Now that Britain has partially legalised the ‘Red Zone’!

By Bunmi Sofola 

SOME months back, Britain’s first red light district was created in Leeds – an industrial city populated by working class blacks with a high rate of prostitution. From 7pm to 7 am, sex workers can operate without fear of arrest, as long as they stay in the designated area. The scheme hopes to protect sex workers who’d been plagued with arrests by the law enforcement agents and physical abuse by their ‘clients’. “I live in Leeds,” observed Susie Burge,” and prostitution on the street has been going on around here for years. So why not legalise a red light area?

Prostitutes. File photo

“The managed zone regulates prostitution to a single area, and specific times overnight. Even though it’s only been going on for a few months, it’s significantly improved the relationship between sex workers and the police, giving them the confidence to report offences. This has already led to the conviction of many dangerous offenders. If a red light zone means prostitutes will be protected from rape. abuse and even murder – by a client or a pimp – then surely it’s a good thing: 

“Some people find it hard to get their heads around sex work, especially as a lot of us have no connection to it. But who are we to judge the women who do it? We don’t know whether they’re there by choice; or they’re trying to feed their kids. Selling sex has been going on for centuries, and now we can finally give sex workers some form of safety. It might even help to stop other related crimes like drug crime. 

“The Government has put tax on everything else we do in life. If prostitution was viewed like any other job, I’m sure most sex workers would happily file tax returns. We should make it a legal profession, like they do in Amsterdam. The creation of a red light zone is definitely a step in the right direction.” 

This got me thinking. Wouldn’t it be a brilliant idea to follow Britain’s good example and create red light zones in areas notorious for prostitution? Ayilara, in Surulere, for instance, could be first in line as it’d been on the scene for ages for being the hotbed of sex-maniacs – sorry, clients – looking for women to ravish. Let’s face it, some Nigerian men are not known to be civil to women – be it prostitutes or their wives. Behind locked doors, they become animals, raping women who refuse them sex and violently taking their pleasures never caring whether their victims became punching bags in the process. 

“And have you tried reporting sex cases to the police?” asked a victim, not a prostitute, who took courage in her hands to report her abusive boyfriend to the police. He’d head-butted her and violently raped her. She showed marks of the abuse at the police station and was asked to produce a medical report – from a recognised government hospital! 

“I just couldn’t be bothered with the hassle of going through the humiliating experience of telling a leering doctor how I was violated,” she concluded. 

Unfortunately, there are women who are ready to condemn prostitution without finding out why some women resort to it. For all they know, their darling husbands or boyfriend could be clients! “What exactly are you talking about,” one of such women wanted to know. 

“Do we want our kids to think this is a viable ‘career option’? If sex workers want to stay safe, maybe they should get a job (from where?) that doesn’t involve sleeping with strangers! I believe it is wrong to sell your body by choice, or to force others into selling thcir bodies. An article I read stated over 90% of the prostitutes in the red zone area in Leeds are hooked on class A drugs. Drug paraphernalia and used condoms are often left on the floor in public places. 

“Personally, I think having a zone dedicated to selling sex is disgusting. UK law says prostitution itself, or the exchange of sexual services for money, is legal. But soliciting in public, kerb crawling, running a brothel, and pimping are not. Maybe we should take the acceptance of prostitution in stages, like British law has done, instead of shoving the whole thing down our throats by rushing to provide a zone!” 

The fact remains that no matter how disgusted we are by the idea of legalising prostitutions, prostitutes will be around till the end of time finding patronage in men whose wives are often disgusted by anything outside the missionary position! Let’s face it, a lot of men are sexual predators who would give anything to act out their sexual fantasies – prostitutes are means of making their dreams come true legally or otherwise!   

How To Know You’ve Nabbed The Right Man! 

According to Dr. Holmes, a senior psychologist specializing in human relationships at Manchester Metropolitan University, you can often tell who’s right for you. As he puts it: “There are basically five ‘party man’ personalities and, if you know what to look for, they’re easy to spot. Men tend to over perform in the presence of others especially at a party, when their personalities become exaggerated. These guys think their character is what attracts the women, and so they’re not going to tone down their approach”. In short, once you know what to look for, just a few minutes of careful observation and a quick chat will reveal exactly what he wants out of a date and thereby ensure you get Mr. Absolutely Right.   

Mr. One Night Wonder: “I use my body language and my eyes a lot when I’m at a party”, says Scott, a 26 year old trainee pilot. “I also try to touch the girl as much as possible to break the ice and relax the situation. For instance, I might place a hand on her lower back when I guide her to the bar or table. I use lines such as “I love the perfume you’re wearing – you’d better not get too close, you’re driving me wild”. A slow gentle sniff around the neck can lead to a gentle peck on the cheek. 

“One night stands are always exhilarating. In fact, the last one I had was about a week ago. I was with a girl I work with. We went for a drink and she told me her flat mate was out and that we could have the flat to ourselves. She made it clear she was looking for fun. We went back to her flat and had sex. I always make sure it’s safe sex, by the way. There was a bit of tension in the air the next time we worked together, but that adds to the excitement. I love the thrill of the chase. When I was 19, I met a girl in college. Our relationship lasted throughout our course. But back in Lagos, commuting between two states eventually took its toll and she ended the relationship. I took the break up quite hard and it became a watershed in the way I behave. These days, I make sure relationships are short and very sweet. That way, I don’t get hurt and have a lot of fun. 

“Not long ago, I was at a friend’s party and this girl kept looking at me. I could tell she was interested by the way her eyes followed my every word. I didn’t encourage her at all, but she just stayed on until the early hours. It was pretty obvious she was up for more than just a friendly chat, so a few hours later, after a lot of flirting I thought, “What the hell”, and booked us a motel room. 

“We parted the next morning when I had to rush to work after over- sleeping. She was a stunning girl but there was no question – that was it for me. The next day, she turned up with her number and a present. I’ve never called her back and I never will. Being Mr. One Night Stand means I can be anyone I want to be for a few hours. It is extremely sexy and very exciting.” 

How to spot him: He’s an odd blend of intimacy without commitment. He seems totally alluring and irresistible but beware whatever he tells you over a few drinks, his interest is only short term. You might bump into him hanging on to the end of the bar trying to find his friends, or wandering aimlessly around a club having come from nowhere and heading nowhere. He’ll appear to have all the time in the world for you, yet will ask you your name more than five times in one evening. He avoids any questions that might reveal his whereabouts over the next two weeks.