Working safely on the street

Before reading this chapter, you should read Chapter 1 on the law and your rights to learn how laws affect your work and to understand legal procedures and your rights (ex: how to file an ethics complaint about an abusive policeman). You should also take the time to read all the health capsules in this magazine. They contain important advice on: different sexual practices and the risk of HIV and SSTIs transmission, the rape drug, health and sexual assault resources, and the law concerning the disclosure of HIV-positive status. Being well prepared will help you work safely, and stay in control no matter what.

Preparing for work
Sex workers who work on the street report that being physically and emotionally prepared for work can increase self-confidence, and help you be more secure on the job. Choose what works for you:
• Establish your personal limits: when and where you will work, the services you offer, and the prices for those services, the personal information you’re willing to share with clients;
• Once your limits are clear, rehearse them, and revisit them from time to time;
• Carry a safety-comfort kit with you when you work - (condoms, gloves, lub, non-alcohol-based wipes, fabric or liquid bandages to cover injuries and reduce risks of transmission, disinfectant);
• Carry items that can be used in dangerous situations when you work (ex: a whistle, aerosol hair spray, long keys, a flashlight…). Pepper spray and stun guns are illegal and may be turned against you;
• Dress with your personal security in mind (ex: avoid long scarves, neck chains, and long purse straps);
• Carry a cell phone with an emergency number on speed dial. If you don’t have a cell phone, carry quarters or a telephone card to give you quick access to a public telephone. Remember 911 calls are free on pay phones;
• Leave your valuables at home;
• Take a self-defense course that fits your needs;
• Check out the Bad Trick List on a regular basis (available free from Stella);
• Develop strategies for staying alert, and in control if you use drugs or alcohol while working (you can also get the Dope Guide free at Stella). Share your strategies with others.

Securing your work environment
While you may not be able to choose a work location that is entirely safe, there are strategies you can use to make it safer. Decide which will work best for you:
• Create solidarity with fellow workers by sharing information about clients, the police, and what’s happening in the neighborhood;
• Be watchful of police activities, especially “street sweeps”, when selecting a work place. Be extra alert when the season changes, and before special events when such sweeps are more likely to occur;
• Since prices and services vary by neighborhood and between sex workers, work in locations that best fit your personal limits;
• Dispose of used condoms and needles (if this applies to you) appropriately;
• Work in a well-lit, populated area. While this can discourage bad tricks, it may lead to unwanted attention from the police, neighbors, etc. Use your judgment;
• Get to know the location of restaurants and businesses that are open and friendly (ex: 24-hour stores, donut shops, gas stations);
• Plan easy escape routes;
• Remember where the telephone booths are located;
• Arrange with co-workers to note the license plates of cars you get into or text it to a friend you trust;
• Check the backseat of all cars before you get in;
• Check the door handles and lock release buttons when the car door opens, and the light comes on;
• Avoid the backseat of two-door cars;
• Avoid cars with tinted windows and closed minivans;
• Be extra cautious if there is more than one person in a car;
• When conducting business in a car, select a location where people pass by occasionally (not exposed enough for them to see what’s happening, but close enough so they can hear, if you cry for help);
• When going to a hotel with a client, tell a co-worker where you’re going and how long you’ll be gone; or phone a friend or your answering machine when you get to the room; and leave the phone number, address, and room number. Be sure your client is
aware that the call has been made;
• Place your clothes and purse in the same place to make a speedy exit possible;
• If you always go to the same hotel or tourist room, develop good relations with the staff, who could be helpful in an emergency;
• Be alert: you may be filmed without your knowledge. Watch out for a red light indicating a web camera on the computer, or a cell phone. Be careful if the client tries to confine your activities to a specific location. If you are unsure about a certain object, put your clothes over it. If you detect a camera, don’t argue; just get the tape and leave.

Dealing with clients
Choosing a client
• Talk to him first in order to determine his state of mind and character;
• Be confident when negotiating, state your professional limits and get paid upfront;
• Avoid clients who are rude, disrespectful, or who “act funny” (shifty, creepy, or aggressive). They may cause problems;
• Be wary of “party situations” where a group of people are drinking or using drugs;
• If you’re in a bar, keep an eye on your drink to avoid having it spiked with something while you are chatting with a client;
• Develop a regular client base; this can increase your personal, legal, and financial security.

When negotiating safer sex
• Choose sexual positions that allow you to remain in control;
• Bring your own condoms;
• Check the date on the condom and be sure the seal is intact;
• Put the condom on your client and check to see that it stays in place, especially during withdrawal;
• Depending on your assessment of the situation, insist on a condom; negotiate a lower risk activity if you are being pestered for sex without a condom;
• Be respectful, but don’t trust clients who say they are “safe”. Not all of them are honest, nor will they necessarily know if they have an infection;
• Practice the lines and responses you use with a client: practicing can help you sharpen your negotiating skills and your ability to respond well
under pressure.

When a client continues to insist on unsafe sex
• Learn techniques to put a condom on a client, or to simulate vaginal sex without him noticing. These techniques are difficult to learn and take practice. Talk to other sex workers who have used them before trying them: if the client becomes aware of what you are doing, he could have a negative reaction;
• If the client insists on vaginal penetration without a condom, try to talk him into a lower risk activity.
Tell him you are a pro at putting on a condom with your mouth (and learn how to do it!);
• If the client insists on anal penetration without a condom, tell him you have diarrhea;
• Use a female condom.

If you have a client who uses drugs
• Assess the situation and consider your comfort and safety;
• If he seems out of control, refuse the date or leave;
• When using drugs or alcohol with a client, consider the safety and legal issues. It’s safest to bring your own supply but, if the police stop you and you have drugs on you, they can charge you with possession and/or trafficking. The next best thing is to make sure you’re both using the same supply.

If a client becomes violent
• Take a deep breath; keep breathing;
• Talk to the client calmly and, if possible, leave as quickly as you can;
• Try to stay calm; stay alert for the first opportunity to act. Each situation calls for a different response;
• If you can, let others (pedestrians, neighbors, hotel guests) know you are in trouble. Scream, use a whistle, or make noise;
• Remember that fear can make you strong. If you are being restrained, think about the parts of your body that are free (feet, legs, head), and use them to defend yourself;
• If you are carrying a weapon, be aware that it may be turned against you;
• If you have taken a self-defense course, use what you learned;
• If you escape from a car, run away in the direction opposite to where the car is headed.

What to do following a violent incident
• Get adequate medical help if you have been injured;
• Talk to somebody; don’t keep it all inside;
• Consider the pros and cons of pressing charges. Talk to someone you trust to help with this decision and to accompany you if you decide to go to the police;
• Report the incident and the aggressor’s description to your co-workers, to Stella’s outreach workers, and/or other outreach workers, so they can add your aggressor to the Bad Trick List;
• Read the health capsule on sexual assault in this magazine to get the info on the necessary steps for filing a complaint and to know what resources can respond to your needs. You can also contact someone from Stella to ventilate, to discuss your options and for accompaniment.