wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) (12/04/85)
'Tis the season of the year when you constantly see and hear the phrase "<n> shopping days 'til Christmas". I used to think nothing of it, but now I find this usage quite annoying. Why? Because this area recently voted down long-standing "Blue Laws" that prevented merchants from having stores open on Sunday, and now there is no such thing as a "shopping day" as distinct from just plain "day". Before, "shopping days" meant "every day except Sunday". Now, there is no need to use the phrase at all. I'd like to know if other areas, that haven't had "Blue Laws" restricting Sunday sales for many years, still encounter local usage of the "shopping days" phrase, or if it has died out (as it should). I wonder how much of the USA still has Sunday-sales restrictions (not counting liquor sales laws, which are too arcane to consider or even to contemplate)? What about the rest of the world? Are there Sunday-closing laws in European countries? Are Sabbath-closing laws in effect in Israel, or only in some areas of that country? What about in Asian, Islamic, and other regions/cultures/countries? Regards, Will Martin UUCP/USENET: seismo!brl-bmd!wmartin or ARPA/MILNET: wmartin@almsa-1.ARPA
ark@alice.UucP (Andrew Koenig) (12/05/85)
> I wonder how much of the USA still has Sunday-sales restrictions (not > counting liquor sales laws, which are too arcane to consider or even to > contemplate)? What about the rest of the world? Are there Sunday-closing > laws in European countries? Are Sabbath-closing laws in effect in > Israel, or only in some areas of that country? What about in Asian, > Islamic, and other regions/cultures/countries? Here in New Jersey, it seems to be local option by town. There is a current flap about Passaic, which has an ordinance forbidding any "worldly activities" on Sunday. They have taken this as license for the cops to go looking for offices with lights on, and going in and arresting their occupants. Said occupants are often programmers, and sometimes lawyers. The cops always seem to let the lawyers go... The stated reason for the prohibition is so that the residents can get one respite a week from the incredible traffic generated by Passaic's huge shopping malls. Since the ordinance uses the word "worldly," I expect the real motivation of the people who wrote it is somewhat different. I think the case is in court now...
suze@terak.UUCP (Suzanne Barnett) (12/05/85)
> 'Tis the season of the year when you constantly see and hear the phrase > "<n> shopping days 'til Christmas". I used to think nothing of it, but > now I find this usage quite annoying. Why? Because this area recently > voted down long-standing "Blue Laws" that prevented merchants from > having stores open on Sunday, and now there is no such thing as a > "shopping day" as distinct from just plain "day". Before, "shopping > days" meant "every day except Sunday". Now, there is no need to use the > phrase at all. > > I'd like to know if other areas, that haven't had "Blue Laws" > restricting Sunday sales for many years, still encounter local usage of > the "shopping days" phrase, or if it has died out (as it should). In Colorado, Nebraska and Arizona the stores are open on Sundays, yet the term "shopping days until Christmas" is used in all three places. It seems to be largely promoted by various stores advertising, a reminder to come in and transfer some of your money to the store. I enjoy the Christmas season, holiday decorations, shopping for presents for those I care about, etc. But it seems more and more that commercialism is infringing on the season. This year they had Santa at the mall two weeks before Thanksgiving!! > > I wonder how much of the USA still has Sunday-sales restrictions (not > counting liquor sales laws, which are too arcane to consider or even to > contemplate)? What about the rest of the world? Are there Sunday-closing > laws in European countries? Are Sabbath-closing laws in effect in > Israel, or only in some areas of that country? What about in Asian, > Islamic, and other regions/cultures/countries? Texas still has blue laws about being closed on Sundays, except for drug, grocery and convenience stores. Even these have restrictions on what they can sell on Sundays. (you can't go down to the drug store and buy a household appliance, such as an iron, on Sunday.) The law is written such that a store must be closed one day a week. Most, but not all stores choose Sunday. German stores are closed on Saturday afternoons and Sundays. It is illegal there to do any obvious work such as mowing the lawn or washing the car or windows on Sunday. -- ************************************************************** Suzanne Barnett-Scott uucp: ...{decvax,ihnp4,noao,savax,seismo}!terak!suze phone: (602) 998-4800 us mail: CalComp/Sanders Display Products Division (Formerly Terak Corporation) 14151 N 76th street, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
bill@utastro.UUCP (William H. Jefferys) (12/06/85)
> Texas still has blue laws about being closed on Sundays, > except for drug, grocery and convenience stores. Even these > have restrictions on what they can sell on Sundays. (you > can't go down to the drug store and buy a household > appliance, such as an iron, on Sunday.) The law is written > such that a store must be closed one day a week. Most, but > not all stores choose Sunday. Not any more. This law was repealed during the last Legislature. The new regime went into effect over a month ago. Thank goodness!
rpt@warwick.UUCP (Richard Tomlinson) (12/06/85)
Expires: Sender: Xpath: warwick snow snow ubu In article <291@brl-tgr.ARPA> wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) writes: >I wonder how much of the USA still has Sunday-sales restrictions (not >counting liquor sales laws, which are too arcane to consider or even to >contemplate)? What about the rest of the world? Are there Sunday-closing >laws in European countries? Are Sabbath-closing laws in effect in >Israel, or only in some areas of that country? What about in Asian, >Islamic, and other regions/cultures/countries? There are still laws restricting Sunday shopping in England, although Sunday shopping has been allowed in Scotland for some time. It is legal to sell anything that can't wait until the next day, such as newspapers. It is highly likely that the Shops Act is going to be repealed soon, possibly in the next session of Parliament, but many shops are opening on Sundays in defiance of the law as they only get fined a couple of hundred pounds which is far less than the profit they make. The law is totally stupid as on Sunday, supposedly a religous day, it is legal to sell Playboy but not the Bible! I think this subject should not be discussed in net.nlang so I have directed followups to net.followup. -- -------------------------------------------------------------------- ...!mcvax!ukc!warwick!rpt