Red Light District

Even though I went here before my camera problems, I figured it was rude to take pictures of scantily clad females in the windows.

To my great amusement, there is not only a day care center but a church in the middle of the district as well. Inlaid in the ground in front of the church is a bronze sculpture of a hand grabbing a breast. The people loved it but the local government was offended. They made a compromise that if the sculptor came forward and paid the fines, they could remain anonymous and the sculpture could stay.

I went into the Museum of Prostitution and met three retired prostitutes there. I talked to them because I was interested in what the job was like. One of them became a prostitute because she wanted a dog and was impatient. By the end of the first night, she had enough money but enjoyed the job and stuck with it for another 17 years. They told me how they wished people would respect the woman’s career choice.
The flat rate is 50 euro for 15 minutes but special requests cost more. Prostitutes are not required to register with the government or be tested for STDs. Most work free of contract and contact a landlord weekly to schedule a work time. A woman always has the right to refuse a man. If something goes wrong, they hit a panic button and bodyguards handle the situation. If necessary, police are involved who are always in favor of the girl. They said they could easily separate sex and love and how some working prostitutes have boyfriends or even husbands. How safe they keep themselves is totally up to them. Men offer more money to have sex without a condom and it can be tempting.
Ignoring the psychological issues or physical risk, it sounds a banging job.