A Question for the Long Timers

Wow pjorouke, thanks for reviving this tread. I bow to the wisdom in these posts. Similar to Npita, I have only been hobbying for about 5 yrs and have not know the struggles described below.

There are some great stories from experienced hobbyists that I enjoyed very much.

When I first started, in London, you went to SOHO and looked for open doorways with red doorbells and signs upstairs to where the girls were.

Also, ladies would leave their cards with phone numbers in Phone Boxes. It was all potentially a big risk. Thankfully this slightly predated AIDS so is you caught something, it could be treated with penecillin. I was lucky and never got any surprises.

Wow, I couldn't even have imagined all of this! Wow life before the internet sucked!

I have a new found respect for you "Old Guard" gentleman. Us "New Guard" jerks are just spoiled!

To quote one of my favorite movies "Men in Black":

[points to yellowpages]
Old and busted.
[points to ECCIE]
New hotness.

Don't forget the fox files. Originally Posted by Big Jake

Man, I haven't thought about that site for years. I remember browsing that on my old power mac and a dial up 28.8 modem.

I began my internet P4P with TSML and the legendary moderator Dick O'Stone. That would have been sometime in the 1990s. I had been a studio regular before that in the studios in Irving off Esthers Road, the Industrial Blvd AMPs, the studios on 175 near 635 and of course, the 121 houses. Lawzy, I loved all those places.

I blame the convenience of the internet and boards like this one for my addiction.
If I had to hobby the old fashioned way I could never accept the risk factors.

RR

Some interesting reading in here

Chevalier, is a poet and a scholar and quite the rhetorical marksmen.

I have been at this for just under 25 years and have to agree with him that technology is one thing, but the "sense of community" is almost shocking in retrospect.

I can only speak from my own perspective, but when I first started hobbying back in the eighties, I may have been vaguely aware that other men also saw escorts, but I didn't want to think about that or talk about it--in any shape or form.

I certainly didn't want to compare notes with anyone.

Of course, there are probably a few people that wish I would go back to that approach.

In the old days, hi tech was finding a yellow pages that people had written notes in. You were shittin' in high cotton when you found that in a new town. . .You show up in a new town and you usually just start cold calling in the yellow pages. Originally Posted by TexTushHog

Damn, I forgot how much the cold calling from the yellow pages sucked, and Tex was right, if you found a yellow pages in your room with notes, you were in a very happy mood. What was even better is if someone left a local "alternative lifestyle" rag tucked into the yellow pages in the exotic dancing or escort section of the book so that housekeeping didn't toss it.
If you found either of those, you were golden.

You know how you young guys get pissed if a gal isn't quite as she seemed reviewed, even given YMMV?

Try getting cash-and-dashed regularly--and not just by women. In the old days you had to take leads from cab drivers, valets, bellhops and such when in a strange town. Some times they even acted like brokers, but that was a dice roll. What are you going to do, call down to the front desk because the bellhop stiffed you on the promise to get some fine pussy back to your room?

Try the old dance and tug, and guess what, she isn't the one doing the tugging. Even worse was when you did use the yellow pages and went to the ESCORT section, and found out you really did hire an escort. Meaning she thought you were taking her to a company party, wedding, or family dinner--and that was all you were doing.

Of course, there was the airport hotel bar. That used to be a sure thing. In some ways that was much better than even this because you saw exactly what you were getting and could sense her personality over a drink. That usually went well, unless you were talking to a pretty vice cop.

Sorry, didn't intend to blab on in a "we had to walk home from school uphill each way in the snow" rant. It was what it was and now it is what it is.

--Anon

Then there was the old, look through the yellow pages under massage and try to read between the lines. . .

Is this a real massage therapist (CMT: like the advertisement below meant NO WAY) while terms like "relaxation artist" or "sensual body rub" meant MAYBE:



DON'T CALL THAT AD--it is just a random picture from the internet--YOU HORNDOGS!

The dudes whose only hobbying comes from the proverbial stab in the dark at CL or BP are doing it similarly to when all we had was the clever "personals" ad in the paper, the yellow pages, and the free local weeklies. When you lucked into some nice company you kinda kept it private; there was no place to post a review. There were agencies, SC's & jack-shacks too. Agencies have come a long way with the 'net, same as Indies. The others, it's still usually a mistake to enter with inflated expectations. I made some sweet gf's then and I'm still making new ones, though with greater variety. More quality women in the game are doing better economically than they did before the 'net. Hobbyist Rule # 1 about thinking with the Big Head hasn't lost any of its importance.

Well, I started out 25 years ago and at that time Austin had a thriving massage parlor scene where you could get an hour full service for $100 often with some really beautiful women. Fantasy, I Dream of Jennie and several others all gone now. The Austin Chronicle (alternative newspaper here) became a helpful restaurant, but also was burned there a few times. Now I'm pretty selective ASPD was a great resource, but I've slowed down my hobbying to just a few memorable occasions a year with a couple of overnights or trips with carefully vetted providers.

I remember I dream of Jeanie and Vickies as well. While attending UT, I would save up my money and go to Hole in the Wall to drink a bit so I would have the courage to go visit. I was such a naiive gentleman back then. My, how things have changed and definately better.

Wow, some amazing stories by some vets...I think I qualify as being in the game by a decade but not by much.

Obviously the internet & technology in general has improved things. I won't try to speak to all of it here, but offer one change or trend: geography & local government's view of the hobby means less than ever. Used to be some cities were better than others...You could have a great time there...then others nothing...no titty bars, AMP/studios...even the yellow pages & alt papers came under scrutiny.

Now LE is still more intrusive (or dare I say cooperative) in some places than others, but the will of an overzealous sheriff or procescutor doesn't totally shut down a city.

Ah yes, the old Austin massage parlor scene. I was there about 28 years ago and it was amazing. One place after another.

Do the long term P4Pers get gold watches after 50 years of hobbying?

Technology and the internet change all things hobby.