I just came across this advert in Dublin advert. On the surface, it’s interesting on a straight forwardly chronopolitical level: with sufficient resources, it’s increasingly possible to outsource tasks for others in order to save yourself time. But what stood out to me about this was the increasingly formal category of ‘relaxation’: it’s becoming that which awaits us when all other obligations are met, which of course they never are due to the escalation dynamics which kick in as we reflexively orientate ourselves towards demands upon our time.
Having spent the day hanging around airports due to circumstances beyond my control, I’ve been struck by how orientated the space is towards the stimulation of shopping, eating, boozing and gambling. Manchester Airport literally has betting terminals scattered at regular intervals around the airport, even near some of the gates. Surely the justification for the centrality of these activities is that they constitute leisure. So what exactly is the personal shopping service saving time in order to help people do?
Mark Carrigan 