Day One: Yuma, AZ

I just had to stop in Yuma and see for myself. Word had reached me months ago that the Bargain Box was gone -- destroyed in a fire of 'suspicious' origin. As I pulled off I-8 for the 16th Street exit I noticed the big billboard advertising the local Burger King as the largest Burger King in Arizona. With the destruction of Bargain Box, this seems to be about the only claim to fame for this minor border town. I rather doubt I'll be frequenting Burger King in Yuma.

So here I sit in my car in the parking lot and I can confirm for all those who needed to know: the Bargain Box is gone. All that remains is an empty space in this otherwise normal shopping center complex, signs of charred walls, and the chain link fence that prevents me from walking through the once cruisy hallways of the Bargain Box. It seemed like people should have started one of those spontaneous memorials like they did for John John and Princess Di. A memorial could have been made of used condoms, tokens, and empty popper bottles.

Why such a big deal about Bargain Box? This small store in the middle of nowhere with elderly owners and equally old video equipment. Because it represented a fast disappearing breed: small, family owned adult bookstores that treated their customers like they should be treated -- like customers. You know, the kind you hope will return someday. An attitude almost gone in most adult bookstores that treat customers as nuisances or worse. You could always count on a pleasant greeting from the people behind the counter. You could help yourself to coffee and donuts, sit down in one of the chairs in the commons area and read a free copy of the Wall Street Journal, or walk out back and take advantage of the outdoor tables to take a break after a long time spent behind the wheel of your 18 wheeler or car.

And then there was the sex. I don't think I ever left this store without getting off. I suspect one could have hung out for hours without being yelled at to drop tokens or get out, but that was never necessary. I seemed to always end up sucking on some hot local: a ditch digger, Marine, or horny recent graduate from high school.

The Bargain Box served a very important purpose in this town and it will be missed. Maybe all the locals don't realize this or even if some did, they would never acknowledge it, but it did.

Goodbye Bargain Box. Goodbye to owners whose names I never learned. Goodbye to Yuma, one more town not worth a stopover anymore.


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Cruisemaster
cruisingforsex.com