Sunday, the day of rest? Not anymore

  Photo (Courtesy) http://gregpatch.blogspot.com/2010/07/enjoy-eclipse_11.html

Wednesday, May 07, 2014


Blue laws, which prohibit commercial activity on Sundays, have been around since Colonial times. The state of Maryland got rid of most of its blue laws during the 1980s. It was at that time that many car dealerships around the state did not want to be open on Sundays, though that was not the case in Howard, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

Those three counties were feeling the pressure from Northern Virginia dealerships that they found themselves in competition with, according to reports during that time. For that reason, those counties lobbied to be able to sell cars on Sundays. And they’ve been doing so for decades.

It seems that most auto dealerships — including those in Charles — enjoyed being closed one day a week since there had been no attempts for at least a decade to make any changes to the law.

Move forward to a few years ago, when southern Prince George’s County near the Charles County border saw a proliferation of commercial and residential growth. The Brandywine Crossing shopping center has opened just a mile or two from north Waldorf. That growth has brought with it a Costco, Target, Marshall’s, Safeway, a movie theater, restaurants, shops and a CarMax, newly opened with acres and acres of cars. That dealership is only a few minutes drive from north Waldorf, which houses a large concentration of dealerships on both sides of U.S. 301. And since the new CarMax is in Prince George’s, it can open on Sundays.

Hence the reason that some Waldorf dealership owners approached the Charles County commissioners about the law prohibiting Sunday car sales. With a new dealership opening just minutes away, local business owners were concerned that they might lose business if they couldn’t be open on Sundays. The commissioners asked for legislation to include the county among those jurisdictions that can have Sunday car sales, and it was granted by the General Assembly. They have not yet moved to do so, but we were told last week they are planning to hold a public hearing on the subject. The new law will take effect Oct. 1, so if the county wants to allow Sunday sales they will be able to do so then.

Many county residents spend their weekdays going to and from work outside of the county and find themselves with very little time for much of anything else. For commuters, weekends are often about their families — their kids’ sporting events and extracurricular activities competing with time for chores like running errands and shopping. An extra weekend day to shop appeals to many. Waldorf’s shopping centers are as busy on Sundays as just about any other day.

Sunday, the day of rest? Not anymore.

The concept of banning Sunday sales is outdated. There is other merchandise that is sold on Sundays. Why not cars and trucks? It makes sense to explore the issue.


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