A Consumer's Guide to Male Hustlers (23 page)

³
. How can shy persons hustle? The same way that stutterers can sing. They become different persons under changed circumstances.

Always trust your intuition more than your logical analysis. Do not use logic to overrule your gut feeling. Do
not
experiment to see whether your intuition was correct!

INTERVIEW YOUR HUSTLER

To give intuition a chance to work you need time to interview the hustler. Many pickups are made by car. The client cruises in his car, stops in front of the hustler, and invites him into the vehicle.
⁴
It is much better to conduct these interviews on neutral ground such as the street. (If you are driving while interviewing the hustler, you have poor eye contact with him!) Even in cities such as Los Angeles, try to park the car and interview the hustler on the street.

⁴
. Often, the sex will take place in the vehicle—hustlers call it a "car date." I have never had a car date, so I am not an authority on the subject. This type of date (which hustlers like because it is short) is the least intimate and, to my mind, the most dangerous. The client, as the driver, is defenseless because his hands are on the steering wheel. The hustler, as a passenger, cannot leave a moving vehicle without risking injury. The sex itself takes place in public, an illegal act. Cars present all sorts of legal problems. Two examples: if a client's car is stolen it must be reported, and it requires a lot of explanations to the police and the insurance company. A brand new law in Oakland, California, mandates the confiscation of johns' vehicles.

I have observed the same phenomenon over and over again during the interview. Client and hustler exchange names. Then they engage in small talk, for example, "Where are you from?" or "It's a cold night." A few minutes into the small talk either client or hustler will ask, "What was your name again?" The interview initially consists of checking out the "vibes." What each party says is not as important as the general impression he makes. This time is essential to let intuition do its thing! Only after you feel comfortable with the hustler should you discuss the details of the sex act itself.

Do not make the mistake of assuming that a hustler would not be dangerous to you because he is no match for you physically. When bad stuff happens, it is not because you slug it out with the hustler and he wins. If you do not trust a hustler, do not overrule this feeling by saying to yourself that you will be able to take care of him if push comes to shove. The bad stuff is likely to be the pinching of some valuable item rather than pushing or shoving.

PREPARE YOURSELF

Some years ago, I stayed at a gay hotel in Acapulco. The only door to the compound was always locked from the inside after 6 p.m. To leave the hotel at night, a hotel employee would have to unlock the door. This arrangement would freak out an American fire marshal, but it was a simple and effective safety measure for guests. They could bring whomever they fancied to the hotel. If a guest's pickups wanted to leave the hotel, he needed the OK of the guest himself. The hotel owners wanted to prevent the major danger of bringing in strangers: theft.

Hustlers who steal from clients are, almost always, either opportunistic or vengeful. To a large extent, you can take steps to prevent such occurrences. Remember that as you get to know the hustler better, your intuition will tell you when and how much you can trust him. Once trust has been established, you can treat a hustler or a model the same way you treat other friends and acquaintances.

Here are some tips: When picking up a hustler, or meeting a model, don't have in your possession more money, credit cards, and documents than absolutely necessary. Leave your Rolex watch and jewelry in a secure place at home. Dress as modestly as possible. If you plan on having sex at the hustler's place, put his fee in a different pocket than the rest of your money. Don't bring along a hundred- dollar bill expecting the hustler to make change.

If you plan on bringing a hustler home make sure there are no money, jewelry, documents, or prescription (or recreational) drugs lying around. If you are, say, a senior vice president of a bank, secure your calling cards unless, of course, you want the hustler to call.

Remember that there will come a time during the session when you will be naked and will have to leave your clothes unattended, such as when going to the bathroom. Inside your pockets are your documents and cash. Work out a routine that will allow you to be away safely from your clothes for a few moments. If you need to take a shower after the session, drive the hustler home first, and do so later.

It is much better not to have a stranger stay with you overnight. Do
not
rely on the fact that you are a light sleeper, or that he will sleep entwined in your arms. If you must have him spend the night with you, hide your wallet and car keys.

Drink moderately and, if at all possible, do not do drugs. You are not in full control of the situation when on drugs. Also, you have no idea how the hustler will react to a given drug. Do you want to deal with his paranoia?

There are many clues about your financial status a hustler gets from just being at your home. It is not necessary to tell him that you are a very wealthy man, even if this happens to be true.

You are more vulnerable when you travel. A lot of gay travelers behave less cautiously when they are in a foreign country. Nobody knows them there. The trouble is that they also don't know anybody there who would be able to help them in case of an emergency. Often, they do not speak the local language.

Gay travelers who want to bring visitors to their hotel—in many countries this will be the only possible way to have sex—should leave all their valuables in the hotel safe or, better yet, bring as few of these items as possible on the trip. The only items of great value in the room should be the ones essential to the trip itself, such as a camera. These should be secured in a locked suitcase with the key hidden.

Spending money should also be well hidden, but not locked away. You may want to take the hustler out for a bite to eat after the session, and may need cash. Traveler's checks belong in the hotel's safety deposit box. Even more important, the passport and travel ticket should be there too.
⁵
Lately, I have been using a credit card with my photo as an ID when traveling abroad. If it is lost or stolen, I can cancel it with a collect phone call.

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. In many countries the law requires tourists to carry certain documents at all times. In Japan, for instance, a tourist without a passport may be taken to the police station. There he will be instructed to write a letter of apology (I don't know to whom) and be visibly contrite. I'd rather deal with the law than with the loss of my passport. Sometimes, a photocopy of documents will be sufficient.

