Extended Sunday opening hours

[Gonnagle]

Dear Gordon,

Yes football is big business, and we have poverty in this country, we are going backwards, not forward.

Gonnagle.

[Nearly Sane]

Dear Gordon,

Yes football is big business, and we have poverty in this country, we are going backwards, not forward.

Gonnagle.

So the overall reduction in football violence or domestic violence related to football is a bad thing. I am not a fan of the Pinker argument covered in Keith Maitlands interesting post but the golden age shite always demands the question when was this mythological golden fucking age. When was the idyll? When kids died of diphtheria?  How about when there were 10000 child prostitutes in London?

[Rhiannon]

I know, ban Sunday football so the people who earn a bit extra/pay their student loans off by doing the Sunday shifts can't work. And the people who can't get to football on a Saturday can't go on a Sunday either. And they can all go down their local and have a traditional Sunday afternoon looked after by bar staff, waiting staff and kitchen staff who aren't being exploited at all, because it's traditional and cosy and Gonners likes it.

[Rhiannon]

Dear Gordon,

Yes football is big business, and we have poverty in this country, we are going backwards, not forward.

Gonnagle.

So the overall reduction in football violence or domestic violence related to football is a bad thing. I am not a fan of the Pinker argument covered in Keith Maitlands interesting post but the golden age shite always demands the question when was this mythological golden fucking age. When was the idyll? When kids died of diphtheria?  How about when there were 10000 child prostitutes in London?

You know what the 'traditional' Sunday pint meant to the men in my ex's family? Get hammered whilst the missus is at home cooking a roast and minding the kids, arrive home in time to eat it, pass out, wake up, stagger back to pub.

Still, tradition's a great thing.

[jeremyp]

Dear Sane,

Nope, I am campaigning for a better way of life, and that one day of quiet reflection could be used to think how we can best help our exploited brothers oh! And sisters.

I'm all for a better life and days of quiet reflection, but I'd like to do it on my terms please, not your Christian ones. 

[Gonnagle]

Dear Rhiannon and Sane,

In a nutshell, backwards thinking, we are more advanced, we can learn from past mistakes, I am not longing for a by gone year, I am looking forward to new thinking.

Dear Jeremyp,

Thank you, I can always rely on you to prove a point.

Gonnagle.

[jeremyp]

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,

Ah that explains it, I was unaware of the fact that, in Scotland, you are not allowed to take a leisurely stroll to the local if the shops are open.

[jeremyp]

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.

Great.  I choose Wednesday.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Jeremyp,

Good choice, I have tomorrow off, a whole day to do nothing, oh!! Sorry I have the grass to cut, damn!! My neighbour is nightshift, ah fuck him!! Spoiling my day.

One day Jeremyp, when we all celebrate.

One day when we all think about our brothers and sisters.

Gonnagle.

[Rhiannon]

Dear Jeremyp,

Good choice, I have tomorrow off, a whole day to do nothing, oh!! Sorry I have the grass to cut, damn!! My neighbour is nightshift, ah fuck him!! Spoiling my day.

One day Jeremyp, when we all celebrate.

One day when we all think about our brothers and sisters.

Gonnagle.

Good idea. Then we can fuck them over on the other six. That's traditional too, been going on for centuries.

Or how about we don't do what you want and instead live every day with concern for each other instead of thinking that because we tick the box on Sundays and holidays we can do what we want the rest of the time?

[Nearly Sane]

Then new thinking is irrelevant to Sunday Opening hours - they are not what you are trying to change. Using hangovers from the past, won't achieve a goal. You need to define the goal and see how you achieve it.

Why does the day to reflect work if as part of it you want someone to be serving you drink in your local? What about their reflection? Is it enough if they reflect here's that tosser who stopped me from working in Tesco but wants me to serve up a pie and a pint?

[Rhiannon]

Then new thinking is irrelevant to Sunday Opening hours - they are not what you are trying to change. Using hangovers from the past, won't achieve a goal. You need to define the goal and see how you achieve it.

