i think everyone deserves a day off. i'd like to see us go back to everything being closed on sundays actually. instead of this 24/7 culture we've been breeding.

 

Having everything open 7 days a week, and sometimes open 24/7, seems like one of the reasons why we American's seem to be so stressed out all the time. I agree it's more convenient when you want to go shopping, but on the other hand I'll bet the employees and management at that dealership are a much happier and efficient group to be able to get the same day off.

ABSOLUTELY!!! you guys couldn't have said it better!

luckily for me i have a job that is basically 8-5 M-F so i have my weekends off. even then, i do as much as i can on Saturday, around the house, running errands, etc. in order to do NOTHING on Sunday. maybe take in a race, baseball game, post on 'smartcarofamerica.com', etc....but you get the point: one entire day to kick back and relax.

we all need some of that, even the car dealers.......


P.S. here in Indiana, it's State Law that mandates dealerships being closed on Sunday. never really heard of anyone complaining about it. if you're looking for a new or used car, Sunday is the best time to shop, as you have no pesky sales personnel to deal with. find something you like and THEN call them on Monday.

 

Having everything open 7 days a week, and sometimes open 24/7, seems like one of the reasons why we American's seem to be so stressed out all the time. I agree it's more convenient when you want to go shopping, but on the other hand I'll bet the employees and management at that dealership are a much happier and efficient group to be able to get the same day off.

 

Agreed. The only thing that should be allowed on Sunday is NASCAR...

 

The truth is, the dealers associations fight every extension of open hours, tooth and nail. It's only the last 10 years they even began to sell on Saturdays.

The guise was "poor sales people" need weekends off. The reality was, they wanted to limit the ability of their customers to shop around. Most working people were not free during the week days and could only shop in a rush after work.

Like all big money business operations, They could care less about their sales people and staff. Only the $$$ count. A2Jack

 

Blue Law Good Idea!

Sorry JanetMermaid, but I wish to respectfully disagree about dealerships being closed on Sunday. That still leaves six days a week to visit the dealership!
After spending most of my career in Europe, I really learned to appreciate the business closings on Sundays, as well as the weekend quiet hours (1 - 3 pm) to allow babies to nap without the noise of leaf blowers, lawn mowers, etc. And for senior citizens like myself, quiet time for a nap! In our hectic 7 day 24 hour schedules, these closings and quiet times allow one time to slow down, take a long walk and relearn how to enjoy life at a more leisurely pace.
Got to go for a walk now and then take a nap!
Best
SmartBill:smartje.rd.zw:

 

My opinion is Dealerships amongst other businesses should be able to decide on their own when they want to be open. If a dealership/other business decides they want to be open from 1 am till 7 am that should be their decision. This my friends is what America, America. Blue laws are bullpoop! Have we not heard of separation from Church and State??

 

My opinion is Dealerships amongst other businesses should be able to decide on their own when they want to be open.

+1...

 

If we closed down on any day of the week we would not have water, sewerage, lighting, gasoline, food, restaurants, entertainment, football game, baseball game, etc.

Do you see why it's ludicrous to think that closing one business would be righteous.

 

That's certainly one way to look at it. Or you could see it that if all businesses were closed except for the most essential services and needs, then nearly everyone could enjoy a day of rest. Somehow America survived and prospered before the days of 24/7.

But it comes down to economics. If people don't buy anything on Sunday then the stores wouldn't be open.

 

If *I* owned a car dealership, I'd be fighting like crazy to get that stupid law repealed.

I agree Janet For some people the weekends is all they have off. It's one of those stupid laws that never got removed. I think in Utah it's illegal to be in a bed with your boots on

 

In Indiana not only can't you buy a car on a Sunday but no Beer, wine, etc. So sad.

 

We love Mexico, where kids can serve adult beverages to adults and a visit to Sam's Club may include samples of tequila along with the other 'snacks.' However, the dealership is closed, so you can't buy a Smart on Sunday.

 

I understand vital services 7/24....but I often favor business that are closed on Sunday....maybe old fashion but the 7/24 is driven by greed and not need.

 

maybe old fashion but the 7/24 is driven by greed and not need.

You're certainly entitled to your opinion. But why force it on those who disagree? You can always choose not to go shopping on Sunday, if you don't like it.

 

Now that we own Smarts, perhaps we would favor closing all gas stations on Sunday; maybe the whole weekend? Just kidding. Sunday closings are a thing of the past, and should be. Some folks have different work schedules & even want breakfast after 11 AM.

 

perhaps we would favor closing all gas stations on Sunday

That's a good point RVGRINGO! What applies to one (car) business should apply to all. Maybe then they would wise up

 

Here's my take on it:
It should be up to the business owner.
The owner of a business should be able to set the hours s/he wants to be open.
Then people could decide if they want to do business with a business open on Sundays or not.

 

Blue laws

I remember visiting Texas in the 80's when EVERYTHING was closed on Sundays.

Here in Colorado, they just repealed the Blue Law on alcohol. As of July 1, liquor can be sold on Sundays. Ironically, this was done against the wishes of the liquor store owners. They wanted to remain closed, but the big grocery chains were pushing to sell full strength liquor. (In CO only 3.2 beer can be sold in grocery stores). As a compromise to prevent grocery stores from being able to sell liquor, the liquor store owners reluctantly agreed to open on Sundays. I know none of this makes sense, but this is they way it went down. CO is a funny place politically.

But car sales are still prohibited!!!! Even worse. you can't get repairs on Sunday, either. The reason given for why car dealers want to remain closed on Sundays is NFL football. I'm not kidding.

