Repost from Craigs List:

A few days ago someone posted information about Erotic City undergoing a lawsuit and also possibly closing down. So I did some calls around within the City and County Goverment. I found out the following information: Erotic City is currrently in a liablity suit (Civil RICO) with the family of the teens that were prostituted out there in early 2007. The family is expected to have its damages hearing (They alredy won the civil suit) and the case is actually being heard where the children were abducted in early January. This places Erotic City in court in the Southern District of Florida. Erotic City's liability insurance carrier dropped them as of September 1st ,2007 and will still be held for the claim when the family's damages are assessed by the Federal court. Once it exceeds the 250K that the policy covers Erotic City will then be subjected to turn over its assets to the family, this includes the real estate. Unless they can appeal and actually win the appeal. Not likely. They family plans demolition once the asset is awarded to them in the damages portion of the trial. This information I learned from the County task force on Vice. Also, the Jackson County Health department did indeed find MRSA on the premises after one man contracted it from their video arcade. Erotic City was forced to use an independant contractor to clean the establishment before it could reopen it to the public. They are the ones that closed all the gloryholes. The real question arised when I spoke with City Goverment. Since Erotic City is currently in an unincorporated portion of Jackson County there is no jurisdiction for the KCPD to perform any type of inspection, raids etc. However, I was informed that there is a bill for annexation by the City of Independance IF AND ONLY IF Erotic City is closed. The petition that was circulated by the residential community in the unincorporated zone immediately surrounding Erotic City was signed by all residences that rent or own homes there to force the City of Independance to make Erotic City re-apply for its current business license with the city once annexation is completed. Independance as you know will never approve it and there are no grandfather clauses in the City of Indepenances charter. So my friends? Its sad but it looks like the institution of Erotic City's days are very numbered. Sorry to say it. But you can call the County, City Vice, County Health Department and also look up the case in the Federal Court District of Southern Florida yourself if you have LExus./ Nexus. Its all true. It angers me because now where will these people go? Parks , Restrooms, restareas? I dont know. But at least there it was in a concentrated area where it was doing no one any harm.

I wonder how the strand gets by being in kc, and if ec closes, will finely have to check out hydes

You did a good job on that post, nada1.
Maybe you'd like to make an educated guess at these questions:

1. Why do some Missouri venues experience harassment, while other thrive in relative peace?
(Not to imply that the problems exists only in Missouri; it is a problem the whole world over!)

2. What would it take to establish a venue where one could attend without fear?

You think a large, clean restroom that charges 5 or 10 dollars to enter would be the answer? If it also requires membership?

Do places like Club St Louis experience this harassment? If not, why do you think they don't?
If they don't, why aren't all bookstores operated along this line or why aren't there more baths?

Do straight venues that have no prostitution experience police harassment?

It seems you are against closing and harassment, so what changes would you (and others) like to see?

Let's start off with CLEAN and with a friendly staff.

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> 1. Why do some Missouri venues experience harassment, while other thrive
> in relative peace?
> (Not to imply that the problems exists only in Missouri; it is a problem
> the whole world over!)

It's all about the atention they bring upon themselves....in the last 5
years, erotic city has had 2 shootings,
and now the guilty verdict on the underage prostituion going on there. You can only push the headlines so far
before you are no longer off the radar....
>
> 2. What would it take to establish a venue where one could attend without
> fear?

MONEY, such as the megaplex between KC and St. Louis, with good outside
serurity, none of the back door stuff
like at EC where anyone could just walk in
>
> You think a large, clean restroom that charges 5 or 10 dollars to enter
> would be the answer? If it also requires membership?

Never happen, way to public and a license would never be approved, thats why EC is inside no city limits, 20 years ago, I remember KC had 9-10 bookstores.....gloryholes everywhere and no problems....times change, just look at Liberty Memorial park
>
> Do places like Club St Louis experience this harassment? If not, why do
> you think they don't?
> If they don't, why aren't all bookstores operated along this line or why
> aren't there more baths?

Bath's are just about impossible anymore with all of the new health
standards, to run one by the laws, it would cost a ton of money with all the water exchanges and new steam room standards...nobody ever went there for the baths, but they still need to look like they do.....
>
> Do straight venues that have no prostitution experience police harassment?

I worked as a bouncer in a titty bar for years...there is really (in KC) no
harassment unless the business brings attention to themselves...then the police MUST do something or the community will be up in arms, such as with ec....Strand has security at times
outside walking around, and you need to pay before you enter, so they somewhat self police, they get left alone...
>
> It seems you are against closing and harassment, so what changes would you
> (and others) like to see?

The place must be CLEAN above anything....EC use to do booth's mop downs every hour with lysol
7-10 years ago...always smelled clean....No Back door....Pay a small fee to enter, when you are still outside,
like a ticket booth, allow NO standing in the halls, these places need to
make money, have closeable glory holes so if someone is shy and just wants to jerk off they can do so without
getting bothered, many police
complaints from from this alone...I could go one and on...you get the idea...
>
> Let's start off with CLEAN and with a friendly staff.
>

I sure can't speak for the KC side, but to my knowledge, the ones in Jefferson County have NOT brought any attention to themselves, nor has any attention been brought to them, except when the cops harass and arrest people.
So, that one does little to explain why some areas have harassment and some have little or none.

I think the key is money, but not for the building or staff, but for "pay off" money.

A Question: A restroom needs a license?
The question was half jest.

I don't know what the Megaplex is or where it is.

Are you saying the Club St Louis baths are no longer in operation? Or were you saying it just costs a ton of money to operate one?

So, according to what you're saying, the key to having a bookstore/theater where you won't get arrested is a SECURITY STAFF?

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yep...if you charge a fee for anything in KC, you need a license

As for Jefferson County, you never really know for sure, unless you are there 24/7 what type problems they are having with the police, just because it's not in the paper, like ec, dosen't mean they havent had people phone in complaints on them, such as being hit on in the hallway, groped, etc. I have alot of friends in KC that are police, and they really dont hang around the adult areas unless they get called there

As to the baths, yep, cost a ton of money, profit margin is very small so very hard to find an investor unless you own it outright

You got it, security and pay the money..owners tend not to bitch when they look in the back and the booth lights are on, police come around adult areas like book stores and bars much less when they have good security, as people tend to complain to security and not the police, plus with good security outside, you have no kids hanging round, no trash all over the parking lot, no car cruising (this is, after all a business) ie: happy neighbors

I'd still like to know why a paid membership in a private club isn't enough to keep the cops away.

And you are sooooo right, "Where will these people go" once a place is closed or people not allowed to plat inside. Some of these people know nothing else exists because they are married and highly closeted.

Legal minds still need to find a way to simply make a legal place to play. But, that's the state of America, I guess!

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