Tricks of the Trade
The minute I saw him, I knew his motives. He had blond hair, blue eyes, and a gorgeous physique. I would assume he is in his mid-twenties. He was not completely naked, unlike the rest of us cruising through the baths. However, he was shirtless, wearing his pants just loose enough to show the top of his briefs. So, what type of guy do you think I am describing? If you said hustler, you’d be right. He was semi-dressed, which was the giveaway. If he were a regular customer, he would have stripped off his clothes like the rest of us. Because he wasn’t wearing a towel, the hustler didn’t feel inclined to engage in sexual activities, as this is a job, not a place for pleasure.
Regular bathhouse visitors will eventually come across a hustler. There’s nothing a bathhouse can do to stop it. After all, it is the oldest profession in history. I once went to a bathhouse in another state. Upon entering, I immediately noticed a sign prohibiting solicitation. Thirty minutes later, a hustler propositioned me for an $85 experience. How can you identify when someone is attempting to proposition you? Here’s an easy way to find out: Suppose an Abercrombie and Fitch type approaches you and starts to make conversation. He is a hustler. Individual Abercrombie and Fitch types who are not hustlers tend to attract others who are similar to them. If you don’t fit that stereotype and someone similar approaches you to initiate a conversation, I can assure you that their intention is to make quick cash.
The blond guy sized me up and approached me with a friendly hello. We eventually ended up in the lounge, talking. That is the first move a hustler will make. Experienced hustlers know which men to target: Asians and older gay men. These two groups of men struggle to find sex. After spending hours observing naked bodies walking around in the lounge and watching pornographic movies, these men desperately crave sex. The hustler enters the scene, knowing that these men are desperate for sex. So they start a conversation, saying they are selling their bodies. They dangle their sexuality in front of these men, to the point where they cannot refuse.
The blonde guy and I exchanged names, with Stephen being his. I ask him if he is gay, and he tells me yes. I look at Stephen and try to visualize his life before he wound up hustling on the streets. He looked like the typical homogeneous suburban twink. In high school, he probably was well-liked, athletic, and a popular choice among women. What could go wrong? Perhaps his parents kicked him out for being gay? It is possible. The sexual orientation of a hustler is 50/50. The majority survive by hustling on the streets. Having left broken homes, these guys wind up on the streets. These individuals are willing to go to extreme measures to earn a living, frequently turning to substances such as crack or heroin to alleviate their emotional distress. Eventually, an addiction develops. These twinks now hustle not to eat but to keep their habit alive.
Stephen and I continued to chitchat when he finally got around to telling me that he was “working.” At the baths, you will encounter two types of hustlers. The first type advertises themselves as “masseuses.” They’ll go up to men and ask if they want a massage. Generally, a masseuse will charge 70 to 100 dollars for a rubdown. Unfortunately, most of these hustlers who pitch themselves as masseuses are inept.
They move their hands over your body, not getting into the muscles. But all of these masseuses have one goal in mind. The goal is to arouse the customer’s sexual desire. That is when extras are offered. Typically, a handjob is an extra $50, oral $75, sexual relations (kissing, sucking) $75, and full-fledged anal $200. These extras are in addition to the massage, which could net someone over $300 for an hour’s work. For years, some men have dedicated themselves to the “masseuse” profession, eschewing the allure of drugs or prostitution. This is the career they have chosen. Some are still plugging away in their mid-forties, with a full slate of regular customers.
Similar to a masseuse, the other type of hustler focuses on providing a range of prices. The trick here is for the hustler to spend as little time as possible. If you agree on half an hour, the hustler will typically perform for only 20 minutes. The customer is unaware of the scam; he has just experienced oral sex and feels elated. These hustlers get hardened fast. To them, a trick is more than just a one-time deal. When you get a customer to return for more, it’s an excellent trick. That way, a hustler has a guaranteed source of income for a while, at least until they can secure another customer. A friend of mine was caught in this trap.
Years ago my friend once served as a sugar daddy for a hustler. It occurred during a time in his life when he had no self-esteem. This hustler was his addiction, and my friend kept returning for more. The amount of money he lavished on this hustler was beyond his comprehension. My friend thought they had a relationship. But now he knows better; the hustler was just there for the money—to support his massive heroin addiction. Be aware that these hustlers want to extort as much money as possible out of the customer. Just because a hustler may appear friendly, that does not mean they won’t screw someone over for a buck.
Regarding my friend’s trick, he expresses relief for never exchanging personal information. They initially met at the baths and kept everything in that environment. Afterwards, my friend discovered that his hustler was serving a prison sentence for drug-related offenses. Therefore, he considers himself fortunate to have parted ways with him.
Stephen strikes me as a typical hustler. They all act the same. Once they gain someone’s sympathy, they understand they have a chance to earn money. Stephen is no exception. Stephen begins to narrate a heartbreaking tale about his homelessness, lack of financial resources, and lack of a place to reside. Feeling sympathy for Stephen, I gave him $10.00 to renew his locker and a coupon for a free room for a future visit, without any conditions. He asks why I do not want to sleep with him.
There is no shame in hiring a sex worker. Why not pursue the opportunity if the sole obstacle between you and a desirable individual is a mere $100? But here is the problem: a majority of hustlers have no passion. For them, this is work. It is not sex that is enjoyable. Some men have no self-esteem, making them an effortless mark for many hustlers. You should be confident enough to know that sex should not cost you.
