Stretch out their hands for big bailouts when things go bad but do everything to pay as little tax as possible and ward off any state intervantion when things are good.
In a metaphoric way they do poop in other people's yards.
Someone said that banking is the only industry allowed to provatize the profits and socialize the losses...
Here lies the problem, we all could and should do more but we don't. This is not a criticism or you but one of a society which ignores the impoverished and disadvantaged whilst avoiding paying too much tax and disagreeing with social welfare and health care as a right.
Legal brothels are no the solution, they already exist. The prostitutes that roam the streets are the junkies and the really exploited ones that the brothels have already rejected.
Heavy fines for the Johns doesn't eliminate the problem as the prostitutes still need the income. It just re-badges it another way.
We need to find sustainable solutions that take woman out of the trap of prostitution not to make it go even further underground.
It's not all as simple as it looks. Some of the more succesful prostitutes probably rake in more money than many a dentist or consultant. And as it's probably all payed in cash and no receipts issued I'd wager that all but the most honest of them are filling in their tax forms correctly (not).
Of course that's not all of them and at the other end of the scale are those who are making a pittance and probably "sharing" it with some unscrupulous pimp. But as long as some of them are succesful, many of the others are going to dream of doing likewise and hence willingly accept all the hardships that it takes to get there.
The problem IMHO is not the fact that there are prostitutes, but that they are so readily available. Papers like 20 Minuten will regularly run articles that pretend to condemn what is going on but in doing so state where you can meet the girls in question, how young they are, and even detail what they charge. So basically this is free advertising. Any confused and stressed guy who decides he's spontaneously like to try it out thus has an invitation to go and get one. Of course those who are determined know these things already but why spread the word further? Journlaists need to be more responsible.
So you're suggesting I should let these "junkies" in and offer them a tea?!
In the case of forced prostitutes, I think the only way to stop the criminals that control them is to decrease the demand for these prostitutes. I imagine if there were more brothels that had a controlled envoronment men wouldnt have to resort to the ones on Sihlquai. Additionally, if they were fined for picking up an illegal prostitute* then the cheaper price of these sex workers would no longer be an incentive to go there as opposed to a brotherl. I realise they already exist (i.e. le petit fleur) but I don't know what the politics behind these businesses are like.
*I have been told a number of times in this thread that prostitution on Sihlquai is not illegal. However the ones who are forced to do it: that is not legal.
As for the willing ones? As long as they are being paid under the table and not paying taxes that too, is illegal.
And those are definetly not the only illegel activities happening.
OK, maybe its "free advertisement" but jesus! what does that say about the consumer that sees it as such?!
And if thats the case, then we should start advertising the controlled brothels in a similar fashion. I whole heartedly disagree that the jounralists are being irresponsible in this regard. I think screwing our eyes shut and ignoring it is way worse. When I went for that walk in the winter, I had not seen or heard of them in the news for weeks. I was disgusted that this was an issue that Switzerland was sweeping under the carpet.
You are thinking of the women as human beings with feelings and a sense of shame. Most pimps don't. The psychology department of my university did one of the first larger studies on the emotional and physical well-being of about 200 prostitutes in Zurich. There are also several forums discussing the available services - Zurich is a hub for both sex workers and punters, money will buy you pretty much anything. The rise in STIs is only one of the indicators that it is truly a buyer's market and the buyer is not thinking with his head...
Demand will only decrease when men stop going to prostitutes and we know that will never ever happen. Illegal prostitutes will still find a way into these brothels. There is only so much man power the police can allocate to doing brothel raids for illegal ones.
No, you are right. They dont see these women as human beings but as goods to be traded but to deny them a pee break? Thats just OTT.
agreed....hence the implementation of more controlled brothels and fines for the ones on the side of the street. I think having a woman pimping herself on the side of the street should be illegal, and any man who wants to go to a prostitute should do so in a brothel with a controlled environmnet, proper facilities and security for the women. no doubt. but that is why things should be "controlled" just like in every other business. visas, permits, social security numbers, regulated pay, etc. you know as long as the woman is doing it willingly in a safe envoronment, I could care less if she was "illegaly" doing it. I just don't think street prostitution and pooping in peoples yards is humane, and it should be stopped.
Poor soul... I think if there wasn't enough demand, there wouldn't be the street workers.
erm...why should the state or police do something against prostitution?
its the oldest business in the world and thats not news to anyone.
if there is no prostitution, %age of rape will...ok...might increase.
pristitution will never be banned, never can!
police bannes them off the streets, you will have illegal brothels going on.
some women find prostitution ok and love the easy money that comes with it, its their freely chosen job!
what the state should do is do acknowledge that as a propper job and that the prostitutes pay social contributions, health care etc. and can profit from it if they have to. thats what germany did.
furthermore the state should do something against human trafficking, violence against women etc. that actions would be more effective to give them a bit more humanity. besides i find the mobile toilet a solution to deal with...
read the whole thread, I'm getting sick of repeating myself (and other people for that matter, who raised good points)
ps. brothels are legal
I'm more surprised that someone watches swiss tele!
oh I totally agree with you. It is inhumane but call me a cynic, but its just impossible.
A good example will be Singapore where prostitution IS legal but solicitation IS NOT. The prostitutes in the brothels have to be registered with the government and its mandatory for them to have health checks every 3 months. These prostitutes even pay taxes.
You would think that it will eradicate or lessen the problem of these kerb prostitutes but the problem is still rife because these pimps or those prostitutes (some trafficked from the poorer south east asian countries) who choose to work, (or let their girls)on the streets have the freedom to charge higher than those in brothels (controlled pricing due to competition). Hence, they would rather take the risk of being caught than working from brothels.
If you want to gain a bit more insight into the mental health of these women: Study on Sex Work and Health
i think the point is that illegal prostitution will always exist whatever you do. The paradox is that the more you fight illegal prostitution, the more illegal prostitutes become vulnerable to pressures from pimps. The challenge is to find the trade off that fights illegal prostitution while keeping them in a certain area and under control. If you ban them from an area, they shift to another one etc...
SOME brothels are legal. To run one, you need a lisense, health checks, pay taxes and ladies that earn a decent salary.
If you are in fact a pimp and you want to abuse your women, you have a much easier time establishing an illegal brothel than letting them run on the streets (so you always know where they are, you know who they talk to... and you have cash under control). Everytime I have passed Sihlquay, I have seen a lot of police action, so the really bad side of prostitution is surely happening somewhere else.
This is in theory the same here, Germany, Holland... I am not aware of a country where being a pimp is a legal job.
You could be right, but until I see authorities try harder (really, we never read about what is being done to solve the problem here)I can't beleive its impossible. It's impossible to win a lottery if you never play. Call me naïve, but I beleive that we could at least try to reduce the amount of curb side prostitutes...
Agree with MaryThomi, there are of course legal brothels but they need very, very strict supervision and regulation and at the same time a political will to allow them to be set up and keep running in a safe, clean environment. But nobody's helping a street prostitute by offering a hot tea. The better the working conditions and the better the salary the more come here illegally. You really need to divert the whole trade into a more regulated environment while handing out heavy fines for clients of illegal prostitution, jail sentences for pimps, and possible deportation for the illegal sex workers.
Make no mistakes, there are no freelancers at Sihlquai, just look at the parked cars under the bridge with "guards" keeping an eye on the women.