# Asian massage businesses

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-massage-businesses/742556>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 9, 2016, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-massage-businesses/742556 "2016-01-09T03:39:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2017, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-massage-businesses/742556/61 "2017-03-07T23:58:27Z")

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> [@Bricker](#):
>
> Was that [“anything for the weekend sir?”] a UK thing or a US thing? I’m a bit too young to have personal recollections of this, but it’s the kind of trivia I like to be able to use to spark up conversations…

I can remember as a young man that the barbers was the least embarrassing place to buy condoms. The only alternative then was the chemist and the assistant would usually be female - out of the question for a 17yo lad.

Then someone came up with the bright idea of dispensing machines - £1 for a packet of three - on the wall in the gents at the pub. Brilliant. It also meant that you could buy some when your mates were watching to make them think that you were actually going to use them 🙂

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**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2017, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-massage-businesses/742556/62 "2017-03-08T23:15:09Z")

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> [@Isilder](#):
>
> How to tell legitimate theraputic massage providers?
> 
> - is labelled as “Thai” or a specific flavour of massage
> - has signs to tell you which insurance companies will pay ?
> - has specific services or rates on show.
> - has staff in plain view at the front
> - has beds surrounded by curtains in plain view through the front door/window
> 
> How can they survive ? by paying thai students piece rates.  
> If the Thai sits there all day and has no customers, they get $0. or perhaps a gift, enough to cover lunch and dinner.

There’s a local establishment that runs on similar ethical lines, to the point of spelling out EXACTLY the upper limit of tip the massuese can accept - And very bluntly offering males to massage men - that runs on a high volume of referred business. All Asian staff, but no Thai; Korean and - surprisingly - Japanese. Rates for a theraputic massage are quite reasonable, but there’s usually a wait.

NOT what your average person might expect of an “AMP” in a strip mall.

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