@AustinMom wrote:
I'm not sure about the blue laws in other parts of the country, because I was in Louisiana/Texas/Arkansas, but they were pretty constrictive in my area. It was only when I spent 6 months in California in the early 70's that I realized life didn't have to be that way.
Viva the New World, even if 24/7 is a little more than I need.
Store hours in the states in which I lived weren't at all that restrictive, Blue Laws or not. As far as I remember, Blue Laws had only to do with being open on Sundays. But, yeah, it wasn't a 24/7 world. Thank goodness.
In Massachusetts, which had Blue Laws when I lived there, I used to do my grocery shopping at about 10 or 11 p.m. on Friday nights to avoid the Saturday rush. Most department stores and malls were open until at least 9 p.m., and discount department stores were usually open until 10 p.m. Convenience stores were open on Sundays, so you could get gas and a few groceries. Same with New York, where I grew up in the 60s.
I'm not sure why things were what they were in Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas. Blue Laws aside, it sounds like those hours were ridiculous. I can't imagine having to shop for groceries before 7 p.m. That would kill me.
But we really could exist without everything being open on Sundays and holidays, and 24/7 year 'round.
I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.