Given the current activities surrounding the hobby in this region, I am following these rules:

1)  Avoid any and all agencies at this time; simply too risky.

2)  Avoid Meet and Greets; why take the risk now?

3)  Stick with well-reviewed independent ladies, especially those visiting from out of town, who have established websites and a presence on Date Check or Preferred 411.

4)  Don't see escorts that look 18 or 19 years old.

I would recommend others do so as well.

All you're doing in contributing to the paranoia
Post factual information. What you're saying has been said already.
Here on TER a lot of people depend too much on other peoples opinions to make decisions.
READ the facts in articles/press release and different sources and do your own research on local agencies.
There are good agencies in the area. The ones who are/will be busted have been talked about over the past few months. Its no surprise they were or are going to be busted. They are stupid, cocky and they treat people like shit.

Anything that offers fair and decent advise is of no consequence if you ask me...

I must say I agree with the original poster save for one item refering to agencies... I'll go further as to say NEVER use them! My advise is always to avoid agencies as they seem to always keep info/records regarding clients. Regardless of what they say or advertise. How can you provide decent service if you do not keep tabs on your regulars?!?!?!

Independants do get caught as well but it is far less frequent and LE would have to be really hounding them in order to make a case. With an Agency it just takes one girl to throw a wrench in the wheels...

Not trying to convince anyone of this but I NEVER use agencies... I did when I was new to the hobby and have since given it up because of what we are seeing now. Had a close call similar to this some years back and figured some might recall that but apparently not, as there has been no mention of it.

Everyone just take a deep breathe and relax... This has happend before and in all likelyhood will continue to happen in years to come. There is a natural order to things and when something gets too big it eventually has to get knocked back down! In all honesty it is a good thing because hopefully they can clean up some of the garbage that plagues BP and former CL girls.

If anything this is a time for the well known indy's to flourish and really shine!

Just my .02

Fog

I agree that for those who want to be very careful due to current activities, those rules are helpful.   Agencies do have a higher profile and there is a lower risk with well reviewed indys.   Now for those who are superparanoid, I suggest seeing an indy that you have seen before and then the risk is near zero.  Indys that are well reviewed also have minimal risk as long as you follow the protocol of never mentioning anything sexual or the money.  Go there, leave the envelope in the bathroom or another discrete area, don't refer to it, have a good time.  Most experience providers will greet you like an old boyfriend and will not look at the envelope or mention anything about money.

* sigh *

Ok I bit my tongue long enough.

What's the saying.. " just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean their not out to get me"..

*laugh*

TER for the most part has always been anti-Agency in it's culture, no big news there and I don't see it changing. Frankly not something I'm gong to lose sleep over. However... addressing your post..

1) Do that if it makes you happy in spite of all the independents who have accepted private invitations to "interview" in hopes it will save them. Yes ladies you know who you are.

2) Sure why not especially if they are in a "public place" like a bar or a club and just any provider / client can attend without being screened first. ... and I'm NOT talking vouching, vouching is NOT screening.

3) Apparently you haven't heard but go ahead trust Date Check vouched providers blindly let me know how that works out for you in the long run. ( I'm not talking about all of them by way so don't accuse me of it.) By the way any of you providers who want to chime in on what many of us in the industry know about Date-Check go right right ahead.

4) Probably a good idea I just question it's effectiveness in the scope of overall reality. You can have underage people who look 25.

Do what you're going to do, it has little baring on my business, my life or  the big picture. What does effect me is all this "fear talk" it's getting on my nerves! Just do what your going to do, see who you're going to see or NOT see I don't care. Just please ... enough! Stop the damn whining already.

This too shall pass!

It always does, when they are done culling the herd which Karmaticly speaking is THEIR JOB it's nothing personal. I've been around long enough to see this play both on and off Broadway.  Let us not forget this dynamic of we do what we allegedly  do, they chase us is the natural order of things. Not all of us Independent or Agency operate the same nor condone some of the behaviors which others have engaged in on this playing field. Frankly, if  the allegations are true  or as I like to say "things you just don't do in the escort business" prove factual then they brought it on themselves. By the way I've written about those things since 2008 and have posted to this board in the past.

http://dreamsescortblogs.com/blogs/escort-industry-news/its-all-predictable-things-you-do-not-do-in-the-escort-business.htm

Whether you choose to play in the game or not that is your choice. But stop coming on to the field whining about how ruff the game is getting.

Play or go home!

* sigh *

Either way not my problem.

To those of you who have written factual, reasonable and rational comments....  

THANK YOU!!

