BBC NEWS | Switzerland's obsession with time

[Tony Hardie-Bick]

If it weren't for the Swiss concept of time, and the clock in the square in 
Bern, which Einstein walked past on the way to work every morning, we might 
still be wondering why clocks in satellites don't keep good time...

Tony (HB)

Martin Naef wrote:
> Peter Korsten wrote:
>> I thought this was an amusing piece:
>>
>> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7415455.stm
>>
>> Any comments? Martin? :)
> 
> It's a funny read, although I have a feeling the writer hasn't had a 
> close enough look. Let's see:
> 
> The coffee times: Yes, there is indeed a routine - although a very 
> productive one: It's not just about coffee, it's about meeting your 
> co-workers to discuss things - sometimes leisure, sometimes work. Funny 
> enough, Swiss get their first break at nine just before most British 
> even start work...
> 
> Timesheets: Hardly a Swiss invention, but rather a necessity (?) of the 
> times... Seems to be a favorite of management consultants and auditors.
> 
> School timetables: Yes, that's a Swiss thing. While it is a rather 
> efficient system to juggle the various demands on teachers and 
> infrastructure, it's clearly a relict of the traditional family system 
> and does not accommodate working parents. Though I still think the 
> traditional system (one parent at home taking care of the kids) has its 
> clear advantages. The realities of modern society make it a luxury 
> arrangement, though.
> 
> Restaurants taking care of foreigners and their idea of time? Ah, 
> com'on, Switzerland's total population consists of almost 20% 
> foreigners. We've had proper Espresso long before the British were 
> "blessed" with Starbucks or Costa's thanks to Italian immigrants. In the 
> past, I've had more difficulty getting food late in the evening in 
> London than in Zurich... While it is true that the Swiss themselves have 
> a tendency to adhere to fixed time patterns, they're not going to let 
> business slip just because somebody else might have a different pattern...
> 
> Bye
> Martin
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