 

The Blue Laws used to be even more stupid -- you could buy a hammer on Sunday, but not nails. You couldn't buy disposable diapers on Sunday.

If a dealership wants to be closed one day a week, that's fine. But they should not be forced to do so. And I know plenty of people who would be happy to work on the "traditional day of rest". My best friend is a critical care nurse -- and Jewish. She has no problems working on Christmas day, Easter Sunday, and any other Sunday for that matter. There should be no laws that mandate when someone can be open or when their employees are not allowed to work.

 

So we could conclude by saying its not smart for the Smart Dealer to be closed!

I know when I lived in NoVa the high end dealers would be closed (Mercedes Audi BMW) and at one particular dealership, one particular salesman would be there on Sunday on his day off and on his own free will, because he knew how many "potential" customers stop by and just look around the lot. He could then make the contacts while all the other sales people were enjoying their Sundays doing non work things. Now to me, he is "smart"!

 

Smart dealer in San Antonio is open on Sunday.

 

i think people are making quite a big deal about one day of closing. if it's that important to you, you'll find a way to make it happen one of the other 6 days. if it's not, then you learn to go without.
i can't believe that nobody can live without a smart dealership being open on sundays! :lol: i can even live without gas stations or convenience stores on sundays, i can live without groceries and department stores, malls and restaurants.

how coddled have we become as a society? is consumerism our Achilles heel?

perhaps terrorists need only strike at closing commerce on sundays and they'll run the country to the ground! panic in the streets! i can't shop on sunday! what am i gonna do!???!!!

 

What about my friend, who is an emergency room nurse, and generally works on Saturday? What about other people who are working 6 days a week just to make ends meet? They're only day to shop is Sunday. Do you consider them "coddled"?

And it also IS about the principle. Those who expect everyone to consider Sunday a day of rest force that on others with their blue laws.

 

It's the principle of it. And yes, America is run on commercialism. Has been for quite some time. Why let blue laws inconvenience those who may not have a schedule that allows time to "shop" Mon - Sat. Let us not conform to society, but confront society!
I'm Fired Up! And Ready to go!

 

So lets see, you don't work on Sundays but everyone else should?

 

Huh!?!?!

Did you actually READ my post?

If you're referring to those who would have to work on Sunday so the businesses could be open, no one would FORCE them to work. Those who want to work could; those who don't want to wouldn't. It's the fact that car dealers are forced to remain closed that is the problem. Let the free market and individual business owners decide whether to be open or closed.

 

Laws that regulate business operational hours or prohibit operation on certain days are not needed. The econimics of operating 7 days a week, or 10 - 12 hours a day, or what ever will regulate them without intervention from any well meaning public official. I agree, most blue laws today are outdated. If left alone, I suspect most small businesses would close at least one day per week just so they can catch a break!

 

Well count me as coddled too then

Janet is not suggesting ANY mandate for ANY business to be open on Saturday or Sunday...she and I are ranting about stupid LAWS that make it a crime to be open on Saturday or Sunday and in some cases prohibit particular commodities on those two days... Blue Laws are anti American and not constitutional in my opinion

I suspect that many car dealers would choose to have 10AM to 3PM Sunday hours if there was NOT a LAW prohibiting their prerogative to conduct business as they see fit.

Funny... but I suspect Janet and I are conservative Christians and what we are ranting against is the Laws like this were put in place by Church demands....

I suspect some of you arguing for these Laws are probably secular progressives and staunch separation of Church and State believers... kinda weird huh?

 

Well said Fred The business should decide if they want to be open or not. These laws are way outdated. What worked in our grandparents day does not work today.

 

you suspect wrong.

i'm not arguing for the laws as much as i'm arguing against the "need" to change them. the sociological aspect of the debate. that people need to have access to everything constantly, all the time, forever, without interruption and that their immediate needs outweigh the needs of anyone else in the universe.

if the blue laws did not exist and the dealerships were still closed on sundays, the same people would be doing the same griping about how the business was not conforming to their personal needs & standards.

the blue laws are incidental to the debate, a guilt-free way of posing the argument without having to address why 6 days open is not enough for you.

IDRGAF whether or not the intent 200 years ago was to invoke some doctrine or not. what i am saying is that nobody died because they couldn't shop for smart cars on sunday and things sure were alot more simple when i was a kid and no commercial retail was open on sundays at all.

i actually miss those days.

i actually like the italian siesta too! everything closes in the afternoon, people get time to spend with family, all that. what's so bad about not-working? one could argue that it is the eradication of many of the blue laws that have actually turned this society into the greedy, selfish, me-too, competitive at all costs, no mommy or daddy at home society it is today! how many families have dinner together anymore? is stopping for one day to talk to each other a bad thing?

 

people need to have access to everything constantly, all the time, forever, without interruption and that their immediate needs outweigh the needs of anyone else in the universe.

1.) Explain how being open a few hours equates to "constantly, all the time, forever, without interruption"

2.) Explain how someone that you don't know who would visit the dealership when it is convenient for them, equates to "outweigh the needs of anyone else in the universe".

If anything, ironically I think it's people with your mindset that 'outweigh the needs of anyone else in the universe' because you just want to make it LESS convenient for some people to shop. Seriously, what harm does it do to you if someone else can make it to the dealership on a Sunday? In a perfect world maybe we could set aside one special day and all lay around in the backyard sipping iced tea, but in the real world it just doesn't work like that for everyone

the same people would be doing the same griping about how the business was not conforming to their personal needs & standards.

Speculation at best, not to mention a red herring.

i actually miss those days.

So just because "you" miss those days, other people have to be inconvenienced and forced to suffer?

how many families have dinner together anymore?

Hope you keep that frying pan clean since you like red herring so much