General Info

[Soapy Smith]

Of course, if you had "kicked her to the kerb" after her previous visit, and told her not to come back, then you would have been grateful to security for keeping her out. Alternatively, in this scenario, if security had let her in without calling you, then you would also have been angry with them.

Yes, and perhaps I have been lucky or taken much for granted, because I have never had security, in a condo building or a hotel in Manila, let anybody up to my room without checking with me. In this case, every indication was that she was my partner, not a one time shag, and "unfettered access" was implied in the way we initially arrived together and our ID information was entered in their log. There may of course be times when even a partner gets kicked to the curb and it becomes incumbent on us to tell security to block their re-entry.

[WestCoast1]

And on the subject of airbnb, recently there was a news story of a young couple who rented a condo, and while there they discovered hidden spy cams (in the bedroom) installed by the owner. The owner has been banned by airbnb, but the damage is done, including airbnb's reputation (never very good to begin with, as like Uber and other third-party intermediary companies they like to take little responsibility for problems that arise).

[AussieGaigin]

To my mind, the fail-safe system is for security to always call you to check if you are expecting X, Y or Z. I have a masseuse who comes to my condo on call at least once each week. Same woman each time.

Security still always calls me up and asks if I have ordered massage.

I prefer it that way. I never have unexpected knocks on my door. JMHO.

That was my first reaction to the comment as well. Without knowing the full circumstances of your relationship or your building security, I would not be too impressed with the girl having unfettered access to the building without some pre-check. Perhaps there is the option to contact the security guy in advance, tell him you are expecting Ms X and that it is OK to let her in?

[Red Kilt]

< SNIP >
I do have a problem with abuses of power.

Soapy. I think your additional narrative about what went down in your condo does, in fact, point to such an abuse of power, since this security guy in your case was clearly just being an asshole.

Of course, if you had "kicked her to the kerb" after her previous visit, and told her not to come back, then you would have been grateful to security for keeping her out. Alternatively, in this scenario, if security had let her in without calling you, then you would also have been angry with them.

To my mind, the fail-safe system is for security to always call you to check if you are expecting X, Y or Z. I have a masseuse who comes to my condo on call at least once each week. Same woman each time.

Security still always calls me up and asks if I have ordered massage.

I prefer it that way. I never have unexpected knocks on my door. JMHO.

[CallSign Papa]

Correct RK. In the condo buildings I stay in, in Rockwell (Edades / Joya / Manansala) key package is left with Security

Checked with my Rockwell contact. They now DON'T allow Airbnb in Rockwell (effective a few weeks ago).

[Soapy Smith]

With all due respect Sir Soapy, I live in a condo with very "strict" entry rules and I am forever grateful for it.

"Sir Soapy"? You do realize I live in a country where all that knighting stuff went out in the late 18th Century? Trust me, I will never qualify. And I presume you understand that "with all due respect" usually implies anything but.

I appreciate how this situation looks from your perspective, and I don't disagree that tight security is justified. But the one instance I referenced was not justified.

As I pointed out, she had been in and out a dozen times. She had shown her ID numerous times previously, including to this same security guard, and sometimes when I accompanied her. The first time we entered they required us to show IDs, and they entered our names and ID information in a log maintained at the security desk. That made sense to me.

This particular time the guard stopped her when she came in, wouldn't let her in when she showed ID, even after she referred him to the log entries from when we first arrived. I was up in the condo, so she phoned me. She reminded me that the same guy had let her in a time or two earlier when I was with her. She was standing by the security desk as she talked, so he presumably heard what she said.

When I got out of the elevator I suspect I looked angry. I was. When I approached, he raised his hands with his palms turned toward me and said, "no problem, sir, no problem. " I never spoke a word, so he knew he was in the wrong.

A case of mistaken identity? I don't think so, especially since he refused even to check the log where her ID information had already been filed. Since he had seen her with me previously, I have wondered whether this was his revenge toward a petite younger Filipina shacked up with an ugly old yank.

This really was an exception to the rule. I have found condo security guards to be courteous and helpful, and usually by the book. I once arrived at another condo building where the owner had not informed security of my arrival. Fortunately this was at 2 pm rather than midnight. The guard made a number of calls, eventually got hold of the owner, and then found a caretaker somewhere in the building to let me in. I don't have a problem with owners like yourself protecting your property, nor with security guards enforcing strict practices. I do have a problem with abuses of power.

[CallSign Papa]

I would presume that if someone is advertising a property on Air BnB in a condo then the administration have probably approved it and it is allowed. It's not the case in my property.

Correct RK. In the condo buildings I stay in, in Rockwell (Edades / Joya / Manansala) key package is left with Security and I register there when I arrive. From then on out I'm never questioned by Security and neither are the guests who walk in with me, only those who arrive alone. As it should be.

[Red Kilt]

Security's intrusion varies a lot from place to place. It pays to do your homework by looking for clues in the AirBnB posting. Sometimes you can tell what the building looks like or even find an address, then go to GoogleEarth and zoom in to get a view of the building from the side. Big buildings with lots of units often have such a flow of people that security can't keep track of everybody. On the other hand, I stayed in a medium-sized building on Pablo Ocampo, across from the baseball stadium, and a couple of the security guards were a major pain in the ass.

