Comment by jzymbaluk 5 days ago
I live right down the street from an Amazon Go store, and I like it because it's convenient when it's open, but the hours on this store stunk: it closed at 4pm sometimes. I found it very funny that this store advertised itself as a fully automated experience, when in fact there needs to be a worker/manager there all the time for it to be open. If it were actually automated, it could've been open 24/7
America had 24/7 grocery stores, convenience stores, restaurants, and even some Walmarts before COVID. Now, at least in my area, thats a thing of the past. Still not as bad as Switzerland where everything closes early on Saturday and is closed on sundays.
China has had 24/7 McDonald’s since forever, well, and lord of other things as well. But not grocery stores at least.
I don't know if anyone from Switzerland explained why this is to you, or if you are interested.
Swiss business hours limits are for worker protection. You are lucky to hang out on HN and work whenever you want. You neighbor who keeps your groceries on the shelf for you is happy to be home with his or her children in the evening instead of in the store.
Having a high trust society also includes treating all people with respect, so that they will be willing to trust you. Even the hourly workers who keep the world turning for the rest of us.
I lived in Switzerland a couple of years so I know how it goes. I thoroughly enjoyed by Sundays, even if I couldn't do my laundry, and had a nice routine setup where I would go do some coding work in Lausanne's museum cafe that was open from 11 to 4, with some croissants and drinks bought from the local Coop Pronto. Then after a run along the lake, maybe buy an economist at the train station and have a meal at McDonalds next to the train station (train stations of course had an exemption and the businesses around it could be open).
The lack of options creates new options, I guess.
That being said, after leaving Switzerland I was in China for 9 years where I could barely tell it was Sunday at all.
The stores where I'm at in the US stopped being 24/7 long before COVID due to (AFAIK) changes in crime rates. I wish they would do some sort of members program where you could register to gain access after hours. I think they've got more than enough video surveillance to handle any abuse that might arise.
My experience is mostly in the Bay Area, but people are extremely excited here to destroy anything that can be tied to a big corporation. Smashing the dumb E-scooters, beating up Waymos or just bricking a banks windows were just like regular events here. The culture definitely idealized and encouraged it.
Not just big tech. Destroying anything public has been common for a long, long time. Stealing from vending machines, destroying public bathrooms, throwing out random trash on the sidewalk/road, etc.
Meanwhile in East Asia they have no problem with tons of 24/7/365 stores, even fully vending machine stores. Heck even Europe has vending machine stores that are constantly open without even a door that could be closed, selling grocery basics.