Busts (NOT the good kind)
[QUOTE=Steamer33]One of my new "housemates" just took a call and tells me that 300 PRC WGs were lifted by LE last night (Wednesday).[/quote]These numbers are USUALLY off by an order of magnitude, but certainly 'more than the usual number' being picked up, so divide by 3 (worked before :)).
[QUOTE=Steamer33]Her theory - too many WGs in Dubai now, spilling out of known haunts into previously non-WG bars, hence LE crackdown.[/quote]That, plus a lot of negative publicity in foreign press about UAE being lenient on [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord908][CodeWord908][/url]. Think they got a negative review in some US report - therefore, must be George Bush's fault. :)
[QUOTE=Steamer33]She is a bit of a veteran here and has seen clampdowns before, but the big difference this time is that LE are not just raiding bars. What is new is that they are sweeping apartment blocks, taking girls off the street when they are on their own and even pulling over taxis with WG and punter inside - both get carted away.[/quote]My experience, the breadth of this sweep is different. But certainly THE way to generate publicity... But I just have to laugh a bit - if a reporter REALLY was a reporter, you'd think he'd ask, "Did this just spring up NOW, or, if not, why was it tolerated before?"
[QUOTE=Barcrawler]As for the girls, let’s hope that the courts follow the previous procedures and deport without filing charges.[/QUOTE]Maybe if she was picked up in a "living quarters" bust, no clients around. But if she was unfortunate enough to be caught during a bust of a "working" house, or "entertaining" at home, with even 1 customer around... Even if she was not the one doing the "entertaining", guilt by association, so a prostitution charge. As you say, this one's all about PUBLICITY, and court cases will generate that (those quiet deportations don't have the flair).
And will a house "boss" - the benign type, there to maintain order: set meal times, quiet hours, collect rent, make sure the place stays clean, settle disagreements, etc. be found guilty with a life sentence?
I think the whole purpose is to generate favorable publicity, that [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord908][CodeWord908][/url] is NOT tolerated here. Of course, if they really wanted to prove that, it'd be the sponsors that would be rounded up.
[QUOTE=Steamer33]All PRC WGs I know have now abandoned their Lamcy apartments - for good.[/quote]Like the closure of the Cyclone, another "end of an era". But certainly "dispersal" is good.
[QUOTE=Steamer33]All the girls that I know thankfully are safe, but more by luck than judgement.
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One of my GF's friends did go to work at Hyatt Regency last night and made a killing as hardly anyone else was out. She reckoned she made Dh5,000 on the night. But she was taking a huge risk. Definitely a seller's market now, if you can find a seller and stay safe.
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If anyone is venturing out to any of the usual haunts tonight, then be careful and let us have some feedback on if the situation is as bad as I keep hearing.[/quote]
[QUOTE=Barcrawler]In the spirit of the current (probably healthy) paranoia I will not say where, but I was out and about last night saw no appreciable decline in numbers of WGs in the bars and I am happy to say a lot of familiar faces are still around.[/QUOTE]I was out with BC on Thursday, and, to me, it was business as usual. You would never know anything had happened. A number of attractive ones around, but maybe that was MY relief at just seeing they were still here. There were 5 or 6 I could easily have pulled, with 2 more either true gf's or on "dates" that, if "unallocated", I would certainly be interested in. Settled on an old fav...
Girls certainly have been detained, but given the vast numbers here, I did not personally know any that were. Obviously others not so fortunate. Out of 12, 2 failed to answer - 1 I will query again, and 1 whose phone still works, just answered by a fellow compatriot (haven't seen her in quite awhile, so she could very well have gone home earlier).
[QUOTE=Steamer33]If LE were intending on putting the frighteners on the girls, they have certainly succeeded this time. Many are thinking of going back to China until after Chinese new year (Feb 7, 2008).[/QUOTE]Like I posted, 1 left last week, and certainly others are thinking about 'sooner rather than later', if nothing else but to avoid the holiday rush.
On the other hand, with tales of 5000/night, an incentive to get out there and try for such... Few and far between, I'm thinking (I paid my normal 700, that because I like her).
[QUOTE=Krypto Knight]Speaking of being careful...watch what you say on the phone. I've heard they have the system here (forget what it's called) where they can listen for certain "code words" to be said and it triggers a recorder that records the rest of your call. ...
After 65 arrests I wouldn't talk completely freely, if nothing else for the girls sake.[/QUOTE]Certainly agree with the last, but the former might be a stretch (of course, my phone conversations are along the titillating "are you busy tonight?").
I worry more about the following:[list][*]Extract the info from the detained girl's mobile: address book, recent history of incoming and outgoing calls. Put all in a database.[*]Repeat for every detained girl.[*]Mine said database, looking for "frequent" numbers.[*]Find out who owns those frequent numbers, who they are, where they are...[/list]That's if they wanted to get SERIOUS.
[b]SUMMARY[/b]
[QUOTE=Chanticleer]Any idea how long this is going to last and exactly how it will effect the market (supply and demand being what they are)?[/QUOTE]No idea how long - depends on when the NEXT unfavorable [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord908][CodeWord908][/url] report comes out.
As to supply/demand: toss up. Certainly less supply, but given the total numbers, not as bad as it appears. The biggest effect could be girls laying low for awhile, off the radar. Given that, they're eager for some "company" from known clients, so would offset the lesser supply.
You will also note there have been no reports of hotel rooms being raided...
MY take: like Ramadan. Wouldn't plan a trip here RIGHT now, but if I was coming anyway, I'd not divert. Certainly my style (weekends) have not been crimped, and a buddy just in town had no trouble finding company...