legalise prostitution, another 500+ jobs yey :)

RoverJames wrote: »

Spending a few hundred on whores every now and then is hardly a sound investment either is it :rolleyes:

Well, compared to the cost of dating/marrying a woman... I dunno...

Ficheall wrote: »

Well, compared to the cost of dating/marrying a woman... I dunno...

"A prostitute is like any other woman they all trade something for sex"

It's a pretty controversial thing to do for the sake of only ~500 jobs. And unlikely to happen in such a religiously conservative country. And thats not saying Ireland is all that religiously conservative, but you have to be really easygoing about these sorts of things before they get through.

As prostitution is already legal it must be regulated. It's a black market that currently pays nothing back to society and turns women into slaves and nothing can be done about it.

I don't like the whole concept of prostitution but I don't think there's really any way to wipe it out. As long as the women know what they're doing and can get out at any time it's up to them what risks they want to take with their bodies.

Regulating it isn't an option, it has to be done.

Overheal wrote: »

I don't think the country could be more saturated with pubs if you tried.

You have to remember where you are too. Did you forget about the porn shop that everyone went all Joe Duffy on a year or two ago? You could promise ten million in taxes every year but this still wouldn't fly.

Hospitality industry is fecked. Boost in tourism would help it recover.

That was Anne Summers you were talking about when they opened in O' Connell Street - article about them this week in the Indo saying how times have changed, that they sell 2.5mill 'toys' a rear and their best seller is the 'Rabbit'!

(So there!:p)

strobe wrote: »

A bit like Tesco checkout employees then? Or, ye know, a huge percentage of the other jobs in the world. Or do people grow up dreaming of a career in cleaning toilets? Let's be honest here, a huge chunk of the population are not doing the job they dreamed of doing when they were kids and are instead doing a job they were economically 'forced' to do and would probably be anywhere else in the world during an average work day.

Yeah I may have phrased it badly, but what I was trying to get across was that I question how many people really, freely choose to do this and even with those that do, I don't see it as something that is likely to be giving the prostitute 'true pleasure'. I was responding more to that than anything else - I don't really have a huge issue with prostitution per se.

There is a difference between working in Tesco's or cleaning toilets and selling your body though. Or are you honestly telling me you see no difference between them? The risk vs reward here is completely different. Could you, hand on heart say that it's a job you'd like to see your mother, your sister, your friend doing? Maybe you'd be fine with it, maybe you see no difference between the two but I do.

strobe wrote: »

Ahh well as for the 'true pleasure' thing, yeah I thought that was ridiculous too..

Yes, I was saying that it's not a job that people do because of the happy fun sexytimes.

strobe wrote: »

But you speak about risk vs reward. This as far as I can see would be an obvious reason why a girl might choose to be a prostitute vs a tesco checkout girl. Greater risk but far far far greater reward. I know of no tesco workers that earn €1000+ a week. I do know one prostitute that earns that easily. I'm sure if she could earn that money in Tesco's she would, but she obviously can't. Not sure what the average earnings from prostitution are but I'd imagine even the cheapest charging crack ho in SC LA can earn more a week than she would cleaning toilets.

Yeah, many may get far greater reward, but the constant risk of assault or even worse wouldn't, to me, balance things out.

Elevator wrote: »

@emf2010

they're having sex!! consentual sex with remuneration for one of the parties

I can think of a lot worse ways of making money

do you think prostitution is dirty or shamefull?

Yes, I for one, do think it is a degrading and shameful way to make a living. Imagine having no option but to let strangers do things to you and for you to participate in acts with them, that you wouldn't allow anybody but someone you love or think you love to do normally. There is a good reason why there are so many one night stands threads in PI. Imagine having 10 or 15 one night stands in one night, five days a weeks, with all the attendant risks. Yuck!

It isn't simply a matter of lying there and thinking of the cash rolling in (and how much would that be after the government has had their legal share!). It's letting sleazy strangers touch you in ways that you would would normally fight to the death before you would allow it. Wondering when was the last time that client washed his penis/ass/hands/body, brushed his teeth. The same would go for male prostitutes I am sure.

There are very few people would enter a life of prostitution for fun or money. There are very few people who would care to explain to their children exactly what is going on in that government run brothel and let them think it was an ok job for them to do later in life, no matter how legalised it became.

The problem is that there will also be people who will have no other option than to take a job there. The same people that are desperate to fund Santa, the mortgage, the ESB, in fact, life.

Prostitution is not Pretty Woman with a handsome Richard Gere and shopping trips.

aDeener wrote: »

surely having to pay for their meal and drinks to get sex later on in the night basically equals prostitution?

You're hanging out with the wrong type of men. :rolleyes:

bluewolf wrote: »

I didn't put words in your mouth, I just find it strange that what you wrote is always the argument. And to me it sounds like what I wrote.

I do think it could be damaging also, I just think it's so underground and everything it's hard to know, and that there are plenty of things we wouldnt want family to do so that comparison doesn't work.

Fair enough. I think my first post was misinterpreted so I was getting defensive. Shame on me.

I do think it's something that people need to know the answer to though. If they are in favour of legalisation and regulation, would they be happy with their nearest and dearest doing it? If not, there is a bit of hypocrisy - sure it should be legal, but only for other people. If you know what I mean?

For me, my concern would be that I would worry about someone I loved putting themselves in a position where they are at risk on a regular basis. I'd also worry about how they would be perceived and possibly judged in society and any possibly negative consequences. There are a lot of people who do have a problem with prostitution and would the person I cared about be 'at risk' from these people too. I'd respect their decision, but I don't think there is anything wrong with questioning it too. As you say, I'd do it if they were considering other risky professions.