New to the scene
 

Extremely curious and new to this scene. On the down low. Been to one arcade. It was pretty cool. I'm concerned about undercover police being in those places and how embarrassing that would be.

Also, the safety issue - seems like a lot of reviewers and people talk about unprotected fun - is that the norm? I would probably put a condom on - would people make fun of me? And i'm assuming non-lubricated as that would taste terrible...

Any guidance for the newbie?

Arcades seem to me to be less popular now days. It seems most of the traffic is online. Yes undercover police will always be cruising. Do not interact with anyone you are not sure of. Unprotected is always a matter of personal choice.

I'm not one who really frequents arcades, preferring other venues, but as the Editor of the Sex Listings Reviews I can say that very few of the ABS have undercover operations reported. They seem more likely to have overt raids, such as this one in Indiana which seems infamous for raids.

From our Heads Up page which includes known places with arrests, undercover operations are much more common at public places: parks, public toilets, rest areas, sometimes shopping centers or stores.

About condoms, I am 55 years old. Only one time in my life did I feel remotely criticized for wanting a condom, although that was back in the mid-1990s before PrEP. At that time I was both fascinated by but afraid of barebacking. I was at what was called a "j/o party," but of course guys were fucking.

A guy wanted to fuck me and I said we needed a condom. He said, more or less, OK if you have one but I didn't and none were in that room. Later in another room I overheard a conversation between two other guys where one said, "Did you hear that someone wanted a condom?" I realized that was me, felt a little embarrassed, but didn't really care.

Essentially, I educate myself with the best information I can get, then make my own choices on how to handle risks. That applies to HIV, other STDs, or even driving on a crowded freeway or evacuating for a hurricane.

I won't tell you what to do nor shame you for your choices. I wll encourage you to learn as much as you can, as you go along, and make the choices you and you alone feel are right.

As a newbie, welcome! I'm glad you asked your question and hope you keep asking and coming back.

~ Bob S.

I suck cock without a condom, but usually make him strap on one if he's gonna fuck me. I've done it a couple times bareback. Still neg. I did suck my first cock with a condom on. You can (and should) use lubricated condoms! Going in (or taking it in) dry will hurt! Carry a flavored one. My top condoms are Durex, Lifestyles and Crown (in the blue wrapper). Don't use Trojan cause they break!

As far as NSA.....ricki4678 is right! Arcades/Bookstores are dying out sorta. The adult theater I always frequented turned their theater into a mini stripclub to combat cruising! But, there's always the truckstop next door lol.

Online is okay, but a lot of inexperienced guys who end up flaking or pretending tend to lurk online so be careful. Craigslist would be a good option, but, even then its a waste of time. The NSA m4m scene is sorta dying out and being replaced by "long-term relationships" with barely legal teen boys who don't know what sex is yet, or married guys living out a fantasy. So do some trial and error if you go this route.

For the poh-poh, undercovers usually do raids. They can't solicit you cause they'll be guilty, and you're not a prostitute, so there's goes the case against you (sorta). They would usually pick out a time during heavy traffic and go in. My best hookups were in late-late nights!