That's pretty much what I thought; thanks, guys.
May I "dumb it down" for those who want a "just the facts, ma'am" type of answer?
No actual crime is committed by sharing a booth -- simply two people standing next to each other. Sexual activity would have to be proved OR a local ordinance would have to be in place which would consequently make it illegal to share a booth.
Logic would tell me that local ordinances against two people sharing a video booth -- however archaic and obscurely worded -- would almost certainly (ALMOST) not be much of a consideration. The very fact that a video store EXISTS would seem to indicate that it only does so at the will of the community. If ordinances existed which prohibited behaviors within the business that are NOT illegal in and of themselves -- odds are good these ordinances would be regularly enforced or the store would be closed down in due time.
YES, some stores pop up and there's controversy in a community. That just happened here in WNY in a suburb a few months ago -- and the place wasn't even a cruise spot -- just sex toys that offended a rural community.
You could be a very unlucky cruiser and hit a newer establishment that has squeaked by the rules of the community only to find that someone has found an ancient law which puts the store in violation of SOMETHING or other -- and you just happen to be inside cruising when the whole damn place is busted. But really... figure the odds.
The bottom line on ABSs, at least to my way of thinking and also as it appears the majority of the community has already determined as evidenced by message board postings, casual conversations between cruisers, and info in the CFS Sex Listings is:
Anywhere you cruise you take a risk. Yet some places are "safer" than others, at least as far as the long arm of the law is concerned. You are more likely to get caught OUTSIDE -- and it is FAR easier to prove misconduct when you are witnessed by a cop in the act. Bookstores and bathhouses are generally considered much safer and there are fewer reports of busts at these places, most especially bathhouses. Yet busts at bookstores DO happen.
Just use your common sense. The SIGNS in the bookstores are generally all the same and pretty much mean nothing unless the store staff elects to enforce them. Many stores DO enforce them -- which puzzles cruisers as to the existence of the store in the first place! Most cruisers STOP patronizing these places once they figure out that all they will get there is forty-five seconds of a bad porno flick for each token they deposit. A few gents will stop in, masturbate and leave, but... the video booths won't be a source of revenue for the store. The signs are perfunctory -- they state the STORE'S compliance with local laws -- but they serve no real function. Any store can get shut down -- doesn't matter WHAT sign they display. We seem to think these days that just because there is a disclaimer poster that all is well -- and we also seem to think that there MUST be a disclaimer for EVERYTHING.
This is where that good, old fashioned common sense comes in.
Observe the place you are in and the behavior of others. If men do NOT hook up, if clerks hassle the patrons, if it "feels" wrong -- be extra cautious.
I was in a place a few weeks ago and walked out of a booth with another dude after we had both tried (at least a little bit) to be halfway quiet about the fun we were having. As the door swung open, there was a guy standing up, leaning against another booth, getting sucked by a complete NAKED guy while a girl stood nearby and provided a running commentary. Another dude was standing there watching, jerking off. MY buddy remarked to me: "Tell me again WHY we were trying to be quiet?"
The point is -- when you see blatant sex going on all around you, odds are good a particular store is well-known for that and thusly it has a good reputation for being left alone. Yet understand that ANYTHING can happen at ANY time. If you are unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, at the exact moment a community decides to take action against an established business because some old fuck has found an old blue law on the books that he wants to use to go on the attack... well, sucks to be you!
And, of course, for the record... BMG's right. I was "officially" charged with trespassing in a public park after hours. A bullshit charge if there ever was one. But the cops KNEW I was a fag because I was a dumb kid about twelve years ago and I TOLD them as much. They'd never have bothered to bust a straight dude or straight woman for mistakenly wandering into a park after 10 PM. But a queer guy? Of course they're going to bust me. They had set up a sting that night to catch people having sex in the park and they got NOTHING out of it -- except me. The resources of about twelve cops who were on the scene surely could NOT be wasted. They needed to come back to Central Booking with SOMEONE.
NEVER say ANYTHING. Give your name and address and that's IT. Repeat the phrase: "I want to speak to my attorney," over and over. Admit nothing. If immediately arraigned, plead not guilty.
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