Overly Aggressive Prostitutes in Dalian

[mrtoga]

It is a slow afternoon here in my office, so as I promised earlier I thought I would relate my story about certain aggressive ladies pestering me around Youhao Square, Dalian.

So being new to Dalian this summer, I took a stroll down the main street during the daytime. Passing the KFC at Youhao Guangchang a rather old (possibly 50+ lady) approached me, taking my arm and saying "hotel with me?". Being a polite person, I politely declined but she was quite persistant. I got rid of her with a firm "I am busy". Maybe not the best line, but she caught me unawares.

Anyway that evening I found myself again walking through the same square on the way to the Irish Bar to watch the football. There she was again - lurking and seeming to have aged a few more years. She caught my eye and called out! I thought quickly and decided a wave of the hand in a negative / refusing kind of fashion would head off further travails. However this wave was apparently misinterpreted as a kind of invitation. She ran towards me, grabbed me by the arm and started verbally throwing services and prices at me. Shocked, I continued to walk protesting that I was on the way to watch the football, but she nimbly opened a taxi door and tried to wrestle me inside, much to my consternation and the taxi driver's surprise!

I managed to avoid being thrown into the taxi and as I beat a hasty retreat the services she would provide got more graphic and the prices got lower. I believe I was offered something quite illegal in most countries for the modest sum of 50 RMB by the time the sorry episode had run its course.

Strange thing is, up until this episode I had not come across anything like this anywhere in China, only "hairdressers" inviting me in for a little more than a "short back and sides". Now I actively avoid this part of Dalian as these ladies seem to be a permanent feature there.

Has anyone else come across similar situations in other Chinese cities? I thought the police had a pretty good handle on this sort of thing in China, but Youhao Guangchang (Good Friend Square ) rather lets the side down!

[randall_flagg]

Same happened to me, not to far away from youhao guangchang, either! Well, she didn't try to push me into a taxi, as I told her "the wife" would get mad as hell if she caught me doing this. She was pretty persistent, but I got rid of her before she could even start quoting prices. She is kind of short and in her 50s, right?

[liuzhou]

I thought the police had a pretty good handle on this sort of thing in China

They (and the PLA) are usually pretty good at organising it.

[anonymoose]

That's funny - I lived in Dalian for over a year, and although I didn't spend an awful lot of time around Youhao Guangchang, I never came across this phenomenon. Maybe you just look like the kind of person that needs those services*.

* Just joking.

[mr.stinky]

she's moved!! she nabbed me today at green lake in kunming.

thought it was the usual "oh, golly gosh, a furr'ner, let's talk to him." it's decent language

practice anyway. this old lady dressed in a chinese fashion train wreck, claimed to be

indonesian, and her chinese was pretty crappy, too. when i tried to get away, she

proceeded to wrap her arms around me. man, than lady was agile, couldn't get out of

her evil clutches. whadayado? can't belt the broad, and anytime i managed to get both

arms off, she'd start to screach. i guess the plan is to embarrass the furr'ner so he'll

pay just to get away.

hadda say, okay, let's go to the bus stop. hadda walk fast enough with her running so's

she'd be out of breath unable to scream. damn broad trailed me for 12 blocks.

and the damn city cop i tried to get assistance from just ignored me. either he thought

it was hilarious seeing the old bat chase me, or more likely he was getting kickbacks

from her to work the park.

[Hero Doug]

I've never come across this kind of situation before, not sure what I'd do either. I've sometimes had beggers do their little act to get money from me, and actually a few times other Chinese have yelled at them for me, which was quite nice. I'm kind of surprised no one came to your aid, either of you.

Ever thought about saying "let's go to my house", taking her somewhere, let her get out first then take off. May be hard to pull off, but worth it. The driver would probably just sit there looking confused.

Seriously though, what is a good course of action. My natural instinct is to just push them away or throw something of their's away to get them off of me.

[roddy]

Never had this in Beijing. I've seen something similar happen around Guomao - couple of women sitting with someone whose Caramel Frappucino you wouldn't want to spill, chasing after foreign businessmen whenever they walked past. They didn't seem that persistent though. I didn't pay much attention mind, if you're going to watch girls at Guomao Starbucks there are way better options that rough-around-the-edges prostitutes.

Roddy

PS Going to move this into one of the non-public forums, high google ranking for 'Dalian prostitute' I can do without . . .

