BBC NEWS | Switzerland's obsession with time

[Martin Naef]

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