Of Course Sex Workers Are Using Airbnb to Get It on and What's Wrong with That?
Scandal: people having sex in a hotel room! And for money!
By Lux Alptraum
For the past few years, Airbnb has advertised itself as an affordable alternative to overpriced hotels and, for people willing to let strangers stay in their apartments, an easy way to make a bit of cash. But as more and more people have bought into the site's promises, it's become increasingly clear that not everyone who uses Airbnb really understands what they're signing up for. As it happens, turning your home into a hotel means dealing with all the headaches of running a hotel – from legal woes to wild parties to, yes, people having sex in your bed.
This morning, the New York Post published the not so shocking revelation that some sex workers are using Airbnb to ply their trade. For anyone even remotely familiar with the ins and outs of escorting, this wasn't exactly news. For both privacy and safety, sex workers routinely rent hotel rooms to meet their clients; it's only logical that a few escorts would key in to the fact that Airbnb could be a more affordable – and therefore more profitable but also more discreet – way to secure a temporary bedroom to get busy in. Yet for the Post (and blogs that linked to the story), it was the height of scandal: people having sex in a hotel room! And for money!
Yes, we would all like to exist in a world where we could easily make money renting out our apartment to people who wouldn't eat, use the bathroom, or engage in any nasty human habits, but dealing with strangers' used condoms is part and parcel of the hotel trade. And if those strangers happen to exchange money as part of their sexy times together? Well, it may not be to your liking, but as long as they're discreet (as most sex workers and their clients strive to be) and everyone is of age and consenting, it really shouldn't be any of your concern.
Some might argue that sex work stands apart from ordinary Airbnb boning because it brings with it an increased risk of violent crime – like the woman who rented out her apartment, only to return to a crime scene after the renter and her client got into a violent dispute over the price of her services. But you don't have to rent to a sex worker to have a similar experience: plenty of Airbnb renters have come home to unfortunate experiences that didn't involve orgies, guys.
When you open your home to strangers, you're always taking a risk – whether that means coming home to a trash can full of condoms and stained sheets or a horribly clogged toilet. If you're running a hotel out of your home, don't be surprised to see people treat your home like a hotel – and just keep your fingers crossed that the orgies remain occasional.
Image via Veer