Many of the hustlers are straight. One gay-for-pay hustler told me that what drives him during sex is not sexual gratification but the amount of money he will make once the sex is over. The ultimate goal is to get a profitable trick so they keep returning for more, thus regularly filling the hustler’s wallet. Another straight hustler I know has been hustling for the past ten years. He began his hustle by taking on the next-door neighbor, and it quickly escalated to the point where he now engages in it occasionally to earn extra money. Whenever he is between jobs and has no money, he picks himself up and heads to the baths to seek a score. He even has some regular customers. I once asked him how he could do that. How was he able to be with a guy and have sex with him without feeling any physical attraction? You do what you have to do to survive, he told me. So he will suck, kiss, and cuddle. However, he refuses to engage in anal sex. Additionally, he is selective about the guys he chooses. He sets boundaries with overweight or elderly people. But as I mentioned, these hustlers (most of whom are straight) have a drug habit to support. Hustling is their sole source of income, which explains their motivation, even in the face of zero attraction from their customers.
While some hustlers exhibit a work ethic akin to those I’ve described, others are like rag dolls. They lie there, expecting the customer to do all of the work. You may need to explicitly tell the hustler what to do in bed, since they are often robotic and repeat tasks. So, if you are passive, hiring a hustler at the baths might be a waste of money, depending on the sex worker you hire. If you are aggressive in bed, you will receive value for your money.
Then you get into the sticky situation of running into that hustler again at the baths. Remember what I wrote earlier? Hustlers search for regular customers so they have a consistent income. It is awkward to turn someone down who is desperate for cash. My recommendation is to explain that you didn’t anticipate their presence and are experiencing financial difficulties.
Returning to Stephen, he pulls out his pipe and takes a puff of crack. In between his inhalations, I learned a bit more about him. I discovered he has been hustling for about ten years (he is 30 now). He hails from a broken family, lacks prospects outside of hustling, and recently received his release from jail for assault. His lean, muscular body is a result of his prison time. There was nothing else to do other than lift weights. I shudder to think about what type of sex he had or if he injected heroin in prison. I would not be surprised if he had HIV.
We talk for a bit longer, and then we exit my room. As I head to hit the showers, Stephen makes a detour to the locker area. He’s checking out the gay baths because he wants to score more crack cocaine. As he heads out, he says, “The way I am going, death is just around the corner.”
And you know what? I believe him.
“Towel boys” nowadays have t-shirts that say Monitor and spend most of their time cleaning rooms after usage, disposing of condoms, wiping the cum off the walls, etc, Also showing newly arrived patrons to their rooms. Trying to get into their pants has been difficult for me.
I am an escort – years ago, I worked in a bathhouse, actually more that one. I was what was called a “towel boy” which was the term then for an in-house whore.
I learned much of my “trade” in these places. It was fun and I would work in the same type of places again. But, I am afraid that they have changed much from when I was a young whore (oops, I mean escort).
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But even these experiences, renting hustlers, that can be regarded as being the result of not having self esteem, will become memories that you will cherish for life. I’d rather have a very rich life, than to have superfluous self esteem but never having experienced anything out of the ordinary at all.
I spent the better part of my teenage years as a street kid, not only dealing drugs and running with gangs, but as a hustler. I logged in plenty of time at the baths. I always found Asian dudes an easy mark. I had an Asian daddy that basically put me through college; he liked nothing more than to go down on my long white boy cock.
I’m a big fan of Asian guys, but I would not consider myself a “Rice Queen” by any means, I dig all ethnic types, Latinos and Brothers, just as well. The stories herein present an interesting perspective on the baths – yes, a very destructive place an many levels (drugs, disease, low self-esteem), but at the same time a great refuge for many guys. I know that when I was on the streets, it provided me with shelter many times. Fortunately, I tried to be as safe as possible given the nature of the business, and stayed away from the hard drugs, so God willing I am healthy at 40.
But I would say that the time spent hustling the baths was better than committing petty crimes or dealing on the street, certainly less chance of getting shot or arrested (the Juvi record is sealed, so I am off the hook for all that). They always treated me very well in the baths; sometimes it felt like a sort of home. My favorite was the one in the Astoria Hotel on the upper west side, plenty of generous daddies, who likes it rough.
Tricks of the Trade was so real and echoes my own experiences, except for the bathhouse setting.
How do teen hustlers and runaways get into the bath house if you have to have a membership to get in?
I started “working” in a bathhouse when I was 16 as a towel boy. I lived with my dad. He was busy fucking his life up and never asked because I never asked for money.
We weren’t allowed to trick there, but it was a good place to hook up with sugar daddies who would entertain you at home.
I cleaned up a lot of dried cum and learned how bleach is the answer to all laundry challenges. We used to wear t shirts and gym shorts. I would get my package and my ass rubbed as i swished on by.
I worked there until I was about 19 and had developed a steady clientelle. I got out of the trade after college. A couple of my regulars opened doors in finance. Twenty years later I have a great business career. Most of my client skills I learned as I developed from towel boy to escort catering to grown men who liked to be dominated.
I know a guy named Todd with a similar story. Todd K is that you? I learned about male hustlers in bathhouses and bars, watching them prey on older men. I never noticed them targeting Asians, just older man or less appealing younger men. A couple of more worldly buds provided the narrative to the visual/experiential education.
I don’t begrudge anyone their livelihood or their pleasures, so long as they don’t hurt anyone (who doesn’t beg for it). An honest transaction is an honest transaction. Not my thing – never was – but to each his own.