Ok I'm done with my little rant and with the whole dam issue. Oh and I'm not being cocky I'm just sick of the whining,  no more no less.

Lee Dreams

Edamus, bibamus, gaudeamus

PS.. Take Note... no alias. Ether have the courage of conviction stand up for what you believe or... Oh never mind....

finnaly some helpful advice

Never used an agency, to my knowledge, anyway, but who knows?  Interesting to note that on another well-known escort site, the number of listings in the DC area has dropped by half - 270 to 135 - overnight.  The little agencies are gone.

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A notice we received from as you put it "another well-known escort site".
"ALL Free Registered Members will need to be age verified in order to post a profile.
All current NON PAID listings will be removed 11/11/10.
In order to reactivate your profile: "


Lee Dreams

Edamus, bibamus, gaudeamus

The definition of "sex trafficking" is pretty broad but it seems as if the main focus of LE efforts right now is on activities involving underage girls.  Craigslist's adult services section was operated for years and was only targeted after there were a couple of high profile cases in which authorities discovered underage girls that were being marketed on the site.  That's when political pressure was brought to bear.  You may recall that their first response was to eliminate free ads and require that every advertiser supply identification.  They also promised to, and from my understanding did, cooperate with authorities investigating suspected child sex trafficking.  But in the end, that wasn't enough to keep the pressure off and they just gave in and eliminated the adult services ads.  It's not surprising that attention is being turned to other sites because the people who advertised on Craigslist did not go away, they just migrated elsewhere.  It sounds like some of these sites may be taking the same steps that Craigslist did at first - eliminating free ads and requiring identification of some form so that someone, other than the site, can be held accountable.  

I don't think the term human trafficking has an age limit associated with it, am I wrong?

Independent girls decide what they want to do. Some have dependencies (Drugs...etc) and others are doing this to pay the bills. I don't think any woman likes to have sex several times a day and a few days a week, but they do it for a reason.

Then there are agencies out there, not saying that you go out to local YMCA and look for your next associate, but still, you sit home and benefit from their work. Not sure why but I see something wrong with that!

END OF MESSAGE

meaning most deals are made in the closet. You will be shocked how the ones who look to be the better ones out there are actually the worse ones!

We like to sounds sophisticated at times on this board, we call ourselves hobbiest and not Johns, we call the ladies providers or companions and not ______, we call the hour of ______ "a session"  and we call the pimps?

"sit home and benefit from their work"
THAT is laughable and ignorant!!!!
You've obviously been patronizing the wrong agencies.
I dont work for or with Dream but I can say this, running an agency is HARD work. Your comments are ignorant as you've never run and agency and if you did Im sure it would fail. Furthermore why do some men think being a provider is hard work? It is NOT. Some days can be hard like any other job but for the most part it is fantastic. We get compliments all day, we make a lot of $, we get presents and we get treated very well. Often times clients are better than any boyfriend could ever be.
The hardest part is screening and dealing with the other aspects of booking appts. Rolling around in bed is the easiest part DUH

The girls work maybe 8 hour shifts while the agency owner is working 12-16 hour shifts screening, planning and dealing with the girls. Try arranging a schedule for 6-10 different girls in 3 or 4 locations while screening properly and dealing with every girls different personality.
Agencies who dont screen have it easy and YES they sit back and collect cash. Legit agencies like Dream who DO screen are NOT sitting back like a pig collecting cash while girls work. They are working more than the provider!
Agencies like dream arent pressuring girls to work more. Good agencies listen to the girls and the girls set their own limits. No one wants to see a girl who is tired or not in the mood and a good agency understands that.
I have been a provider and I have an agency and I can honestly tell you that being a provider is MUCH MUCH MUCH easier, fun and wonderful than running an agency. There is essentially NO fun in running an agency. When a agency girl gets off work she is off and free to do what ever she does in her down time. Agency owners are glued to their phone and laptop. I dont leave my apartment for days sometimes....although lately Ive had a ton of free time thanks to the greedy agencies who have F'd it up for every one : (

END OF MESSAGE

Most people know who is behind this alias...not hard to tell
Im posting with an alias because I dont feel comfortable using my handle while talking about LE and things like that right now....obvious reasons but in case you dont know or I need to explain further, I dont want my agency on the next news clip or press release with my comments here on TER.
Per recent convo with my lawyer I should use an alias unless posting an ad in which Ill be very careful OR posting something non hobby related. Who cares if I use an alias or not....either way you dont know me so stop deflecting. So funny when people are wrong they change the topic and attack something totally non related. I use to have a boyfriend who did that LMAO so I know your type

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ever since she started you were there for her with great posts and how good she is ..etc. You must be such a great friend. I should have been an accountant so I could count these favors correctly.

