# How do "spas" get to open and stay in business? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 30, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566 "2012-05-30T18:12:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566/1 "2012-05-30T18:12:58Z")
Over the weekend, I drove past a sign advertising a “spa” a few miles up the road (this was I-65 in Kentucky). There seem to be quite a few of these, largely near major highways or in sketchy areas of cities. It is obvious these places are basically brothels/massage parlors (of the “happy ending” type), and those are illegal in almost all of the U.S. So how do these places manage to get business permits? How are they not raided by law enforcement on a daily basis? I know they are sometimes raided (and usually found to be harboring illegal aliens / sex slaves), but it is obviously worth someone’s while to operate these places. It can’t be JUST bribes keeping the cops at bay. What’s the Dope? ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566/2 "2012-05-30T18:16:45Z")
Something I read a long time ago is working its way to the surface…oh, there it is: I don’t know if it applies to these establishments, but the way it can work for the owner is that they maintain deniability when it comes to the happy endings. Their defense is that anything more than a vanilla massage was an agreement between the ‘masseuse’ and the customer, and not sanctioned by the business itself. Whether this is legally watertight is not within my realm of expertise. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566/3 "2012-05-30T18:19:42Z")
Proving it’s a brothel in a court of law is more complicated than you might assume. That’s aside from any corruption angle, which is almost inevitable when dealing with consensual activities that have been made illegal. I imagine it’s a matter of resources and nuisance. So long as the spas aren’t keeping the sex workers against their will, victimless crimes fall a lot lower on the “must deal with now” scale than, say, robbery and murder. If local citizens start complaining or the press notices and makes noise, law enforcement will crack down. If the sex workers start stealing from their clients, or there’s a sudden spike in STDs that make the CDC sit up and take notice, that will get attention. In short, so long as the businesses don’t attract too much attention, they’re likely to stay. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566/4 "2012-05-30T18:24:37Z")
Believe it or not there are hundreds of legitimate message parlors. The problem is that there are also hundreds of illegitimate message parlors and law enforcement can’t spend all of their limited resources in an effort to shut them down. It’s not like these customers are getting murdered, robbed or raped. Just like with prostitution, there is some tolerance in most communities without the public picketing City Hall. Every once in a while there will be a coordinated raid that gets lots of headlines, but if they really tried to eliminate these “services” they would just be driven underground. In other words, it’s not a serious enough problem worth the time, money and effort to deal with effectively. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566/5 "2012-05-30T18:28:17Z")
And who doesn’t like [Happy Endings](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_ending)? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566/6 "2012-05-30T18:36:28Z")
The “spas” that are in it for the long haul have two sets of clientele-the tourist/rubes who are never actually _told_ that they are going to get some sex for their money but are dumb enough to believe the “wink-nudge” hints given by the girls, and the locals/regulars that business knows personally. They former get nothing but an empty wallet, and the latter get their rocks off. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566/7 "2012-05-30T18:39:26Z")
Huh. Well, color me naive - I’d heard of the “massage parlor” fig leaf, of course, but when I think of a “spa” I think of places that women go to put mud on their faces or what-have-you. It really wouldn’t occur to me to think, “Aha! That place is a front for a house of ill-repute!” ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566/8 "2012-05-30T18:42:46Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Something I read a long time ago is working its way to the surface…oh, there it is: > > I don’t know if it applies to these establishments, but the way it can work for the owner is that they maintain deniability when it comes to the happy endings. Their defense is that anything more than a vanilla massage was an agreement between the ‘masseuse’ and the customer, and not sanctioned by the business itself. > > Whether this is legally watertight is not within my realm of expertise. Yes, I think it’s mostly this. If the happy ending is paid for by tipping the masseuse, the owner of the establishment has technically done nothing wrong and can pretend ignorance. If the vice squad has to nail one masseuse after another, they’re going to be spinning their wheels. Building a case against the owner takes a lot more work because you have to show knowledge and intent, not just activity. Of course, I wouldn’t assume that a place is a brothel in disguise just based on location. Rent and labor are the two biggest expenses for a business like this. Being in a sleazy part of town or just outside of town makes both cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566/9 "2012-05-30T18:43:10Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Huh. Well, color me naive - I’d heard of the “massage parlor” fig leaf, of course, but when I think of a “spa” I think of places that women go to put mud on their faces or what-have-you. It really wouldn’t occur to me to think, “Aha! That place is a front for a house of ill-repute!” Ditto. Don’t spas cater to women? