Talking to Strangers

Hooksexup asks deeply personal questions to people we just met.

Fran, 36

What do you do?
I'm unemployed, but I worked at a software company.

Did any of this help you impress guys and/or girls?
Only the really nerdy ones, but I like nerdy people. Having a nerdy job and being a nerdy girl really attracted the nerdy guys and girls, which was very good.

Do you have any good hookup stories?
I have so many weird ones. I hooked up with a guy at a wake once. He was an uncle or something of the dead person.

Any that don't involve dead people?
When I was pretty young I was dating this guy and my parents were pretty strict. He wasn't allowed in my bedroom, so we had to be sneaky about everything we did. I wore a lot of skirts when he came over, and not a lot of panties. We tried to be sneaky and would listen for my parents. One time, though, my mom moved pretty fast while I was sitting on his lap, having sex. She was talking to me and talking to me, but I couldn't move because then it would be apparent that we were having sex. She wanted me to do something for her and I said, "I'll do it in a minute." But, she wanted me to do it right then. Had I gotten off of his lap she would have seen his dick, and that would have been a really bad thing. But she finally just went away. It was a close call.

Where's the weirdest place you've ever had sex?
On the roof of a McDonald's. You know when you're young and you have to find a place to have sex? I've had sex on pretty much every type of swing set and piece of playground equipment you can think of. Swings are fun, as well as those merry-go-round things. I've had a lot of sex in bar bathrooms, but I don't think that's very unusual. I've had lots of public sex. Lots of sex at parties. I had sex in an alley, once. I had sex on an airplane.

What do you think of the dating scene in L.A.?
I think it's awesome. L.A. is a town where you can be young forever, and you can be single forever. People are very open about their sexuality here, so it's really easy to hook up.

Do you have a sexual to-do list?
I've always had a fantasy about having sex with two Mormon boys who show up at my door and try to sell me religion. Other than that, I think I've already done everything that I've wanted to do.

Jin, 26

What do you do?
I'm a user-experience architect. Basically, we design products around people. It's all about usability and such.

Does that help you meet girls?
I think so, yeah. A lot of girls are into it. I design things like iPhone apps, stuff that people use every day. Really popular, big things.

What do you think of the dating scene in L.A.?
It's hit or miss, depending on where you go. If you don't know where right places are, it's pretty horrible. But, if you know the right times and the right places I think it works. Downtown's really changed a lot over the years. It's better.

If you had to make a generalization about girls in L.A., what would it be?
Girls here are very cultural: you can go hang out with the beach crowd, but we have a more conservative side, too. Places like New York and San Francisco have only a certain kind of person, but we've got a bit of everyone.

Do you have any turn-offs?
I don't like girls who are cheap. I'm a foodie. Lots of people in L.A. are foodies. We take food seriously, and if you're not willing to pay for your own on a first date, that's cheap. We live in a day of equality. I know that Hollywood says differently, but, seriously, that shit needs to end.

James, 26

What do you do?
I'm unemployed, but I used to work in collections. Because I'm an actor, though, that didn't really work well with my schedule. Go to auditions, and they fire you.

Is acting a good way to meet girls?
Yes and no. Being on the set means that you meet a lot of chicks doing extra work, background work. Actresses are crazy, though, man. They really are. If you're in a relationship with her, don't be in a movie with her. A buddy of mine did that recently. They broke up over it and recently got back together.

What do you think of the dating scene in L.A.?
It's great if you have money. There's a lot of hot women out there. A lot of shallow women out there. So I like to go away from the mainstream bars and find people who are more real, people who have a heart.

If you had to make a generalization about women in L.A., what would it be?
They're not from here.

Do you have a sexual/dating to-do list?
Somewhat. I would love to be able to try all of the different flavors. I'd like to have sex with a woman from every single race.

Do you have any dealbreakers?
She must have all of her teeth. No dentures. Also, no STDs. That's pretty much it, though.

Do you have any good hookup stories?
Not from L.A.,but I was in Milwaukee and was getting really drunk. I'm from Wisconsin. My buddy knew the bartender, so we were doing shots, there was lots of beer, and I had several Red Bull and vodkas. At the end of the night the whole thing was only thirty-three bucks. That's like three drinks in L.A. Anyway, we were toasted and this random chick comes up to us from an alleyway outside the bar. It's cold and she starts scratching my back. My buddy says to me, "Don't talk to her. She's a whore." I said to him "How dare you! She's a nice lady! She's got a great personality and she's talking to me!" We'd gone into the back of her car, we hooked up, and I felt great about myself until my buddy asked me where my wallet was. So, he was right. She was kind of a whore.