Also noticed you wrote the first set of reviews for her girls and put them on the map, that is so good of you.

END OF MESSAGE

BTW, you might as well use an alias since you'll never post a review with this handle anyway.

Be sure to check out his review of Lauren. He has supported this agency no differently than other agencies. His reviews are fair and honest. If the girl is great than she gets a great review. If she is not so great he says so in the review.

Nice try though...

Time for me to sign off before I get all bitchy on this troll LOL Soooooo not worth the time or energy
Bye bye lovers!

I agree. The fear mongers have taken over the board. Obviously there is reason for concern, but to this degree? It is obvious that Le or whoever is helping stir it up here. Someone is getting plenty of belly laughs at all the freak out post.

Exactly.

Strictly from a constitutional angle I'm disappointed in Craigslist they opened the flood gates, now cause driven AG's are emboldened. We are once again entering into a time of Political crusaders playing at being Law Enforcement offices. I've been through this before with Edwin Meese and his war of the evils of the adult industry.

Often crusaders fail to see the big picture, which is you can never stamp out human needs whether you view them as negative or positive. All you really can do, if you are wise, is manage it. Where the AG's were unwise (thinking like politicians which is what they've become) is forcing Craigslist to shut it down.  They had a quick and easy tool to catch those engaging in coercion, minors or trafficking as they now blanket term it. If anything, they've not only driven it deeper underground again, but made the vice cop's job harder for the sake of being able to declare a victory. ( sorry guys I actually feel for you on that one)

This is one giant game of Wack-a Mole or rat and they will just migrate somewhere else.

Drugs, minors, endangering the public health (BB anything), coercion, indiscretion and a policy of dishonesty.... stay away from it, don't engage in it when you're on our side of the line.

You would think those simple principles would  be easy  to grasp for those of us in this industry. Oh wait.. we're talking about human's aren't we ?

* in his best Roseanne-Rosanna-Danna *

" Oh..... Neeeverrr mind "


Lee Dreams

Edamus, bibamus, gaudeamus

The paranoid will always think the sky just hit them on the head.

The oblivious will always close their eyes to the obvious.

Reasoned caution is always a good middle ground.

END OF MESSAGE

I am not someone who pumps up agencies, but neither do I think they are all disgusting dens of evil.  I think you are making an overly brutal generalization.

Yes, some agencies do a lot of bad things to entice and capture women.  Some especially go after underage women.  But there are also agencies that provide benificial support services to women who lack either the ability/disposition th do advertizing, scheduling, screening, and logistics.

Just like every provider is not "forced to do this", neither is every agency a pimp in disguise.  There are a lot of women working for decent agencies who would be far worse off on their own.  Most those who can and want to run their own business pieces eventually do.

I'm not saying any agency fits in one bucket or the other, but you sure see the world as black & white.  Sometime you might want to join the technocolor age.

I have no disagreement with this statement.  There was one in Texas that had the rep for being the "good agency" that was anything but:  drugs, underage girls tricked to come up from Mexico, and required free sessions for the owner.  No surprise when they were busted and lots of the women gave LE all the help they needed.

I try not to put any particular agency in the "good" or "bad" pile unless I know 1st hand.  Probably the most telling info I get is from providers who used to work for an agency.  Quite a few leave because they were treated poorly, but a lot also leave because they learned enough of the business and want to manage themselves, and a lot of them are sincerely thankful to the agency for getting them started on the right foot.  My ATF is still good friends with her former agency manager as well as with others who used to work there and still do.

There's good and bad in everything.

Everyone needs to chill out.  Crack downs in this industry come and go.  Resources are limited and there are higher priorities but from time to time there is an emphasis on the sex business and then resources get shifted to something else such as white collar crimes.  Even in this crackdown, the emphasis is on high profile agencies, exploitation of minors, human traffiking and not on johns.  The norm for busting johns is the old fashion sting operation using an undercover agent.  They would like you to be scared and paranoid because then you will do what they want -- to stop seeing escorts altogether or maybe to provide info.  Misinformation and deception is always part of the game and if you believe that they are everywhere and that they have the right to arrest you solely on your cell number on an agency's phone list, it makes their job easier.  That's the way the IRS works.  Audits are conducted on less than 2% of returns but taxpayers believe that they could be audited so they tend to be honest on their returns but the likelihood of an audit is low.  So  once again be cautious but don't go overboard.

Info was actually good to know... its common sense but sometimes its better to put it up so people can read

Quit being a negative douche