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The
Dilemma
of
PROSTITUTION
Societies have struggled with this human vice over
the centuries. Now,
sorne
authorities favor
legalization
as a
means
of
control. But is
this the real answer?
by
William F. Dankenbring
C
AROL
rs an attractive young
woman who makes a living
as a prostitute. Born and
reared in Miami Beach, Florida, her
fa ther died while she was still a little
girl. After his death, her mothe r be–
carne a prostitute and taught her
daughter the trade.
Carol now lives in an upper–
middle-class home and has a tele–
phone answering service. She hus–
tles the local bars around town,
passing on her phone number to
certa in individuals. Interested men
call her and a recorded voice says:
"Hi, this is Carol. If you wa nt to
leave a message. leave your phone
number and I'll cal! you back."
Caro! can call home from a ba r, get
the messages through a recording,
and contact her clients.
She has been arres ted severa!
times and has learned a ll the me th–
ods of the vice squad . She knows
tha t the policemen ass igned to the
pros titut ion deta il usua lly work in
the evenings, so she stays out of Mi–
ami Beach after 6 p.m. and hustles
10
clients in other parts of the greater
Miami area.
Because the vice squad had re–
ceived severa! compla ints a bout her
from local hote ls, they obta ined her
phone number and called . She re–
turned the call about two hours
later, and the officer told her:
"Never mind, honey, I've found
someone else."
Carol had no idea that she was
talking to a policeman. She thought
a prostitution agent would never say
that. So the next night, when a
friend of tha t same fe llow called
and told he r the man she had talked
to the previous evening had given
him her phone number, she wasn' t
the least suspicious. She carne right
over to meet the man, undressed,
and was immediate ly arrested.
Caro! was later convicted, heavily
fined , and orde red to see a psychia–
tr ist.
Caro! is only one of an estimated
100,000 women who a re full-time
prostitutes in the United States,
working in the shadowy world of
pimps and illicit pleasure seeke rs.
These women "work" an average
of s ix days a week, have three
clients (ca ll ed " J ohns") a d ay.
with an average fee pe r contact of
about $ 10, though sorne go much
highe r.
Pros titution in the United States
is a billion-dolla r-a-year racket, and
business is booming. The average
prostitute grosses about 10,000 dol–
la rs yearly and ne ts perhaps 6,000
dollars. a lthough sorne may make
conside rably more if they are will–
ing to abuse themselves enough and
put in long hours. As one madam
who lived in a Nevada house of
pros titution said :
" It
depends on
the girl."
Prostitution
Around the World
Pros titution is also rampant in
Europe.
In Munich, Wes t Germany. the
city's officially registered houses of
prostitution were closed in the la tte r
pa rt of 1972. In the wake of the
PLAIN TRUTH Ju ly·August 1973