Kick back and relax; Sundays are for leisure, not car washing in Rhineland-Palatinate
Dirty vehicle remains on Sunday - Each Sunday, the automobile remains uncleaned
Let's hop aboard the weekend vibe, but there's a twist in Rhineland-Palatinate - washing your car on a Sunday? Forget about it! In other federal states like Hesse, however, yard workincludes scrubbing and polishing rims, paint, and underbody is a Sunday go-to. The grass just ain't greener in Rhineland-Palatinate, where critics roll their eyes and demand breaks in the restrictions.
Filling station associations view the Sunday car wash ban as an antiquated relic. What's the big deal, right? Work's a thing even on Sundays, and many car washes operate without staff. Plus, in most European neighboring countries, folks are free to choose their wash day.
Small-time operators in Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg, the Saarland, and other federal states take a financial hit close to 10,000 euros yearly due to the ban, according to the association's warnings.
The environmental aspect also shares the stage: Car washes are water-conserving and eco-friendly, argues the association, saving local sewage systems and our precious Mother Earth from unnecessary burden.
Sunday soap suds and conversations avoided
The association has send a fervent plea to the Rhineland-Palatinate Minister President Alexander Schweitzer (SPD), ever since the flowery prose of the letter, but he remains as elusive as a professional magician. Despite the plea, Schweitzer has neither responded nor offered a sit-down chat, as a Mainz-based German Press Agency spokesperson reveals.
The law lays down the rules for where and when car washing is allowed: Prohibited are garden or unpaved surfaces, and fines might be handed out for water spills.
Chemicals in water, watch your step!
Even with crystal clear water, the wastewater produced from car washing contains hazardous substances that could harm groundwater, Rhineland-Palatinate's German Environmental Aid (DUH) shares.
If the ground is paved or washing is done at the edge of the road, municipal regulations decide the dos and don'ts, the DUH advises. Therefore, check with your local authorities about the rules in your area.
DUH supports car washes, just go easy on the chemicals
The environmental association encourages the use of approved self-service car washes and car washes for washing. This is where pollutants are properly filtered, separated, and discharged. To err on the side of caution, short programs are recommended to reduce resource consumption.
Compared to a garden hose, car washes save water by using recycled water from within the system. In a nutshell, more water saved equals a happier environment.
Ministry of the Interior sets the record straight
The Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of the Interior recently reiterated that car wash operations on Sundays and national holidays are indeed prohibited, citing the state law on Sunday and holiday protection.
According to this, all activities that disturb the peace and contradict the spirit of Sundays and public holidays are banned, with a laundry list that includes operating car washes and car wash places.
Sunday's all about friends, fam, and downtime
Washing your car on a Sunday already has a strong worklike vibe with a lint of profit hanging in the air. "Sunday signifies the importance of a day of rest for the folks apart from possible church attendance," reason personnel at the Ministry.
A plain view for the Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund (DGB), "Sunday is folks' time for relaxation, family, friends, and volunteer activities," stresses the DGB chairperson, Susanne Wingertszahn. Thus, Sunday maintains its legal protection.
A fresh perspective required
With Sunday shopping and car wash, the DGB echoes the sentiment, "Sunday is folks' day off-it's about employees having personal time.”
The Koblenz state parliamentarian from the Free Democrats, Stephan Wefelscheid, questions the archaic nature of the ban on car washing on Sunday. Most car washes reside far away from residential areas and self-service car washes are commonplace. "I can't grasp how a self-service car wash amidst the industrial zones supposedly creates a ruckus in the outer peace,” Wefelscheid critiques. "In a time where dual-income families are the norm and there's scant time for weekly groceries, haircuts, or the like, such restrictions are outdated, antiquated, and an oxymoron." Wefelscheid advocates for a new mindset from the state government and a review of the ban, much in the spirit of the petrol station interest group.
The car wash industry in Rhineland-Palatinate, along with other federal states, faces a significant financial loss due to the Sunday ban, as annual losses are estimated to be around 10,000 euros for small-time operators, according to filling station associations. Furthermore, car washes are argued to be eco-friendly as they conserve water and help protect local sewage systems, but the use of chemicals in water could potentially harm groundwater, leading to strict regulations on where and how car washing is allowed.