The company that owned it had Christ in the name and tried to live up to their name. Five convenience stores on the first floor, and none of them were allowed to sell alcohol. Condoms on clear display by the cash register, but no alcohol. I ponted out the hypocrisy to cashiers and these poor women just smiled and shrugged their shoulders. But a couple of the security guards actively challenged people to show ID if they didn't recognize them. Once they even challenged my squeeze, who at that point had been in and out a dozen times. But this is the exception.

With all due respect Sir Soapy, I live in a condo with very "strict" entry rules and I am forever grateful for it.

No matter who comes to visit me (family and friends), I get a call from the lobby on the in-house phone before anyone can come to my unit, even if I have advised them that I am expecting guests, and the same holds for other units. The security is very clever at recognizing regulars and transients. There is CCTV on every floor.

Our condo rules prevent sub-letting of units unless the new tenant goes through a registration process with the condo admin. If they are not duly recognized as a registered or approved guest at entry, they don't get in.

This is gratifying to me. It prevents random people roaming around my secure home passageways.

As you so correctly state, "Security's intrusion varies a lot from place to place". For me, in my condo, I welcome the intrusion, as I am an owner with a considerable investment tied up in keeping the standards in my residence high. As a result, our resale value and reputation for security is high.

If anyone is renting a place for a short-time and is pissed off at the security vetting the comings and goings, spare a thought for those who live there permanently and who pay (in their association monthly dues), for this vetting to be as intrusive as possible.

I have used Air BnB in many places around the world and I like it. I am not anti Air BnB, just as long as it's not in my property.

I would presume that if someone is advertising a property on Air BnB in a condo then the administration have probably approved it and it is allowed. It's not the case in my property.

[Dg8787]

Milton Friedman.

Cheap Charlie Milton made up that theory because he didn't want to pay more. He should have known that the law of supply and demand would prevail in an unrestricted market with no correlation to minimum wage.

[Soapy Smith]

Can someone tell me who was the financial analyst that try to tie the correlation of a day's minimum wages to the price of a fxck?

Milton Friedman.

[Soapy Smith]

Indeed but paying $10 for a few hours work feels awfully cheap to me.

To me, too, but at that pay seems like there should be a very large supply of potential cleaning ladies.

Dg, it is about supply and demand. The supply of young women willing to sell their bodies is a function of other available jobs that pay as well. There are few well-paying jobs under reasonable work conditions available for uneducated Filipinas, thus there is a solid supply of willing women for p4p in countries where daily wages are low. In the immediate marketplace of exchange that takes place face-to-face between mongers and freelancers or bargirls, it is as simple as supply and demand of women and mongers. But the supply of women available as freelancers or bargirls is a function of alternative forms of employment.

For several decades the operating model for NGOs that focus on human traff__g was to go after the bad guys, the traff___ers, and send the rescued women back home, under the ignorant assumption that they really want to go back to living in poverty. In recent years a few of them have wised up and figured out that it's the unavailability of alternative employent that pays a living wage that makes the women susceptible to traff___ing in the first place. They now recognize it's about poverty, and that even if you take some bad guys out of circulation, the market will bring in others to take their place at the blink of an eye--and the women will often return to their prior positions in the trade. A few NGOs have even gone so far as to change their tune about s-x wor-ers, now almost romanticizing the free will of women to work in the trade, referring to them as entrepreneurs, and pushing instead to protect their rights against governments that prosecute them and let mongers skate--and try to create laws to protect them from abuse from their handlers.

[Dg8787]

Can someone tell me who was the financial analyst that try to tie the correlation of a day's minimum wages to the price of a fxck? I have seen this illogical nonsense on other boards too. Price is more tied to supply and demand in that market place and conditions with willing buyers and willing sellers.

[CallSign Papa]

BTW, 500 pesos for two hours work is cheap by your standards, but a lot for average Filipinas. Clerks in department stores and even some waitresses get 300 or less for an entire day.

Indeed but paying $10 for a few hours work feels awfully cheap to me.

[NewImage]

I was planning on visiting the Philippines next year and was wondering if anybody can recomend a good city to stay.

My goal is of course mongering and diving. I'm really looking for a good Diving spot I hope somebody in this forum knows some good spots.

Sabang = good accomodation, quiet, everything in walking distance, good food, very good diving and cheap compared to Aust, about 7 bars. One bar Quantum. About 20/30 girls in school uniform 3000 perso total. Have I convinced you yet.

If you need more PM me.

[Franga]

I was planning on visiting the Philippines next year and was wondering if anybody can recomend a good city to stay.

My goal is of course mongering and diving. I'm really looking for a good Diving spot I hope somebody in this forum knows some good spots.

I would say the best diving spots would be El Nido, Coron (wrecks), Puerto Galera, Malapascua. Research those. They are not cities, but just small towns.