[aeon]

The Epoch Times is currently top listed on Google for the search "dalian prostitute" (sorry, couldn't resist):

One of the regions in China most plagued by prostitution is that of northeastern China’s three provinces. There supposed “sauna baths”—fronts for prostitution—are found in nearly every city and village. At most of these bath houses, there is little effort even to appear to be legitimate businesses. Dalian is the city with the largest and most overt sex industry. Not only are prostitution and X-rated shows considered “legal and reasonable” there, but sex-trade owners often hire male or female prostitutes openly on the streets or through newspaper ads. Even when incidents are reported to the police there is little if any response.

Given the level of competition, perhaps your sad example was just being enterprising (as well as desperate)?

[onebir]

Going to move this into one of the non-public forums, high google ranking for 'Dalian prostitute' I can do without . . .

So 'chat and language exchange' was the most suitable forum

PS - is there only one starbucks in guomao? ;-)

[billiardsmike]

I seem to have hit on an effective answer for beggars. I simply say "I'm a student" and they disappear, even though I don't look like your average student. I guess in their minds, it's the same as loudly proclaiming to be poor. Can't say how it would work for hookers.

[roddy]

I think saying something firm and calm in Chinese can get across the idea that you a) are not made uncomfortable, so aren't going to be harassed into handing over cash, and B) you have been here for a while, so aren't going to be harassed into handing over cash. However, if my job was standing around on the street like a beggar, postcard-seller, etc, I think it'd be about two weeks before I decided to start following people around and annoying them too. Got to be more entertaining.

There's only one Starbucks in the actual Guomao building, btw, but it's a bit too open plan and near the doors, so it tends to be very drafty in winter I find. However, it does have stool seating alongside the window which looks onto the corridor to the exit, so it's good for people watching. The one in the Wangfujing mall (can't remember the name, the one that's on the subway) on the bottom floor has 'outdoor' seating, and is probably a better bet if you want to go girl-watching, you pervert.

[Quest]

Just beware of sex scams. They might actually strip you clean... of cash.

[billiardsmike]

You're probably right Roddy, but with my limited vocabulary, I can't be quite as eloquent as you in my responses. I do hope to follow in your linguistic footsteps. But for now, I've got to make do with what I have, and as shown in this week's midterms, that's not much.

[gato]

There's only one Starbucks in the actual Guomao building, btw, but it's a bit too open plan and near the doors, so it tends to be very drafty in winter I find.

There's another Starbucks on the 2nd floor on the other side of the building. The downstairs one has better seating, though.

[roddy]

You're probably right Roddy, but with my limited vocabulary, I can't be quite as eloquent as you in my responses

Oh, I never actually do that. I just think it would be a good idea

Didn't know there was another Starbucks in Guomao, though to be honest now if I need somewhere to sit in the area I tend to nip over to Granma's Kitchen for a quick drink and maybe a salad. Then a burger. Then half a chicken . . .

[got_no_jaffas]

aggressive touting of sexual services by the chinese has been common a long time now, depends on how you spend your life & where you go & what you do. go to macau to see it at it's best!

as a tip, they can spot the unwary & the guys not used to this kind of activity. a firm no, physical brush off & just walk off. don't look them in the face, don't explain why you can't & don't acknowledge them. if you're in hotel then call hotel security but don't bother with the police.

[mrtoga]

Didn't know that Dalian was the capital for prostitution in China - I always thought that dubious honour belonged to Shenyang. However the Japanese community certainly uses that particular industry with a certain amount of gusto so that would affect the statistics, and it is a port town with all those testosterone-driven sailors.

Here hotel rooms are openly advertised by the hour - is that normal elsewhere?

As for the original aggressive lady, yes I think she is the one that another poster was also accosted by. Thing is, she has a face like a dogs dinner, looks over 50 and not in the least bit desirable. Frightening in fact. If I was her I would seriously consider a change in career!

Sorry if the thread title brought you unwanted visitors Roddy - not intentional. On the bright side, she might have got a bit more custom as a result of the free publicity. Proof that being proactive works!

[Hero Doug]

I like got_no_jaffas's suggestion, it's close to what I usually do. Except when you're waiting for the bus, they just stand in front of you and do their little show, kind of hard to blow by them then.

Also, some hotels in Toronto have room's by the hour. And rub and tug's are all over now, fairly easy to spot as well.

[flameproof]

mrtoga

It's just your imagination. Remember that the greatest achievement of the communist party was to eliminate prostitution completely.

[Hero Doug]

Reminds me of something I heard from a friend a while ago.

There's no Crime in China, it's illegal.