So I've decided I'm ready to pay for sex, but am afraid of getting busted, among other things.

I've spent a fair amount of time reading FAQ's, other posts, but still have some questions that might have been covered elsewhere (in which case, feel free to just give me the link).

#1 -- If I live near a big city, do I need to use any of the many other Internet resources available?  My current plan is to find a nicely reviewed provider in my area, convince her I'm not LE, get her to whitelist me, and continue just within the confines of TER.  I keep seeing references to additional websites I could join, and pay for, to verify my identity, etc., but don't understand why that should be necessary.  Maybe it is that TER is too limited, and I won't find providers just within it?  Or, is the situation that experienced hobbyists are always looking for new escorts, so just can't find enough satisfaction through TER?

#2 -- I like that the posters mostly seem to be committed to being nice to the providers.  But, I keep reading stories of providers who are basically slaves, being abusively controlled by pimps.  I certainly don't want to contribute to however much of that actually goes on.  I'm sure that most of the posters here (based on their posts) would agree with me on that.  So, any thoughts on this point?

Thanks.

#1--Those other websites are for verification. Once you join and get vouched for by providers, it makes it quicker and easier for you to get screened by others you want to see. Getting whitelisted on TER isn't a good plan, at least not as a means of verification. TER is mainly for reviews and the boards.

#2--Generally, sticking to the kind of providers who will be safe and reliable for you--reputable and well-reviewed here--will lessen the chance that you will unintentionally contribute to the problem.

That way you can read the juicy details of the reviews. If you stay with well reviewed providers, you shouldn't run into any slaves.  And there's nothing wrong with being white listed. Escorts all have their opinion of the usefulness of the white list when it comes to screening.   However, most escorts have their own method of screening, which they're secretive about.  Good luck

Keep in mind that these are nice lurid stories, the kind that attract people to media, drive up the traffic and ratings. They also are useful to people who do not like this business. Have not seen a survey on this, but my guess is that most people would find consensual, paid, sex between two adults to be no big issue, something the police do not need to worry much about. On the other hand, everyone, including all of us here, have big issues with human trafficking, sexual slavery, and underage prostitution, so people who want to wipe out supply and demand wave those flags to get support to tighten up laws and enforcement.

So it seems to me that the incidence of the truly awful stuff is exaggerated, just like the incidence of death and mayhem is exaggerated on the evening news. But it does happen, no question, and happens more often than it should (which is never).

The advice still is good though - stick with established, well reviewed providers. Be very careful with anyone who looks very young. And if it smells bad to you, the circumstances, behavior or anything else make you uncomfortable, get the hell out of there. The question you will then confront is whether you have more than a feeling, and whether there is some moral obligation to do something. Hopefully you will avoid those situations, but you may want to spend a little time thinking about that. I have.

Zig