Have been back to my old...

Have been back to my old haunt, Scores, a few times in the last few weeks during the holidays. It had sort of slipped from my preferences for about a year, and I've become annoyingly regular at Visions. But as the reviews here at TUSCL for Scores picked up, I decided to give it another try, despite the fact that it's on Bourbon Street amid the drunken teenage ghetto throngs. After finding a parking place and braving the crowds for the annoying walk to Scores, I was pleased with what I found.

First, the prices are a little bit lower than they used to be about a year ago. The $12 cola is now a reasonable $5, and a mixed drink with well liquor runs you $8. This is still high, but not unreasonable relative to New Orleans, and in fact is low relative to other nearby strip clubs on Bourbon Street.

There was a significant crowd of look-but-don't-touch club-goers on this weekend night. About 50 men, in groups of 2 to 5, partying, mostly in the age-range of 20 to 30 years old, mostly wearing jeans and casual shirts, mostly white, seemingly middle-class. They looked to be college boys and upwards, some conventioneers, a few groups of African-American friends in 'ghetto rap' style clothing acting a bit more raucous. The crowd was a tight press, but not intimidating at all, and most men were spending money on $1 tips at the stage (sometimes piles of them, "making it rain") but very little else. I think if you're one of the "yes I'll take you to a private room" guys, you can get very good attention here. In fact, if I have any complaint, it's that several girls come over and impose themselves on you without actually asking whether or not you WANT them to sit with you. They seem to be a bit competitive about trying to get you up to the privates (to get, see below, the "nut" experience, is this poker?) before any other girl gets your money. Too bad the management has pitted them against one another, but at least it means they know they need to come on over and interact. Stage-tipping will net a girl $50 per set, it looks like, so there's good income to be had by her merely being passive, but if she gets to keep as much as $200 from a half-hour private room, then she definitely would be motivated to compete for upstairs customers. I like being competed for, but I don't like being imposed upon.