Extended Sunday opening hours

[Nearly Sane]

57 days - no idea where you get that from - .

It's from the stats page.
http://www.religionethics.co.uk/index.php?action=profile;area=statistics;u=120

What that shows I think, is how long you are logged on to the forum.
Not necessarily a direct correlation to actually 'using' the forum.
Especially if like myself you never bother logging off, so just get timed out.

Actually I don't think that is quite true - sadly I tested this once - it seems to be closer to any chunk of time you actively do something with a fifteen minute cut off - so if you are reading or paging through or writing - it takes the time and assumes you are active until any activity stops for 15 minutes. I left myself logged in continuously and made no activity and then looked at the time updates

[ProfessorDavey]

For me the self-mastery element is very important, not because I want unbridled shopping, but because of the well-being I get from positively choosing to spend my time in the wisest way possible - which isn't usually shopping. It's actually very good for us to be able to say, I could do this, but I choose not to, and not just on Sundays. Arguably there are some things that are so hazardous to do that the state does have to put prohibitions on them, but shopping isn't one of them.

(apologies to Gonners for rejoining debate but couldn't resist HH's interesting point)

That's a very good way of putting it. The point about extending opening hours is it better allows people to be the masters and shop opening hours to be the slave rather than the other way around.

And the notion that someone like me is somehow obsessed and addicted to shopping, as Rose posits, is probably the funniest thing I have heard in a long time. I am about as far away from being a shopaholic as it is possible to get. And that is actually the point - shopping to me is a necessary evil, rather than a leisure activity, hence the frustration when you need to unnecessarily plan the rest of your life around shop opening times (because of unnecessary restrictions on opening house) when that necessity of shopping is required.

[Nearly Sane]

Oh and if you hide your posting it doesn't seem to update it

[Gonnagle]

Dearest me,

Well Rhiannons back in the hunt ( hunt, war ) so anyway.

All yer arguments for extended Sunday shopping are dribble, ProfDavey,two hour travelling time, theirs yer enemy, ten hours a week commuting, the Tories love you.

But that's okay, you have been brainwashed into thinking that is quite normal.

21st century folks, you should be working less and travelling less, you have no time to enjoy Jeremyp's shopping experience, what ever the hell that is.

But no, chase the pound sign, quick before it disappears.

Gonnagle.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Shaker,

Name dropping, the Wonderful ProfDavey, The Wiginhall ( saint that he is ) oh they are never wrong, boy Shaker yer worse than me for hero worship on this forum.

Gonnagle.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Sane,

At base, the I can't have the Sunday I want is the same argument as gay marriage will affect straight marriage argument. You allow people to act freely and don't place restrictions simply because you do not get your way. There is an assumption of proof of it being worse than just not what you want in order to restrict freedom of choice.

Then we abolish the hours for buying yer booze, maybe we should have another debate on the harmful effects of booze, I am not to sure about this law, but this I do know, people can be very stupid.

Gonnagle.

[ProfessorDavey]

ProfDavey,two hour travelling time, theirs yer enemy, ten hours a week commuting, the Tories love you.

Again, pretty well standard if you work in London but want to be able to afford a decent house and also a rather better lifestyle for family/kids etc than would be possible in central London.

So which would you like me to do Gonners - give up my job and career or move my family into a house half the size with no garden etc. Do you see those choices as preferable to shops opening a bit longer if they want to, and have staff happy to work those hours and there are customers who would prefer to shop during those hours.

[Gonnagle]

Hey Shaker,

He does something rather more important than climbing Everest, which has never been anything other than an exercise in egotism anyway; he has a job (in science) and he has kids to raise.

I know a guy who collects refuse, and he has kids to raise.

Gonnagle.

[Shaker]

Then we abolish the hours for buying yer booze, maybe we should have another debate on the harmful effects of booze,

What is it about the exercise of free choice that bothers you so much?

I am not to sure about this law, but this I do know, people can be very stupid.

They can indeed. And unless stupidity negatively impacts upon others, if we respect people as means and not ends, as competent consenting adults, we have to let them.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Prof,

So which would you like me to do Gonners - give up my job and career or move my family into a house half the size with no garden etc. Do you see those choices as preferable to shops opening a bit longer if they want to, and have staff happy to work those hours and there are customers who would prefer to shop during those hours.

All I want for you Prof is happiness, but I also want it for the person who works in Tesco, I want less traffic on our roads, I would like the whole world to take a chill pill.

I would like Scotland to reverse their Sunday opening times so that our Sunday could be slightly more peaceful, instead of driving to the shops, you have a leisurely stroll to your local, say hello to your neighbour and know for ten minutes that you helped the planet in a very small way.

I would like our children to learn that they cannot have, even though it would take ten minutes to jump in the car and go and buy it.

Gonnagle.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Shaker,

They can indeed. And unless stupidity negatively impacts upon others, if we respect people as means and not ends, as competent consenting adults, we have to let them.

I have witnessed to many personally and on the telly abusing alcohol, if you another way of combating it, tell the NHS.

Gonnagle.

[Rhiannon]

And you judge that anyone who wants to buy food on a Sunday doesn't also do those things just because you don't want to buy food on a Sunday. Except I can't take my family to our local pub because it's for drinkers only. But I'm the antisocial one according to you because I but food to give to my children and have to go to a supermarket to do it.

You want? What gives you the right to expect me to do what you want? Why do you think you are infallible on what is 'right'?

[Rhiannon]

Dear Shaker,

They can indeed. And unless stupidity negatively impacts upon others, if we respect people as means and not ends, as competent consenting adults, we have to let them.

I have witnessed to many personally and on the telly abusing alcohol, if you another way of combating it, tell the NHS.

