[yoz-y]

We have the same thing in France with some weird exception for Paris. I was really glad when I moved to paris and could finally found a shop open at a time when it suited actually employed people.

I strongly believe that people's work times should be as desynchronised as possible which would not only make it easier for everybody to handle administrative stuff without having to take off-time from work, but would also help reducing congestion.

[sonnyblarney]

I find this position to be woefully lacking in cultural perspective.

What is it about we Engineers that we want to put everything in such mechanical terms, like 'handling admin' and 'congestion'?

There are considerable advantages in having most people off on the same time, not the least of bit the inherent deeper relaxation of knowing the rest of the world is off. It's completely another experience when everyone else is down, than when 'just you' are down.

I think a better solution to 'handling administrative stuff' would be to have days for this, and for some things to maybe be open a little later/earlier.

And if congestion is a problem with people on normal hours than this has to be dealt with.

I have this terrible feeling that if we let the cultural secularists at it, we'll all be waking and sleeping at different times, and everything will be 24/7 - after all, 'hey minimal congestion if 1/4 of us are rising at 11pm and going to bed at 2pm!'. Consider the great opportunity for GDP growth!

I think it might be a lifestyle thing ... from 18-34 I too would have felt limited with everything closed Sundays, but now I prefer it. Ironically it was living in France (outside Paris) that made me a 'believer'. It changed my whole view of living.

[yoz-y]

Although our positions differ, one point we might agree on is that the current situation is not good at all.

What I see is a three hour congestion in front of my appartement in the morning and a four hour one in the evening. People easily spend 2 hours trying to move about 4 kilometres.

Then you have the admninistration. If you come as late as 15 minutes after opening time, you better have a very flexible work time or have taken a half day off because you will be waiting for at least an hour or two.

I don’t think that opening “a little” sooner or later would help. They need to either be open when people can get there or eliminate the reasons why people need to be there in the first place.

[devdas]

> It's completely another experience when everyone else is down, than when 'just you' are down.

It's stressful and not relaxing.

[sonnyblarney]

You definitely have a right to your feeling, but I don't know a single person who reacts this way. I really do feel that in generally, overwhelmingly, most people relax better when everything is 'off'.