Strippers on Craigslist . . . Wild West No More :(

I used to know someone that used craigslist to give private dances. She ran a December special of $60/30 minute private dance (it usually was $100/30 min. private dance). You could be down to wearing your boxers in her apartment while she danced for you. After December though she quit posting on there...

I asked her why she did not work in the clubs and she said she makes more money doing it in private.

You may all know by now that the Cook County, IL Sheriff Tom Dart just announced a civil suit against Craigslist to discontinue their erotic services ads. I think he is seeking financial damages as well.

What's not being reported, however, is that Cook County wants to lessen criminal ramifications for hookers and 'Johns' and impose a one-thousand dollar fine for solicitation.

I imagine a Craigslist 'sting' operation costs well over a thousand, whereas if one could get these girls out from hiding and onto the street, the Sheriffs office could rake in a goldmine with sweeps of Manheim Avenue.

Many of the Chicago hookers advertise incalls near O'Hare airport that are crappy motels a short distance away, many of which are in Cook County's jurisdiction.

It's my belief that this is merely a hypocritical effort to force the girls to leave the sanctity of the hotel rooms and ply their trade either on the street or in the nearby 'bikini' bars, in order that more busts can be made.

Follow the money, I always say...

I was listening to an attorney on CNN opine that because Craigslist is facilitating crime there isn't a First Amendment protection.

Cute.

If TUSCL facilitates crime, then civil and criminal penalties could be imposed. I'm not an attorney and I think the First Amendment is pretty much a joke and losing it completely would hardly be missed. If TUSCL going bye bye? Well as long as founder doesn't start posting pics from soldiers in Iraq, then the risk should be fairly minute.

Follow the money? Not a bad idea, but sometime it is just about power or a moral high or moral righteousness.

chi_sam is correct. It is ALWAYS the money! Now in defense of jablake, money IS power. As for morals, they do not seem to exist, any longer, in government.

Hi Clubber,

I guess I know different types of people. Some of the religious nuts place an extremely low value on money. Some of the racists place and extremely low value on money. I've always considered myself to be a money grubber worshiping the almighty dollar. However, as my needs are met the value of the dollar to me declines precipitously. It is the old story about the young clown stealing textbooks from me. It meant nothing at that time and place. Having thousands stolen from me also meant nothing at the right time and place. OTOH, a 50 cent off coupon was very important to me at the right time and place.

I don't think there are any shortage of religious nuts that truly don't set their clocks by the dollar. I don't think there is any shortage of strippers who gladly give all their money to a loser boyfriend because love means much more to them than stacks of $100 bills. There is now a shortage of racists at least among the people that I know, but decades back there wasn't a shortage of racists who had relatively little interest in money. The first black stripper at Angels could have made a lot more money at Coco's, but her highest priority was integration; imho she should have been in favor of strict segregation!

I like to think of myself as a money grubber, but my decisions aren't always money based. Morals at one time meant a hell of a lot more to me than money. Now, I don't think morals are worth even a single penny. Sorta like I don't think Republicans are worth even a single penny while Democrats are worth a couple dollars each! And, their value is steadily rising in my book. :)

How could I have forgotten environmental nut jobs and druggies? Woe is me!

Yep, ain't no shortage of environmentalist who have contempt for money and believe in the nonsense of saving the planet or the whale or the spotted owl. These nut jobs are just a couple of moral steps above former President Bush---ehhh, make that a half-step above.

The druggies. Wonderful people many of 'em, but they (hard core) in general just don't value the dollar! Better government brainwashing that the dollar is the be all and end all of existence might mean far fewer druggies. :(

Again-------I'm a proud money grubber and think generally dollars are more important than people and damn sure worth more than a spotted owl or a bald eagle. Having said that it ain't all about the money by a long shot. NO. NO. NO. :)

Nice segue... I could pick out about four words that had anything at all to do with this post. And the rest of it? Well, since you don't do drugs you may want to get a carbon monoxide alarm.

Yes the butterfly's wings move mountains. The carbon monoxide alarm off the cuff seems like a waste of dollars sorta akin to not swimming in the ocean due to a fear of getting attacked by a toothy shark.

As I essentially said not a bad idea following the money. A buddy once said scarcity of money is the root of all evil, but my rough feeling is the original saying was correct.

Supposedly WINNING millions in the lottery makes people as happy as if they'd gotten a leg hacked off or lost a beloved pet or child. If true, then it doesn't surprise me a bit. So add lottery winners to religious nut jobs, racists, environmental nut jobs, and druggies.

