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A very shady "spa" opened up recently in my small town. Just the atmosphere projected on the outside makes you wonder what really goes on inside. Not that I've had the gumption yet to wander in... However, it has not kept my busy brain and typing skills idle. The internet can give you all kinds of knowledge. Some of which you'd rather not be privy to. This being said, if you have any questionable places in your town and you can't really find any information, I have come across a website that may keep you in the loop. (eroticmp.com) Just because the owners of these establishments can keep their mouths closed, doesn't ensure that their seedy clientele can do so. I have discovered that there are almost 150 (known) in my state. A licensed state. Question is: why aren't the authorities doing anything? And what are you going to do about the ones near you?

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Wow - this is amazing! I checked my state - Michigan - and there are 61 listings. I actually drive by one three times a week visiting a client. I will be contacting the state police regarding this issue. I'm not sure what, if anything, they will do, but I want to see what they say. Thanks for sharing the website information.

 

They operate because convictions are very hard to get. If they do get a conviction it is a misdemeanor and they open up somewhere else. There are a number of review sites but that is not evidence. Unfortunately even some legit places place reviews themselves just to attract guys. The owners even use it to make the girls perform more to increase clientele.

Report it to your state board just in case anyone there is board licensed. If you get some hard evidence like a friend who is willing to report to the police they were offered sex at a price then perhaps they will act. Know a man who will testify to that?

THere are thousands of these places, when you include working in apartments, in our city. Personally I am glad they are around. My place has an open window reception area and caters to families, baby to grandpa. I prefer guys have a place to go for what they want rather than coming to our place. There is little confusion regarding who does what. Yes there are places you can't be sure of but it is easy to set up your place as professional massage so there is no doubt. I think they should have a sexual massage license and be required to post it in the window.

 

That would probably increase my business as there are many women and men looking for a nice family place. They wouldn't want to be identified as going to a "Sexual Massage" parlor. If you check the erotic reviews and yelp reviews by phone number in our area you will find this is true.  Women give great yelp reviews to the same place guys reviewed for sex. I use to think that a prostitution license would separate the two. But I am thinking a "sexual massage license" would fit better and bring the sexual but wanting a fair to good massage crowd to the right place and leave me alone. Of course an establishment could not mix, it would be clearly separate.

We have a place like that directly across the street from where I work.  Just yesterday we had someone come in looking for a massage and then realized we weren't what he was looking for.  We watched him get in his truck, check the back of his seedy newspaper and drive across the street.  My boss joked about putting a flyer under his window asking if he was happy now. 

Thankfully, the guys that come in confusing us with the other place all figure it out before they try getting a massage and there has been no bad behavior in the massage rooms.

Unfortunately, it has been brought to my attention the the owner is waiting on a "new shipment of girls". Lit the fire on that one. NCBTMB has brochures for $2.25 per bundle of 25 on human trafficking in the massage industry. You do not have to be nationally certified to purchase. I ordered a couple hundred. This is an issue of horrendous proportions.

@Daniel- personally, I don't feel it's right no matter which way it gets dressed up. To each their own and all. However, when it comes to these places using Therapeutic Massage as their listings....illegal in this state. It is very hard to get a conviction, I agree.  And then to find out that the owner is waiting on a shipment of "young Asian girls"... I've been a business owner for almost 9 years and have never had any confusion as to what I do for a living. You are 100% correct in the image you portray is what will walk through your front door.

Just raising awareness to the uninformed!!!

I have been informed by clients and fellow therapists alike, that there are several parlous in my area that may not have started out as sleazy... however when the chains started popping up, the owners felt financially pressured to lower the commission paid to the therapists. As a result the therapists have started adding "extra" services just to get better tips.  Very sad.

I've been to both legit and illicit places and my experience has been that legit places usually give a better massage. Places that offer extras are trying to hit you up for more money a few minutes after they start massaging you, it generally makes for poor massage experience. I do however enjoy the table shower, followed by a good massage. It's unfair to automatically assume since it's an Asian Massage Parlor that they automatically provide "extras", or are shady.  I've been to several that were completely legitimate.

