Greek organizers have asked citizens of Athens to put their normal schedules on hold in order to accommodate the thousands of visitors expected in the Greek capital for next year's Olympics.
Athens Olympic organizers made public several new measures designed to make Athens more accessible during the Games. These include keeping shops open 12 hours a day during the week and nine hours on Saturday. Public buses and trains will run 24 hours a day with Olympic ticket holders riding free.
Also, evening traffic jams caused by garbage trucks will be eliminated with trash collection after midnight. Greeks are being asked to forego their traditional afternoon naps to accommodate visitors.
One activity that is not been changed is the right to demonstrate, though it's being discouraged. Frequent demonstrations and political rallies in the capital city are notorious for bringing traffic to a standstill.
The Athens Olympics open August 13, 2004.