A sex drive-in or sex box is a car garage (or similarly shielded location) that is designed to allow

prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...

to take place using cars, and can be found in a few countries in Europe. Generally the facilities are created by local authorities to put some control on where prostitution occurs and to provide increased safety.

Background

The concept started in the Netherlands where such facilities are called ''afwerkplek'' (literally meaning "a place to finish the work"; more to the point, "a sheltered area, provided by the authorities, where prostitutes provide their services"), and was first used in

Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city and a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, pro ...

starting in 1986.AIDS: Prevention Through Education : a World View
p. 225 (1992)(18 August 2008)
Onderzoek naar ruimere afwerkplek
''

Algemeen Dagblad The ''Algemeen Dagblad'' () or ''AD'' () (English: "General Daily Paper") is a Dutch daily newspaper based in Rotterdam, Netherlands. History and profile ''Algemeen Dagblad'' was founded in 1946. The paper is published in tabloid format and is ...

'' (in Dutch) (article states prostitutes are reporting that the stalls in the Utrecht facility are too small for some luxury cars and SUVs, as the facility has remained mostly unchanged since its construction in 1986) It was later adopted in Germany (''Verrichtungsbox'' in German, which translates somewhat as "effectuation box" but with a hint of banality and mundaneness), where the Utrecht model was first used in

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...

in 2001. There, a football field-sized, fenced-in space of a former industrial area (typically the kind of area where there are no residents to complain about the location), with a gated entry, security cameras, and alarm buttons in each stall.(7 July 2005)
Cologne Leads the Way in Safe Prostitution
''dw-world.de''(16 Sep 2010)
In Köln bewähren sich die Sexboxen
''

Tages-Anzeiger ''Tages-Anzeiger'' (), also abbreviated ''Tagi'' or ''TA'', is a Swiss German-language national daily newspaper published in Zurich, Switzerland. History and profile The paper was first published under the name ''Tages-Anzeiger für Stadt und K ...

'' (in German) Generally facilities are designed so that the driver cannot exit the vehicle after pulling into the structure, but the prostitute can.(20 September 2010)
Der Strassenstrich auf der grünen Wiese
''

Neue Zürcher Zeitung The ''Neue Zürcher Zeitung'' (''NZZ''; "New Journal of Zürich") is a Swiss, German-language daily newspaper, published by NZZ Mediengruppe in Zürich. The paper was founded in 1780. It was described as having a reputation as a high-quality ne ...

'' (in German) In 2008, this design width was reported to be a problem in the Utrecht sex drive-in because the growing sizes of

SUV A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definiti ...

and

luxury car A luxury car is a car that provides increased levels of comfort, equipment, amenities, quality, performance, and associated status compared to moderately priced cars. The term is subjective and reflects both the qualities of the car and the ...

s meant they were having difficulties fitting into the slots.

Expansion to Switzerland

In 2013, the first facility in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

opened in Zurich. In addition to security, the stalls are equipped with alarm buttons.(26 August 2013)
Zurich introduces 'drive-in' sex
''BBC''(25 February 2005)

''

Stern (magazine) ''Stern'' (, German for "Star") is an illustrated, broadly left-liberal, weekly current affairs magazine published in Hamburg, Germany, by Gruner + Jahr, a subsidiary of Bertelsmann. Under the editorship (1948–1980) of its founder Henri Na ...

'' (in German) Zurich voters approved the building of the facility in a

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

in March 2012.(27 August 2013)
Switzerland's first sex drive-in opens
''

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...

'' Due to numerous complaints of public prostitution affecting residents, Zurich began considering the project in 2010 and visited other facilities including those in

and

Essen Essen (; Latin: ''Assindia'') is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and D ...

, and Swiss news reports referred to the concept as ''sex-boxen'' (sex boxes).Francis, Jessica (25 August 2010)
Zürcher prüfen Sex-Boxen für den Strassenstrich
(Zurich Considers Sex Boxes For Street Prostitution), ''

Blick ''Blick'' is a Swiss German-language daily newspaper, and online news website covering current affairs, entertainment, sports and lifestyle. History and profile ''Blick'' was established in 1959. The newspaper was the first Swiss tabloid publi ...

'' (in German) ("Sie sehen aus wie Autowasch-Anlagen ... Einziger Unterschied: Wenn er rausfährt ist sein Auto noch immer schmutzig, er hingegen glücklich." which can be translated as, "they look like car washes ... the only difference: when he leaves the car is still dirty, but he is happy.")

References

{{Prostitution in the Netherlands Prostitution in Germany Prostitution in the Netherlands Prostitution in Switzerland Prostitution

Background

Expansion to Switzerland

See also

References