identity]. I say, I told you over the telephone, and now that you’ve had your fun you say
you didn’t know? I don’t dare argue, and if they really won’t pay I just make them leave.
If they get offended and report you, it’s just not worth it.”144
Yimeina in Shanghai feels working in a group provides a measure of protection in the
park: “The worst that can happen is that they find you out and refuse to pay. Because
the other girls are there, when something happens they all come over, and the client
doesn’t dare go too far. We usually work in a group of four or five.”145
Some sex workers choose to make their identity known from the outset in order to
avoid this kind of trouble. Tian Yuyao, 29, has been engaged in sex work for one year: “I
usually tell the client to avoid problems if my game is given away. It’s not worth it.”146
Xiao Hua decides whether or not to tell the client depending on the circumstances: “I’ll
look at the situation, and while we’re chatting I’ll observe whether the guy is a regular
and has experience. If he’s a regular, I tell him I’m TS, but if he’s not a regular, I don’t tell
him.”147
Because sex work is illegal in China, sex workers are at a great disadvantage in their
encounters with clients. Interviewees reported clients refusing to pay148 or even robbing
them.149 Mingming spoke of a client who impersonated a police officer:
“Once I went to a very small hotel when the client said he’d pay for the night.
After we went there and opened the door, two people came out, and one flashed
a badge at me. I thought he was a cop. They loudly asked me, Do you know why
we brought you here? I said I didn’t know and got a hard slap in the face. They
asked me again, Do you know why we brought you here? I thought they were
cops, so I said I came to do massage and nothing else. After that they tied me
up with ropes and then began going through my handbag, and they took my
wallet, cell phone, MP3 player and watch. I wondered why they were taking my
stuff – were they looking for evidence? Then he went through my cell phone and
asked, do you know this guy, do you know that guy? He also made a telephone
call and said, I’m here, bring a car over. I thought the cops were going to take
me away. A little while later, they took my stuff and left, and then I understood
144 Interview with Binbin, Beijing, April 12, 2014.
145 Interview with Yimeina, Shanghai, April 29, 2014.
146 Interview with Tian Yuyao, Beijing, April 12, 2014.
147 Interview with Xiao Hua, Beijing, April 15, 2014.
148 Interview with Tingting, Beijing, April 29, 2014.
149 Interview with Xiao Jiao, Beijing, June 1, 2014.
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