 

I took a look at the eroticmp.com website, I guess you would have to pay to see what's up.  One of the parlors they listed is completely legit far as I know. At least the two times I was there before, no "extra" services were offered. It's been several years since I've been there, so I guess conditions could have changed.

 

 

It would be unfair to assume that if it was an Asian Massage Parlor that it's illicit. So too if it were Russian, Hispanic, Indian,  or White take your pick. In this instance, I didn't know it was Asian until I saw the ads of little Asian girls in lingerie stating 'young Asian girls with magic touch'. Kind of hard to assume anything other than what they want you to at that point.
In my case, the asian massage parlour is NOT legit and advertises as such.  We get quite a few guys in our place by mistake and they realize their mistake and drive across the street.  The blacked out windows and no signage make it difficult for some first timers to find it I guess.
I think sometimes they imply some services are offered (ie. Magic Touch) when in reality they are not. It's more a marketing thing to get people through the door. Kinda along the lines the commercial where 50 women are chasing a guy down the street because he's wearing a certain brand cologne.   

Marissa said:
It would be unfair to assume that if it was an Asian Massage Parlor that it's illicit. So too if it were Russian, Hispanic, Indian,  or White take your pick. In this instance, I didn't know it was Asian until I saw the ads of little Asian girls in lingerie stating 'young Asian girls with magic touch'. Kind of hard to assume anything other than what they want you to at that point.

I do like the Chinese massage style and Korean acupressure but advertising for massage should be professional and not a sexual come on. As for truth in advertising the Chinese women the ads mention are usually not young and not trained in massage until they get here by a coach. They come to work a high pay cash job so they can support parents or children back in China. There are an estimated 30,000 women in the San Gabriel/Rosemead area that have come to do this and are ferried back and forth among the boss' parlors which may be in several states. They rent a bed where they leave their things and rest on the 4 days off/month for $200/month and have only minimal food expenses. All the rest is wired back to China (we have great control of illegal wire transfer following 9/11 don't we?)  Depending on how much "service" they are willing to do they will wire between 7-20,000/month on tips only. You can do the math to see how much taxes are lost. The bosses make much more and often have 4 or 5 parlors. When they have taken care of family debts, set up husband or family member in their own business back home, bought the family a home, and saved enough to have no worries for a year, they go home to enjoy it. They have become a modern Mulan, family hero. The bosses are often heroes back home for entire towns where they provided economic success. This at the expense of the image of massage, particularly Asian American Therapists who have trouble finding legit employment and the American people who have been fleeced by a multi-billion dollar industry. While many immigrant populations send money back to family back home there is nothing to equal what the Chinese are doing here.

Much more going on here besides deceptive advertising.
Mike G said:
I think sometimes they imply some services are offered (ie. Magic Touch) when in reality they are not. It's more a marketing thing to get people through the door. Kinda along the lines the commercial where 50 women are chasing a guy down the street because he's wearing a certain brand cologne.   

Marissa said:
It would be unfair to assume that if it was an Asian Massage Parlor that it's illicit. So too if it were Russian, Hispanic, Indian,  or White take your pick. In this instance, I didn't know it was Asian until I saw the ads of little Asian girls in lingerie stating 'young Asian girls with magic touch'. Kind of hard to assume anything other than what they want you to at that point.
If you do have sound evidence to present, the agency to report it to is ICE. http://www.ice.gov/contact/. They handle illegal immigration activity including human trafficking whether it is legal or not. They are much more interested in this than your police department.

Daniel,

What you described seems to be the same in Mass and RI.  The Asian places have establishment licenses but the "therapists" have no licenses (which is illegal) and they have no training.  They are given a quick demo about how to "massage".  They receive no pay (also illegal) and get only tips.  The client is typically charged about $80 for the massage, that money goes to the establishment.  Then after the massage, the client is pressured by both the "therapist" and the owner that they must tip at least $30 because otherwise the "therapist" does not get paid.  So clients get a short session that is not really a massage... more like a quick "rub and tug."  They pay too much money and leave with a negative impression of what therapeutic massage really is.  Sadly, this system is bad for the so called therapists and bad for the massage industry as a whole.  I wish they would just legalized prostitution and call it what it is.  Truth in advertising  and a separation between these places and those of us doing legitimate therapeutic bodywork.

 

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