Ask a Former Brothel Bartender

[Napoléon]

I won't be able to answer some of the seamier questions you may have since I was only privy to what the ladies may have chosen to share, but I can give you an idea of how such places operate in Nevada.

Did you get a discount?

[Exian]

How much?

[ignoramus]

Is it covered under medicare?
I'm feeling deflated.

[Nope]

Do you think that mist of the prostitutes enjoyed their jobs? How did they feel about their clients? Do you have any funny stories?

[Crossless2.0]

Was any of the product "atheist"?
(I've seen some nice "nun" videos)

What can I say?  Nuns make the best porn.  The 'product' was willing to be what one wanted provided the parties involved agreed to terms.  So atheist?  Sure.  Have a sick guilt-ridden sexual/religious fantasy?  Someone will try to work with you -- within limits of course.

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I won't be able to answer some of the seamier questions you may have since I was only privy to what the ladies may have chosen to share, but I can give you an idea of how such places operate in Nevada.

Did you get a discount?

No.  There was a strict rule about the staff fraternizing with the ladies.  As mentioned earlier, violating that rule was my undoing.  At least I wasn't paying for it.

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How much?

The ladies were independent contractors, operating under the brothel owner's license.  The house took a 50% cut on each booking; the lady kept the rest.  So the prices could vary wildly by girl based on what she was able to negotiate with the customer.  Price could run between hundreds of dollars for 30-60 minutes to thousands for the same period of time (of course much longer parties could be set up as well).  That's why part of my job was to console disappointed customers whose first couple of choices were priced beyond their means and to encourage them to keep talking to more ladies, as they were likely eventually to find someone who would meet their price.

I knew of parties that literally ran to six figures.

---

Is it covered under medicare?
I'm feeling deflated.

No.

Viagra

---

Do you think that mist of the prostitutes enjoyed their jobs?  How did they feel about their clients? Do you have any funny stories?

Most?  I couldn't say.  I was close to a handful of the women there but kept a bit of distance with most of them, so it's hard for me to speak on the question of their enjoyment or happiness.  I know for sure that some hated it because we spoke of it.  Others were (if you'll pardon an armchair analysis) nymphomaniacs who were delighted to get paid to do what they would be doing anyway.  Some were hooked into the life young -- turned out by pimps, drug/alcohol problems, etc. -- and didn't really know anything else.  Virtually all of them had a variety of issues, and it's hard to imagine many of them in that line of work without their problems.  The thing about being a 'successful' hooker in a legal brothel is that you put on a brave face, smile, and be charming because it's all about closing the next deal.  You don't spend much time bemoaning your job, and if you do you'll complain to the other working girls because they can relate.

For the most part, clients were seen as suckers/marks, though most of the ladies were much too professional to express that sentiment unless no one but staff and other working girls were around.  But there were also numerous examples of regular or semi-regular customers who developed over time something like a relationship with some favorite lady; in some cases, the feelings were even reciprocated despite the artificial nature of the relationship.  In one case, a pilot who had been seeing the same lady for years died in a plane crash.  She was so much a part of his life and he of hers that when she attended his funeral she was practically embraced as family by his family.

Funny stories?  Yeah, I do but I don't think they would resonate here since most of what I found funny had to do with who these women were and how they were when no customers were around.  Anyway, it's more typing than I care to get into for now.

I can say this: if you ever watched Cathouse and remember Air Force Amy from the show, I can affirm that she is a hundred times funnier than the show ever managed to convey.  Also a hundred times smarter.  And a hundred times crazier.  Amy was a fucking trip.

[Aractus]

I won't be able to answer some of the seamier questions you may have since I was only privy to what the ladies may have chosen to share, but I can give you an idea of how such places operate in Nevada.

In Australia multiple reports - including accounts from drivers etc - show that the vast majority of prostitutes are habitual drug users, with Ice being the most common. How prevalent was drug use in your area - were they habitual users etc. - and what was the main drug of choice?

[Crossless2.0]

I won't be able to answer some of the seamier questions you may have since I was only privy to what the ladies may have chosen to share, but I can give you an idea of how such places operate in Nevada.

In Australia multiple reports - including accounts from drivers etc - show that the vast majority of prostitutes are habitual drug users, with Ice being the most common. How prevalent was drug use in your area - were they habitual users etc. - and what was the main drug of choice?

Drug use was prevalent.  Though 'officially' frowned upon by the brothel owner, there was also a pervasive "look the other way/whatever gets you through the night" attitude that permitted the women a free hand to indulge as they wished, provided they didn't get out of hand, get caught using with a client, or in any way embarrass the house.  I hesitate to speculate what percentage of women there used (at least 50% would be a safe bet) because so many were discreet about it.  There was also a fair percentage among them who were quite health conscious and worked out regularly, drank only socially, didn't smoke, etc.

The drugs of choice ran the gamut.  A lot of pot and coke, several women who had prescription drug habits, some meth but less than I would have guessed going in.  I remember one lady who arrived who pretty clearly had a heroin habit.  That was a definite no-no, and she was gone within 48 hours.

[Aractus]

So what you're saying is this: 1. the brothel has an anti-drug policy, 2. if it appears one of their employees (yes that's what they are even if they're "independent contractors") is using drugs and may need help then they look they other way as long as the usage is what they deem "discrete", 3. if the problem was to persist to a point where it could embarrass the employer they would terminate their employee rather than get them the help they clearly need. Is that accurate? So essentially they've created and maintained an environment where their employees could develop a serious addition problem but they don't want to do anything about it by a. preventing it or b. early intervention?

[vorlon13]

When I was active in the HIV buddy program we had a couple of women with prostitution backgrounds.  "T" was quite willing to discuss some aspects of the business and she would concur with the info in this thread.  

I didn't appreciate how much I learned from her until years later I was at a cousins wedding and realized the grooms mother was a prostitute.  Even funnier, the bride's father figured it out too.  His mistake was revealing he knew, I was careful to not reveal I knew too.  And when he spilled the beans about her,  I realized he was also spilling the beans about himself.

[Crossless2.0]

So what you're saying is this: 1. the brothel has an anti-drug policy, 2. if it appears one of their employees (yes that's what they are even if they're "independent contractors") is using drugs and may need help then they look they other way as long as the usage is what they deem "discrete", 3. if the problem was to persist to a point where it could embarrass the employer they would terminate their employee rather than get them the help they clearly need. Is that accurate? So essentially they've created and maintained an environment where their employees could develop a serious addition problem but they don't want to do anything about it by a. preventing it or b. early intervention?

Precisely. However, I take issue with your characterization of the ladies as "employees". Their independent contractor status was not fictional, and that was set up as such to the brothel owners' advantage. If they were employees, they would have had certain rights, as did those of us who were legitimately employees of the place, e.g., paid vacation, etc. Essentially, they were free to leave any time. However, if they did so with the intention of remaining in the business and operating under someone's license, they would find pretty much the same arrangement at any competing brothel they went to -- that or expose themselves to the risk of operating illegally, as many had done prior to working at a brothel. Most were at great pains not to leave the establishment at which I worked because it was generally known that the owner of that place provided more amenities and took better care of the women than was the case elsewhere. He was a relatively enlightened snake, even if it was enlightenment for personal gain. The horror stories that circulated concerning other establishments were legion.