Because I like to carry more money on me while I am in a foreign country than at home, I wear an old-fashioned money belt. (This is a belt that has a zipped compartment, facing inward, to put bills in.)

COMMUNICATE FULLY

I have already written at great length about communicating fully and openly with the hustler or model about your expectations. It is also important that he feel that a fair deal has been struck. If a hustler quotes a ridiculously low fee I would be very suspicious of him. He may, however, be desperate to earn
some
money because he is hungry or needs to pay his overdue rent. If I feel comfortable with him, I will raise his fee beforehand so he will feel less inclined to "adjust" it sometime during the session. Inasmuch as possible, try to avoid causing a hustler to have a grudge against you.

* * *

In many countries the world over there are laws on the books against female prostitution. They are now routinely applied against males as well.
⁶
Attempts to enforce these laws are usually aimed at street hustlers rather than models. Like their female counterparts, male street hustlers affect the neighborhood negatively. No police force has ever been successful in eradicating prostitution. By harassing prostitutes of either gender, as well as their patrons, the police hope to contain the practice.

⁶
. From time to time, there are attempts to legalize prostitution—a classic victimless crime. (For example, "DA Renews Plea for Regulation of Sex Trade," headline in the
SF Chronicle
, October 14, 1997, p. A15. In the meantime, however, San Francisco sends prostitutes' clients to "john school" to kick the habit!) Such attempts usually fail because of religious objections and opposition from neighborhood groups.

As I have written throughout this book, many street hustlers could not make a living by doing any other work, not only because they lack the skills, but because of their temperament. In a way, by working as hustlers they are doing society a favor. They are money- hungry young males who would embark on a career of
real
crime if they were unable to prostitute themselves. In some countries attempts have been made to license streetwalkers, for example Costa Rica, where both female and male street prostitutes (hustling in drag) must carry a
carnet
.
⁷
Unlike females who work for a pimp on a steady basis, males may be on the streets in one city today, and in another city tomorrow, or hustle once in a blue moon. Enforcing registration laws for male street hustlers would probably not work very well.

⁷
. A registration document, including a record of medical checkups. Fingerprinting could be added to such a document.

Because anti-prostitution campaigns tend to be dormant for a long while and then become extremely aggressive—often driven by an upcoming election—cruising the streets for hustlers can involve a client with the forces of law and order. Afternoons, especially on Sundays and holidays, are less hectic, with fewer cops on the beat, but of course, with a smaller selection of hustlers.

Models are a much safer bet, though they are confined to large metropolitan areas where they can advertise their services. These days models can use voice mail, which is easier to obtain than telephone service. A lot of street hustlers, even without a permanent residence, have upgraded themselves to models. In localities where models can advertise, street hustlers nowadays are at the very bottom of the barrel.

When practiced by models on an individual basis (not through an agency), the laws against prostitution are rarely, if ever, enforced. There are so many ads, in such diverse publications—including, of late, the Internet—that enforcement, or even containment, would be impractical.

Given a city where one can summon advertising models compared to picking them up on the street, the former would be the safer way to go.
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Still, precautions should be in place until the client gets to know the model better, over a period of time.

⁸
. As I have already stated in Chapter 5, the beeper has given models an anonymity they did not have with a telephone number. Phone companies check out service applicants carefully to be sure that they would be able to collect from them. Obtaining beeper service is, in many cases, a cash transaction. The owner of the beeper number can give a phony name and address. If he does not pay his monthly bill the service will be cut off.

In general, it is safer to go to a hustler's or model's home than to have him come to your place. The S/M crowd figured this out a long time ago. Ordinarily, fewer calamities happen in the hustler's home. But having sex at the hustler's or model's home brings up a number of issues. First, how safe is his neighborhood and his residence? (Many hustlers live in slum hotels.) Second, if you have a car, will you be able to park there? (If there are parking meters, you will be limited in the time you can spend with the hustler, masseur, or model.) Third, does the hustler live in a place that is clean and conducive to a sex session?

Many clients are not in a position to weigh the relative advantages of an in versus an out call. Going to hustlers' homes is the
only
venue for clients who cannot entertain them in theirs, such as young guys who live with their parents, and married men.

It is extremely dangerous to bring two strangers home. If you want a threesome organize it yourself, with two hustlers you have known for a while or, at least, know one of them well. There are ads that feature two models working together. I would prefer to go to their place rather than have them at my home the first time around.

* * *

This chapter is being written after the murder of designer Gianni Versace by Cunanan. While he was a fugitive in hiding, his friends and acquaintances, going back to his high school days, were interviewed. It seemed that everybody had known all along that Cunanan was a pathological liar, not to be trusted.
⁹
Why then was he so popular with so many people?

⁹
. The media reported that one of Cunanan's sugar daddies bought him an Infiniti and bestowed upon him a weekly allowance of $2,500 (
Time
, July 25, 1997, p. 34.). One wonders who was crazier, Cunanan or the man who gave him that much money!

This is where the "cuteness" factor comes in. We sometimes ignore warning signs if the perpetrator is, in our eyes, cute. This rarely happens with hustlers (at least, initially) because we are more careful with them. Cunanan's admirers met him socially, not in a street alley, and let down their guard.