Why does the day to reflect work if as part of it you want someone to be serving you drink in your local? What about their reflection? Is it enough if they reflect here's that tosser who stopped me from working in Tesco but wants me to serve up a pie and a pint?

Indeed.

[jeremyp]

Dear Jeremyp,

Good choice, I have tomorrow off, a whole day to do nothing, oh!! Sorry I have the grass to cut, damn!! My neighbour is nightshift, ah fuck him!! Spoiling my day.

One day Jeremyp, when we all celebrate.

Still Wednesday for me.

Or what about Saturday which is the day of rest ordained by your god?

One day when we all think about our brothers and sisters.

Gonnagle.

I think about them most days.  Why am I only allowed to think of them on a specific day of your choosing?

[Gonnagle]

Dear Sane,

Ah!! The penny drops, sorry I was not making my argument correctly, shut the pubs, shut the shops.

One day to stop.

Gonnagle.



I

[Gonnagle]

Dear Jeremyp,

Aye right, you think of others, nice, but what do you do about it, one day when the Banker is forced to say enough.

Gonnagle.

[Nearly Sane]

Though I think the idea that Sunday Opening hours will solve the issue of shoe shopping or other issues is also incredibly short sighted. We have way more opening hours than people used to have and still people find it a struggle. It's not an issue that is really related to opening hours. Our freedom is both a boon and a chore, demand expands as you increase supply. Freedom is not obtained by shopping hours and gonnagle's raging against the well lit night of the supermarket seems to me to be about something else entirely.


I rarely saw my father when I was growing up because he did two jobs (including working Sundays, either overtime driving the bin lorry, or in a bar serving drink for people reflecting). The times have changed for some but not for all. The idea of a day of rest was only ever a fiction for those who think listening to The Archers omnibus is a human right.

Any problem on this is nothing to do with the current confederacy of dunces we have elected. Most of us on this forum have more time to spend on ourselves than all but the most ridiculously well off from past days. Part of me thinks that less time to reflect would be better. You know who your comrades are when they are always with you.

[Gordon]

It is as if some would like a social dimmer switch that they could use to tone everything down for everyone at the same time, just like electric lighting, so as to result in a temporary subdued state where everything slows down or isn't available - and of course they want control of the switch and to be able to use it when they decide it is good for the rest of us.

They are entitled to their personal dimmer switch of course, which they can use as they wish for their own situation, but I for one don't want to be constrained simply because others think it would be good for me to have otherwise routine options denied in certain situations on the basis of their personal preferences and/or adherence to traditions.

[jeremyp]

Dear Jeremyp,

Aye right, you think of others, nice, but what do you do about it, one day when the Banker is forced to say enough.

Gonnagle.

Under your scheme, I'd be too busy doing my quiet reflection and keeping off the roads  to do anything about it on a Sunday.

I kind of like your idea, but as soon as you try to make it compulsory, it becomes tyranny. 

A few years back, the then government decided to set up a voluntary id card scheme.  I thought "that's a good idea, I'll sign up for it" on the grounds that an extra piece of photo id is always useful.  Then they changed their minds and said the id card scheme will be compulsory.  In that instant I became utterly opposed to the idea.

This is the same.  I oppose your idea because you want to impose it on me.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Sane,

About bloody time!! This is why "your the man" sorry apparently it's what Americans shout, now we have a debate.

Right!! Where's Wigginhall, so I can poke him in the eye with a Sane post

Gonnagle.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Jeremyp,

I was going to apologise, but no, this is why I am a Christian, it focuses me, I an accused of judging and yes I do, shame on me, my faith teaches that this wrong, but one day when we all focus.

Islam focuses on the poor, the less fortunate for a month, one day when we all focus on our fellow man, is that to much to ask.

Gonnagle.

[Rhiannon]

Yes, because one day is a pointless sticking plaster. As I said, we've had it for centuries and it allowed my people to be cleared off the land to make way for sheep because the gentry that did it were alright with God because said their prayers on a Sunday.

