Modus Operandi by Mauro Corvasce (universal ebook reader txt) 📕

said they would clear the streets of prostitutes if they had the chance. The distaste for prostitution is manifested mainly by reluctance to have a bordello in the neighborhood, or to be identified with the business or its personnel. Otherwise, it does not seem to bother the general population.

Causes of Prostitution

If prostitution offends the moral principles of people, why does it exist? And, if it denigrates women, how does it recruit its members? To explain prostitution in economic terms is begging the question. Since prostitution is defined as selling sexual favors, one might say that retail merchandising has economic causes.

Prostitution arises from the demand for the prostitute's services. This need for service arises out of the regulation of sex itself and the limited liability of a commercial sexual relationship. If the customer has money, he can obtain satisfaction with no further obligations. In the case of a female prostitute, the only clients that she needs to procure are men. A john, or client of the prostitute, does not become enmeshed in courtship, friendship or marriage. Let's face it, every male finds himself sometimes, and some males find themselves most of the time, in circumstances where sexual release through more reputable channels is impossible.

Our experiences have shown that, of course, not all males visit prostitutes, but those who do depend on them for a major portion of their sexual activity. About 30 percent of men have never had contact with prostitutes. Of the rest, most have had only one or two experiences. No more than 15 to 20 percent of men visit a prostitute more often than a few times a year. This still leaves a substantial portion of the adult male population. For them, what does prostitution provide that other outlets cannot?

The primary advantage of prostitution for these men is its impartiality, impersonality and economy. Attracting and seducing a woman can be costly. By its effort to contain sexual acts in a meaningful and enduring social relationship, society creates advantages for prostitution. For less than the cost of a single date with a girl who is not a prostitute, a male can engage in whatever sexual fantasies he desires with a prostitute. Additionally, the impersonality of prostitution makes it particularly suited to strangers. The man away from his wife or circle of girlfriends cannot, in a short time, count on seducing a respectable woman. Also, since certain sexual acts are considered immoral for wives and sweethearts, the prostitute has an advantage. That is, the prostitute, as long as she gets paid, will usually perform 99.9 percent of the services requested by the client. The demand for prostitution will not be eliminated or seriously altered

by a change in the economic system. The underlying basis for the demand is inherent in human society.

Prostitute Categories

Now it's time to put on our hot pants, lipstick and high-heeled shoes and check out the action on the streets.

The Legalized Brothel

In some countries prostitution is a legal, commercial venture. Brothels are licensed and regulated by the government in an effort to minimize the negative impacts of venereal disease and organized crime. These two side effects of prostitution are generally present in situations where prostitution is illegal.

In Nevada, the practice of legalized brothels is accepted in almost all of the seventeen counties of the state. The Mustang Ranch, one of the fifty or more licensed brothels is the largest, doing an annual business of between S3 and $5 million. The house rules are not too strict. Drugs and sloppy clothes are not allowed. There are between twenty and twenty-five women working in this establishment at any given time. They are regularly inspected by physicians and are required to hang their health certificates on the walls. The average income of the women is approximately $600 to $700 per week, of which $300 goes for room and board. The women are free to accept or reject customers for any reason. They may, for example, discriminate against clients from different ethnic backgrounds. Whether or not the legal brothel has resulted in an increase or decrease in venereal disease or AIDS cannot be established. It has, however, decreased the activity of the police and courts in Nevada in dealing with prostitution.

The Illegal Brothel

In the United States most brothels that operate do so illegally. A common scene in New York City is luxurious east-side apartment houses, catering to New York and visiting businessmen.

Sue, the proprietor of the brothel, receives a minimum of $700 every few days tax free. A trick, which is a sexual act, costs anywhere from $35 to $75 and the money is divided equally with the hooker. Sue calls the hookers or prostitutes to work when they are needed. Sue is perpetually looking for new women to satisfy her customers. She usually hears of women from other hookers.

Sue considers her apartment a clean, respectable place that gentlemanly clientele can frequent. She avoids troublesome or aging hookers. Troublesome hookers are those who give out their home telephone numbers, which Sue considers stealing, and those who don't share the money that they have made from a client.

To prevent detection by the police, Sue pays off the doorman and the building manager, and the owners of the building seem oblivious as long as the rent is paid. Every two or three years, Sue changes her apartment and her telephone number, in the process dropping a few johns, who either showed violent tendencies or didn't pay enough money. However, Sue must always stay on the right side of the clients she drops because they can always go to the police.

The Street Walker

In many respects the street walker is at the bottom of the prostitution hierarchy. The most common scene that we have experienced is a young girl, either a runaway or a throwaway child, who drifts to the big city after leaving her home. She could be running away from sexual abuse by family members or friends. She often works as a waitress or clerk and for a time lives a rootless, disorganized life