In A Nutshell
Prostitution has been legal in Switzerland for over six decades. One of the Swiss government’s solutions to the public nuisances associated with this is the creation of “sex boxes”—drive-in prostitution centers with guards, shower facilities, and other amenities.
The Whole Bushel
Many don’t realize it, but there’s more to the Swiss than clocks and neutrality. Our sister site has mentioned that Switzerland actually has enough fallout shelter space to house every citizen in the country, and the Swiss have found that a great way to remain neutral in international disputes is to have an incredibly efficient and well-trained army.
Here’s something else you may not know about Switzerland, then: Prostitution has been legal there since 1942. Its biggest city, Zurich, is a renowned European prostitution hub, and in fact it’s so ingrained that it’s become something of a public nuisance, with hooking and its associated activities taking place a little too publicly and frequently for the city government’s taste.
In order to curb this problem, the government has opened new facilities—notably far from the center of the city—called “sex boxes,” essentially a drive-in copulation service. The $2.6 million project will employ 30 to 40 sex workers per night (they have to pay a nightly rental fee for their box), and the facilities will be open from 7:00 PM to 5:00 AM. There will be bathroom facilities for the customers, kitchens and laundry for the workers, and regular on-site checkups by a physician for each worker. Customers must have a car—no walk-ups, please—-and the route they must take is clearly marked, so as to avoid random people looking for the highway from inadvertently showing up at the sex boxes.
The site has no video cameras, but does have security staff, and workers must be at least 18 and registered with the city. The project has the blessing of authorities, who find it more discreet and not as disruptive as unregulated activity. It was even given the green light by voters in a referendum.
Show Me The Proof
Switzerland: Zurich launches ‘sex drive-ins’
Zurich begins experiment with drive-in ‘sex boxes’
