Why isn't there a movement to force the "normal" retail >> store hours to become something like "noon-to-8 PM"? > >Right. Got a problem? Pass a law. Rubbish. Maybe you aren't >suggesting a law, but some other kind of force. Doesn't matter; >who are you to decide for other people when they should do business? "Got a problem? Pass a law." is the approach often used to *prevent* people from doing business after hours or on Sunday. Ie. Businesses often ask the government to restrict their (and their competitors) hours, so that the competitors can't get an "unfair" advantage by operating at later hours. And now for the utopian part: Imagine that it was decided that everybody should have two consecutive days off of work each week, and work, say, 7 hours a day (though I think 6 hours is a better idea...), but that which days and which hours would be worked is left up to the employers and employees to decide. Some people might choose to work 8-3, others 10-5. Voila -- no more rush hour. The early birds could do a little shopping after work, the late crowd would have the chance to do some before work. If they take different lunch hours, there would be less crowding in restaurants at lunch time. A sufficiently large business could operate 7 days a week, while having only 5/7 of its staff on duty on any given day. Smaller businesses won't have such flexibility, but on any day of the week 5 out of 7 small businesses would be open. Everybody gets 2 days off, and shopping is available on both days. No more ridiculous crowding on Saturdays with *everybody* trying to shop at once. Most of the space now occupied by shopping center parking lots could be ripped up, and trees and grass could be planted in their place. Yeh, I know. Utopian. Silly idea letting people choose their hours... -- David Canzi "Adequacy -- is it enough?"