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566/10 "2012-05-30T19:45:04Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Huh. Well, color me naive - I’d heard of the “massage parlor” fig leaf, of course, but when I think of a “spa” I think of places that women go to put mud on their faces or what-have-you. It really wouldn’t occur to me to think, “Aha! That place is a front for a house of ill-repute!” There are also “tanning salons” that are fronts for prostitution. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566/11 "2012-05-30T19:52:12Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Huh. Well, color me naive - I’d heard of the “massage parlor” fig leaf, of course, but when I think of a “spa” I think of places that women go to put mud on their faces or what-have-you. It really wouldn’t occur to me to think, “Aha! That place is a front for a house of ill-repute!” > [@Keeve](#): > > Ditto. Don’t spas cater to women? You guys are sooo sheltered it’s adorable. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566/12 "2012-05-30T19:55:53Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > There are also “tanning salons” that are fronts for prostitution. Not to mention “veterinary clinics.” ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566/13 "2012-05-30T19:57:40Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Huh. Well, color me naive - I’d heard of the “massage parlor” fig leaf, of course, but when I think of a “spa” I think of places that women go to put mud on their faces or what-have-you. It really wouldn’t occur to me to think, “Aha! That place is a front for a house of ill-repute!” If the spa is in an upscale part of town, has a huge fancy building, and advertises manicures, pedicures, facials, and fancy cars are parked in front (or better yet, has valet parking), we can conclude it is a business that caters to women and any massage services are of the true therapeutic variety. If it’s a dinky, run-down building in a seedy part of town, has lots of neon signage, advertises “table showers” and/or “Asian ladies,” and has pick-ups or big rigs parked out front, it can be assumed it is of the shady business variety. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566/14 "2012-05-30T20:10:21Z")
More to the point–since I missed the edit window–I think \*\*dracoi \*\*has the right idea. LEO time is a finite resource. Most County Sheriffs and the like would rather their cops spend time busting speeders and reckless drivers, not to mention responding to emergency calls about murders, rapes, assaults, and the like. Going after sex workers takes time and puts cops in precarious positions–no one wants a sexual harassment complaint on their record. That, and the owner can easily claim that individual employees are loose cannons; busting one sex worker may be easy, but closing down the whole place is hard. Unless well-placed and/or noisy moral guardians are complaining about a place, it’s a low priority. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566/15 "2012-05-30T21:33:14Z")
I think this is the kind of “spa” the OP is referring to 😉 [Billboard](http://z3crosscountry.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/georgia-spa.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566/16 "2012-05-30T23:16:27Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > Not to mention “veterinary clinics.” And barber shops. Theraputic Massage and Acupressure are often a dead give away. Or so I’m told. Or, just look for the ones with beat-up pick-up trucks out front. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566/17 "2012-05-31T00:20:43Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > If the spa is in an upscale part of town, has a huge fancy building, and advertises manicures, pedicures, facials, and fancy cars are parked in front (or better yet, has valet parking), we can conclude it is a business that caters to women and any massage services are of the true therapeutic variety. > > If it’s a dinky, run-down building in a seedy part of town, has lots of neon signage, advertises “table showers” and/or “Asian ladies,” and has pick-ups or big rigs parked out front, it can be assumed it is of the shady business variety. More or less correct, except that if it’s attached to a Chiropractor or similar it’s legit. Most “spas” are legit, but the ones that are more “adult oriented” make it rather clear by their advertising. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566/18 "2012-05-31T00:27:46Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > I think this is the kind of “spa” the OP is referring to 😉 > > [Billboard](http://z3crosscountry.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/georgia-spa.jpg) Seems legit. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566/19 "2012-05-31T01:07:23Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Or, just look for the ones with beat-up pick-up trucks out front. 🙂 They must be inexpensive. Have I been missing out? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566/20 "2012-05-31T02:22:22Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > They must be inexpensive. > > Have I been missing out? Yes. Or so I’m told. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-spas-get-to-open-and-stay-in-business/623566.md?page=2)