OK, FWIW, I shared this story on another board, but it is apropos to this thread. When you're young and stupid, you are young and stupid.
I was still 17 (1983), living in the DC area, and called a "Massage / Escort" listing from the Yellow Pages. The place was located just across the border in Maryland and I set an appointment and was quoted $55.00, which was great since I had paid $165.00 for escorts before. So I get there to this old house down this long driveway full of motorcycles and broken down vans, and am shown six women to choose from. I pick this lady that kind of looked like one of my teachers and go into the back room. We're naked and I'm about to get into it when I find out that the $55.00 was not the only fee. She's getting more pissed as I keep searching through my pockets for more money, and blew her cork when I could only come up with $30.00 more. She starts talking about getting the guy outside to come take care of me, and I'm starting to really shake.
Well, I start stammering and apologizing when she grabs my wallet to look inside and sees my driver's license, which shows that I'm only 17. All of the sudden, she's a little teary, and hugs me. She takes the money and then gives me what I still consider one of my top five sexual experiences of all time. Afterward, we're laying there and she tells me that she's honored to have helped me loose my virginity, but that I should find a nice girl to be with who is my age. Even though I was 17, I was still smart enough not to tell her that I had been with about 8 escorts before her and had been getting laid by my girlfriend since 14. I chose life, and let her have her fantasy. I think she would have shanked me right then and there if I hadn't. I still smile when I think of her.
From that one experience, I learned never to assume ANYTHING about the cost of something, and have applied that to everything outside of the hobby too. I owe her for having never been surprised by hidden fees or costs again.
:-