[Rhiannon]

Dear Jeremyp,

Aye right, you think of others, nice, but what do you do about it, one day when the Banker is forced to say enough.

Gonnagle.

Under your scheme, I'd be too busy doing my quiet reflection and keeping off the roads  to do anything about it on a Sunday.

I kind of like your idea, but as soon as you try to make it compulsory, it becomes tyranny. 

A few years back, the then government decided to set up a voluntary id card scheme.  I thought "that's a good idea, I'll sign up for it" on the grounds that an extra piece of photo id is always useful.  Then they changed their minds and said the id card scheme will be compulsory.  In that instant I became utterly opposed to the idea.

This is the same.  I oppose your idea because you want to impose it on me.

Actually what pisses me off is the arrogance of assuming that because we are happy to buy stuff on a Sunday we don't give a shit about anyone or anything other than ourselves, that we never reflect or reach out to others. It sucks.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Rhiannon,

Ooops!! there you go getting angry again, fair enough Christianity pisses you off, lots of it pisses me off to, nevermind!!

Gonnagle.

[Rhiannon]

No, Christianity doesn't piss me off. Christians judging me as morally inferior do though.

[BashfulAnthony]

It is lying clap-trap to say that you can't find a few hours out of six days of twenty-four hour shopping, plus six or seven days on Sunday.

Wrong - see my earlier post.

I have, and it changes nothing.  Get organised!!

I am, exceptionally organised. I have all sorts of things organised - work, family stuff, voluntary stuff etc etc. Doesn't leave much time for shopping in normal shopping hours. Just 2 hour in the last 3 weeks.

If you are exceptionally well-organised, then it should not be beyond your ability to do your shopping  -  it's not as though you have to plan to climb Everest, or something!

Funny you should say that - actually last weekend was entirely out because I was away walking with friends doing the Yorkshire peaks.

Sure I could stop doing things I need to do (like work) or want to do for others (such as sorting family life, getting kids to places for clubs, parties etc, sorting them to be organised for trips, etc etc, governors meetings and commitments) and things for myself (e.g. choir), so I can get to the shops. But I don't want to do this and wold prefer that the shops were open a little longer on Sunday to make it a little less likely that I have to organise my life around the shops' opening hours rather than the other way around.

So this week:

Tonight - hour commute home then straight out to daughter's end of term gymnastics performance.
Tuesday - hour commute home then straight out to son's school concert, plus serving refreshments at interval
Wednesday - hour commute home then straight out to the dentists
Thursday - problem day - hour commute home then clash between choir rehearsal and son's last ever scouts, which is a family BBQ
And so it goes on.

Get it.

I think we need to gat the violin out for you:  what a martyr  -  yes, I said, "martyr,"   

You really are a sanctimonious guy. You work so hard, so do many things, and you can't find time to go and do your little bit of shopping.  Are you the only one in your house who works and shops?  Looking at your stats for this forum, I see you've spent a total, so far, of over 57 days on here, posting about mostly innocuous matters, just for the sake of it.  Yet you can't find a few hours to shop!  Pull the other one, Prof!!

Not really - my life is pretty similar to many people I know - you know busy, busy working families.

57 days - no idea where you get that from - apparently (looking at the stats) I post on average about 3 posts a day. That sounds about right and each one takes, what 30 secs, and usually (as now posted) while on the move. Not much opportunity to shop (in a physical shop) while on a train. But plenty of opportunity to check out what's going on here and post a comment or two.

And back to the question that remains without cogent rebuttal. If a shop wants to open extended hours, there are people happy to work those hours and customers who would prefer to shop during those extended hours why on earth should that be prevented by law.

When have I said it should be the law to close on Sunday?  I am saying it is both selfish, and difficult to justify saying that they have to, just for your convenience.  I will not accept that any sensible, organised, person cannot manage their shopping in six and three-quarter days out of the week, six of them 24-hour ones, which is what you are claiming for yourself.