T IME SHOULD be a great leveller. Jeff Bezos or Amazon warehouse clerk, everyone gets 24 hours a day. But worse-off Americans have more of their time wasted just waiting around. Listen to this story Enjoy more audio and podcasts oniOSorAndroid. Poorer people have to wait longer for basic services. Low-income neighbourhoods often have fewer shops and medical centres, with fewer staff on hand and crowds at their doors. The worse-off claim unemployment benefits or food stamps, which means interacting with creaky government administration. And low-wage jobs come with rigid hours, which make it difficult to take an extended lunch break and pop to the bank when it’s quiet. The time squandered in delays could be better spent working, studying or just kicking back with a beer, points out Stephen Holt at the University at Albany. “Time is a finite resource,” he says. “It’s something you just don’t get back.” (Which is why this article is so concise.)