As a proud dog owner (although, I usually refer to our dogs as "the babies", since they do not know that they actually are dogs... and I can't get myself to telling them). Anyway... where was I??? Oh yes. Having two BABIES means that I walk around the block at least once a day - on most days twice. The other day on our walk, a somewhat suspicious looking Lady asked me for a light for her cigarette. Being a smoker myself, I can relate to the misery an unlit Marlboro can cause, and handed her my lighter without hesitation. I noticed her looking at me funny, and making a remark that sounded like an offer for - god only knows. As I walked away, I kept stopping for the babies to sniff around a bit, and noticed that the "Lady" remained at the street corner, obviously working it.
First off: I am wearing sneakers that match my T-shirt, a pair of designer Jeans and have two perfectly groomed Shih Tzus on color coordinated leashes, for heaven's sake. I might not wear my heart, but certainly my sexuality on my sleeve! How gay exactly must one be in order to be excluded from the potential client- list of Trenton's prostitutes???
Now to her... and to so many working girls I have seen around here:I understand the business. I get why they are around, and I am not against them in general (Come on... Walt Disney Pictures made a film about it. How taboo can it be? ) Their occupation is as old as the history of the world. They have always been in demand, and they will probably never run out of business. What I do NOT get is their marketing strategy and their showcasing, if you will.
No matter what we sell or where we sell it, don't we generally make sure that we present it in the most positive light possible? If I put my house on the market, don't I take good pictures of it and don't I clean it when I know a potential buyer might come over to look at it?
My dad used to be a car dealer who would tell me: If you sell your car, make sure it is clean - inside and out. Patch up rusty spots, make sure the lights are working and do all you can to make a good first impression. He would say: If the paint is chipping off, the oil is leaking and the windows are filthy, you probably don't even want to look under the hood.
I always found that to be a very good piece of advice - not just for car sales. Let's transfer these words of wisdom to the situation I am talking about, shall we?
What kind of a marketing strategy is it to stand at a street corner, wearing filthy clothes that could stand on the corner by themselves, with unwashed hair all over the place, missing teeth and dirty finger nails? I want to scream at every one of them: MISS THING!!! YOU ARE IN SALES!!! CLEAN UP!!!
To me - like I said - prostitution in itself is really not the issue. At home in Germany, it is a completely legal job and therefor a pretty normal part of society. The girls pay their taxes, the red light districts are protected by police forces and equipped with stations for the girls to get blood tests, condoms, pills and what else they might need. When I lived in Munich, I would actually drive down the famous street just to look at them hanging out in their BMWs, looking like Las Vegas showgirls.
I am not criticizing the fact that in the US prostitution is considered unlawful. God knows... I wouldn't benefit either way!!! But the truth is that they DO exist. Doesn't it seem logical to deal with this reality by trying to make it as safe and as clean as possible - for them and for their "clients"? Because under the current circumstances I fear my Shih Tsus might catch fleas just by stopping to sniff at THE corner!
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