The street. And if men are trolling the streets at night, the nightwalkers will be there to oblige them. Colman Byfield Writer "Erotic massage" or "body rub" parlours, known more commonly by both frequenters and detractors as "rub-and-tugs," have been a recent subject of debate in Edmonton. In January, city council enacted new bylaws intended to protect sex-parlour workers. The new laws instituted mandatory workers' rights education and safety training, and controversially, allowed massage parlours to remain open 24 hours a day.
Last week, council announced it was restoring the previous operating restriction of 7 am to 11 pm. The reversal came after the sustained opposition from the Edmonton Police Service Vice Section and lobbying from anti-exploitation groups.
The main trouble with this flip flop was illustrated nicely, if crudely, by a friend's Facebook status late Thursday night. Unfortunately, normal workday responsibilities, dinner with the wife and kids, and enjoying a balanced breakfast all tend to interfere with buying sex. If johns are no longer afforded relatively safe public establishments in which to indulge themselves indoors, they will naturally turn out of doors.
One parlour owner, Star Murphy, told the Edmonton Journal she supported the operation restriction. Safety was one of her concerns. A lot of these places are often staffed with women only. How about, like any nightclub, mandatory security workers after 11 pm?
There has never been a shortage of meat-headed doormen in this city. Yet, if an owner like Murphy doesn't want to keep her doors open all night, no one is forcing her to. Other owners have spoken out against the restriction.