Is said Sheriff focused on the dollar? Hearing him on CNN my guess would be NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After listening to said Sheriff whimpering about crime and Craigslist's facilitation of crime it just leaves me very doubtful that his main interest is money or his interest in the least. Could be the thrill of the hunt or publicity that motivates him or he may just be a standard issue bully or a do-gooder.

Of course, I could be wrong in the case of the Sheriff and the whole Craigslist charade is just about filling his pockets with money . . . seems like that is the purpose of most laws.

I think we're pretty close to a Federal national "no solicitation for sexual services on the internet" act. It's bound to come up at some point from some nut-job religious zealot, and as far as I can guess, it'll probably stand all the constitutional tests -- notice, vagueness (as long as it's written properly), interstate commerce. There's going to have to be some litigation and testing, of course, but I think that such an act might PURPORT to reduce inter-state sex slave trade or inter-state prostitution (legally within the Feds' domain to control) but actually might REALLY be used by local authorities to clamp down on internet sex-trade and sex-trade-related advertising. An ad on the 'net, for sex at O'Hare, by a sex worker at O'Hare, in a hotel at O'Hare, with a John from near O'Hare, can nevertheless be construed to be an ad for sex with a John from Indiana or Wisconsin who might drive to O'Hare and ... tah dah ... mongers lose.

In fact, I can see the Obama administration strongly supporting this sort of legislation. Though I tend to support left-wing causes and politicians, and though I do this sometimes simply because I feel they're more likely to have a "permissive" social agenda about things I value (among them, sexual services), sometimes the American Democratic Party has an odd alliance with "restrictive" social agendas (feminists who want to stamp out the supposed sex-slave trade, affirmative action that prevents free movement of employees, that sort of thing).

It wouldn't be the first time someone was disappointed with Obama for the fact that his "change" simply meant "change from Bush" and not necessarily "change from politics according to all the old typical American two-party dysfunctional system." So far it's just, "change back to Clinton." Who was a disappointment.

Anyway, I digress ...

chi_sam, you demonstrate wisdom and wit. Thanks for your great posts!

As far as President Obama, I'm in love with the man because he doesn't yap "terrorist" every sentence. I'm a little concerned that he is too "conservative" meaning he supports endless wars plus more government and to boot the stimulus package is far too niggardly. (I apologize for to any and all who are genuinely upset by the word niggardly and perhaps that word should join the N word even though they're etymologically unrelated.)

I assume President Obama wishes to reduce individual freedom and replace it with collective freedom and as such I expect Craigslist will become less valuable to those who'd like to have a little sexual fun. Could it really be about money? Could be. But, I think it is more about power and the type of power that cares little about money.

It is funny listening to the CNN story it sounded like Craigslist was just completely obstinate and oblivious to pleas by law enforcement. And, who knows maybe it is just South Florida that is requiring the credit cards and cooperating with the 40 Attorney Generals.

Also, there was bragging about how Craigslist had helped local police put more people behind bars; essentially it was like shooting fish in a barrel. And, Craigslist along with the police should have been given medals for putting more people in prison because maybe some of those folks are Charlie Mansons.

This one lady that I spoke with before the crack down was extremely fearful. And, I wasn't talking sex or BJs or anything of that nature. I don't care for the coarse discourse. The woman wants to get paid for just talk, then that is fine with me. The woman wants action (some do because it harder work for some of them to talk; that shouldn't come as too much of a shock) and that is fine too. My concern about paying for "nothing" is about zero. I expect that corruption is the rule everywhere even when I have numerous positive experiences and besides I enjoy talking with pretty ladies whether their pros or not.

they're pros or not.

The lady advertising on Craigslist (I think I'd seen her working at Cocos as a stripper) was so fearful that I didn't even get an appointment. Which wasn't a loss given all her nervous questions. She claimed she'd been busted before yada yada yada and she didn't want to go back to jail. Then she wants to know what services do I want. I tell her that I just pay for time and she can pretty much run the show. She talks all this explicit stuff and I need to repeat that I'm focused on time the services have no value to me. She says she doesn't believe me. I said you must of had customers that weren't focused on services and just wanted to spend a little time relaxing for an hour or so. She says oh no all her customers want services. Then she deduces that only a cop would claim not to want services. I'm like whatever; I pay for time and maybe we can just watch TV or grab a bite to eat at Burger King.

Never did see her again on Craigslist or at the stripclub. Can't say that I was disappointed that it was a failed appointment. That woman was so in fear she would have had me biting my nails waiting for a SWAT team to start kicking in doors and filling spaces with made in China bullets. (Thank goodness they don't be wasting money buying American bullets.)