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Thursday, September 6, 2007

Dallas uses newer tactic for punishing illegal massage parlors

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Sure, there are many pertinent facts in the case of the two massage parlors recently fined by the City of Dallas.

Fact: A new state law passed in 2005 makes it possible for cities to bring charges against illegal massage parlors without charging them with prostitution.

Fact: Each case of illegal massage discovered comes with a $10,000 fine.

Fact: If Tokyo Sauna or Asian Tan are caught giving illegal massages again they could face additional fines (oh, no, really?) or jail time.

Fact: Asian Tan has but one tanning bed... (sometimes you just don't try hard enough not to get caught).

So, sure there are a lot of facts that make this story arouse suspicion, but the one thing that stood out the most to me was the following (as paraphrased from the DMN):

When an undercover officer was told to turn over during his massage and asked "What do you like," he gave the woman a ticket.

Now that's just rude.

Posted by Erin


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Comments

kaja Anonymous

Actually there is another line in the DMN story that should draw attention. Refer back to the stories and press releases from last April. The story was headlined “Local Spas Link to Prostitution and Human Trafficking”. Several police officials were quoted as they cited the evils and abuse of sexual slavery – implying they had rescued one or more helpless girls. Hidden away as almost a passing comment in today’s story is the sentence referring to last April. ”But police say they didn't find any links to human trafficking”. It’s disappointing to me that NONE of the news media hold the police or city/state leaders accountable for their reckless innuendo.

Not to be outdone in today’s story, State Representation Rafael Anchia pontificates, "It creates not only the appearance that the neighborhood is unsafe, but also draws in people who might be undesirable who might frequent these establishments. And ultimately it drives down the quality of life." Excuse me! Maybe someone from the media should inform Rep. Anchia that the businesses he’s referring to are not located in residential neighborhoods, many more undesirables are drawn in by other businesses, and there are certainly hundreds, if not thousands of areas in Dallas, including Rep. Anchia’s own district, that are certainly more unsafe and with quality of life issues that have nothing to do with store-front spas.

2 years, 2 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Rawlins Gilliland Verified

Some damn day people will read about the dumb days and wonder: when an already overburdened police force wasted time and money trying to take out massage parlors instead of tageting serious neighborhood and street city crime. When simple matters of victimless sex were a high priority because of pious mandates over common sense about human nature.

I've never been to a massage parlor, but I've been a man all my life and if those places (restricted by zoning) are seeing to it that otherwise frustrated and volatile guys get off instead of having them angrily on the loose like cocked guns randomly ready to GO off.... God knows where against God knows who..., then they're doing a public service.

2 years, 2 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Scott Doyle Verified

Wow.

Illegal whores doing a public service to prevent rape and pillage, eh? I'm not saying it's the most effective and efficient policing, but I know I wouldn't appreciate something like that going down near me if I was a resident or business around there. Traffic tickets are one thing...

2 years, 2 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Rawlins Gilliland Verified

In fact, you might 'appreciate it' if you had altogether another set of rubber-meets-the-road life realities to deal with and no other conduit available. You want a day laborer to go to church and start dating some lady and marry and have legal sex inside the marriage forever and ever? Go rent a Doris Day flick. It's 2007 in Rawlins Reality Realty Land.

My earlier post specifically points out that these businesses are strictly zoned, so unless you reside in an industrial and/or commercial strip specifically set aside for bars, clubs, 'parlors', etc., the likelihood of 'something like this going down near' you is zero. Make no mistake; I am in no way endorsing them, but I am certainly questioning the use of policing man power to curtail activities therein. Priority: Webster Dictionary defines as: "highest or higher in importance, rank, privilege, etc.: a priority task".

This ongoing puritan Church Lady moralistic condemnation of male sexual libido is like puffing up over the way nature puts dandelions in our lawns. Sometimes the best way to 'regulate' human behavior is to recognize it for what it is and always has been. Meanwhile, if my home is being burglarized, I sure don't want the cop that could have been on my beat being beaten off on some slab at tax payer expense or waiting for his 'masseuse' to ask what he 'likes' in which case he nails 'em with a fine ticket. Silly me.

2 years, 2 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Lisa Lawrence Merritt Verified

I totally agree with Rawlins.

I once saw a 500lb man getting a dance from a stripper at The Lodge. This man paid the stripper a large sum of money to pay attention to him: knowing in Real Life no woman would.

Sad but true.

2 years, 2 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Rawlins Gilliland Verified

As they say at that other illegal 'parlor' down the way, "BINGO".

2 years, 2 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Scott Doyle Verified

I don't disagree that they surely have better things to do.

However, I don't know the area at all. If these things are near bidnesses that generate a reasonable amount of tax revenue and those cats don't appreciate it, me thinks they have motivation to oust whores. Not the most noble reason, but in Rawlins Reality Realty Land I figure it'll fly.

And welcome to the intertron re: conduit for sexual release - is her hand really that much better than my own?

2 years, 2 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Pavel Lishin Verified

"is her hand really that much better than my own?"

Yes.

2 years, 2 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Lisa Lawrence Merritt Verified

Masturbation: having sex with someone you love.

Jes sayin'.

2 years, 2 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Scott Doyle Verified

Btw, seems this is entirely derailed (for the time being) - DMN article indicates they haven't caught 'em for anything more than not having a license to give a regular massage...which is absurd if cops aren't undercover enough to catch obvious prostitutes:

"In a new tactic made possible by a 2005 state law, the city attorney's office got injunctions against two spas last month for running illegal massage parlors – even though police weren't able to make any prostitution arrests. In the past, such lawsuits have typically followed prostitution charges."

2 years, 2 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Kevin Kunreuther Verified

The only reason I object to the parlours is not the prostitution (that should be legalized, licensed and taxed, great source of govt revenue), but the real human traffiking, that is the real crime. These ladies are impressed from Korea and forced to submit to this work. These Korean parlours put the "voluntary" parlours out of business - they beat them over price, upkeep, exotica, etc.

2 years, 2 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Aaron Johnson Verified

Masseuse: What do you like? Officer: Writing tickets! Why do you think I became a police officer? It's more fun than sex... Masseuse: Ok, whatever gets you off. How much is the ticket for? Officer: $195 Masseuse: Ok, 1 Massage with happy ending, $195, thank you, come again.

2 years, 2 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

kaja Anonymous

Lastangelman, you’re buying into the hype DPD tried to spread last April. They made a big deal; even had press conferences, to pat themselves on the back because they had taken down a bunch of spas and had uncovered a possible human trafficking operation. Read yesterday’s DMN carefully; the line that says they “didn’t find any links to human trafficking” is easy to miss.

Where did you get your idea’s about “Korean parlours”? What do you consider “voluntary” parlours?

2 years, 2 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

terryorze Anonymous

I am becoming a policeman so that I can charge innocent taxpayers for getting massages.

2 years, 2 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

kaja Anonymous

The Washington Post published a very well researched article on Sunday, September 23rd, that totally debunked the urban myth of a massive sexual slavery operating in the U.S. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/... It’s too bad that the Post’s story hasn’t gotten the national and local coverage that some of the more sensationalized stories have received.

2 years, 1 month ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

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