Gonnagle.

And yet you fail to notice the obscenity of likening alcohol abuse to families shopping.

[ProfessorDavey]

All I want for you Prof is happiness,

Thank you gonners, me too which is one of the reasons why I'd like little irritations and frustrations to be smoothed out, particularly when they are entirely unnecessary.[/quote]

but I also want it for the person who works in Tesco,

Yup me too - but why do you assume that the person working in Tesco on a Sunday is unhappy with that. They may well be very happy, firstly to have that job, secondly if there are extended hours to get a full day's work in on a Sunday if they are going to have it disrupted anyhow or thirdly just happy to work on a Sunday to free up a day in the week to do leisure activities when things are much quieter (e.g. go for a walk).

I want less traffic on our roads,

Yup me too. And that's why I cycle whenever I can and for the past 20-ish years we have run just one car in our household. But why does extending sunday opening hours necessarily mean more traffic. Actually I think it would smooth out the traffic as everyone who needs to shop isn't trying to ram it into the same six hours, but can spread it over 10.
[/quote]

[Shaker]

All I want for you Prof is happiness

No you don't. What you want is for the Prof. to go along with your concept of what you think his happiness ought to be based on your ideas, not his.

but I also want it for the person who works in Tesco

So does PD. He's said it often enough, you can't have missed it.

I want less traffic on our roads

Then you should be out there campaigning against human population growth and immigration. The volume of traffic on the roads relates to the number of people there are rather than two extra hours on a Sunday.

The last I heard, Scotland has a population of around 5 million-ish, I believe. If you think there's too much traffic on Scottish roads now, already, God help you if you ever come to England - especially the south-east.

I would like Scotland to reverse their Sunday opening times so that our Sunday could be slightly more peaceful

I would like Linsey Dawn McKenzie to show up on my doorstep with a crate of beer but that's more likely to happen than your scenario.

instead of driving to the shops, you have a leisurely stroll to your local, say hello to your neighbour and know for ten minutes that you helped the planet in a very small way.

In the name of sanity what's stopping you doing that already, man?

[Rhiannon]

The person I spoke to about this over the weekend opts to work Sundays. She likes both the busy-ness and the time and a half. She opted to have Sunday working in her contract. Others opt out.

[ProfessorDavey]

The person I spoke to about this over the weekend opts to work Sundays. She likes both the busy-ness and the time and a half. She opted to have Sunday working in her contract. Others opt out.

A friend of mine works for a major supermarket chain and often works weekends (including Sundays). His husband is a nurse and also has to work weekends. So they coordinate and get time off together during the week and are often to be found doing the things during the week that are busy and crowded at weekends and are usually the preserve of the retired. So today that means being at a cricket match.

They are also both scout leaders and coordinating their weekend working means it is much easier for them to take time off on during the week for scout camps, without having to take annual leave. Works for them.

[ProfessorDavey]

Bit of posting on the train on my way home.

Early exit from work - quick turn around and then down to sons end of term concert. Need to be there early as I will be on the door selling tickets and the. Doing refreshments at the interval. Wife will join us after taking daughter to cubs. Should all be back in The house by 9, but which time, guess what, the shops will be shut.

[Rhiannon]

Rules governing Sunday working for shop workers here.

https://www.gov.uk/sunday-working

Which appears to say that the people in Tesco have more protection in law around Sunday working than the bar and waiting staff in Gonner's local.

[Rhiannon]

Bit of posting on the train on my way home.

Early exit from work - quick turn around and then down to sons end of term concert. Need to be there early as I will be on the door selling tickets and the. Doing refreshments at the interval. Wife will join us after taking daughter to cubs. Should all be back in The house by 9, but which time, guess what, the shops will be shut.

When we're on holiday in the UK I book an on-line delivery from the nearest supermarket for the morning after we arrive. We usually take week-long breaks and never shop the whole time we are there. But most changeover days are Saturdays, so our delivery is guess when.

Trying to get the house ready for valuing later this week so getting pizza delivered from local independent Italian for tea. God I'm selfish.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Prof,

They coordinate, nice.

Let's try another tack, one day a week when we celebrate our humanity, sorry we have Shaker, Rhiannon and Bashers in the debate ( it is just a debate ) one day a week when we celebrate all living things.

Extended hours is going backwards, we need to go forward, morally, take the planet seriously.

Gonnagle.

[Rhiannon]

Why Sunday?

I don't want to consume more, I just want flexibility over when I buy what I already buy.

[Nearly Sane]

Can I check why the person working in Tesco is not happy but  the person working in your local, Gonzo, is?

[Gordon]

Football is another example of changing patterns of leisure activity. Now, I'm not a fan and I would generally go out of my way to avoid football, but my memories of growing up with football (my late brother was, mysteriously, a fan) was that Saturday afternoons plus mid-week evenings was when football 'happened'. Sundays were football free!

These days, if I'm not mistaken, and my knowledge here is gleaned from the University of Ladbrokes, is that football is now big business on Sundays with lunchtime and then teatime kick-offs for the benefit of satellite sports TV channels. There seems to be a demand for this and I can't see that it is unreasonable - and for a footy-phobic like me it is trivially easy for me to simply ignore the footy (and concentrate instead on the much more important matter of Sunday horse racing).       

[Gonnagle]

Dear Rhiannon,

Any day, traditionally it was Sunday, me and Vlad have asked this very question, one day, any day.

Dear Sane,

That is the clincher, we say, we demand, mankind stops, we all say thank you, sorry that sounds to religious, we all thank mother/father Earth!! Oh no Gonnagle, a step to far, maybe we could have a wee guy selling pennants as a homage to consumerism.

Gonnagle.