The hobby is alive and well . .. . . . in Florida

[berryberry]

Originally Posted by PghBill0131

I’m going to Florida for my first trip alone. I can’t wait.

Have fun !!! You will enjoy it, particularly in the right cities. The hobby in Florida is a breath of fresh air compared to Pittsburgh

[MorganOBM]

Originally Posted by berryberry

Sure we have reviews. But you have the same chance to see that guys here review other girls and if they are active in the hobby. You can easily determine from most guys posts and review history of other providers that they are legit and not LE. Plus we all know there are sites where providers have shared info on clients. Maybe you personally never used them but let's not pretend they don't exist.

And you say if a girl is a thief it is found out immediately. But the same would hold true if a guy is a thief or risk - providers have posted that type of info. But again, there is always a risk - you will never eliminate it. Just because someone hasn't ripped someone off before doesn't mean they will rip off their next client or provider. We have seen that happen with very well respected providers

As to "having all the power" - what I said is "When both parties understand share the risk, things are more balanced than when one person holds all the cards (like personal information) on another." A guy who shares his real life info is at a much greater risk of being blackmailed. But that risk is lessoned if both parties have something to lose - so if you want a guy's RL info, then the guy should get your RL info. It is only fair and helps reduce the blackmail risk. And yes, a guy could use a providers RL info to check your criminal history - just as you say you check theirs. Why should the safety you claim only be one way? And no, guys do not generally know all of a provider's criminal history. There are rules on what info can be shared on the board

Again, to me it is 100% hypocritical to say you need a guys RL info yet you refuse to provide the same to him. Both of you are taking the same amount of risk. Perhaps different risks for each but the same amount.

And FWIW, personally I would not give anyone my RL info and thus would not ask you for yours - anonymity is what has always made the hobby work. If my board presence and long history of reviews with zero issues is not good enough for you to determine I am ok to see (the same exact criteria you say guys should rely on) - then I find someone else who is fine with that.

And that brings me back to my original post - and why Florida is an awesome place to hobby because those girls down there get it. No silly hoops etc. to jump through to have fun

Your board info is a form of screening. Are you saying there is a tight enough community down there that you are seeing ladies that know you well through a board handle? That isn’t bypassing screening, that’s harder to do than throwing down an ID. You made it sound so simple. Are you using a long-standing community alias or not screening at all? Which one dear?

[berryberry]

Originally Posted by MorganOBM

Your board info is a form of screening. Are you saying there is a tight enough community down there that you are seeing ladies that know you well through a board handle? That isn’t bypassing screening, that’s harder to do than throwing down an ID. You made it sound so simple. Are you using a long-standing community alias or not screening at all? Which one dear?

I don't dispute one's board info should be a simple, safe and anonymous way to screen. I have made that point in several posts on this thread. I highly doubt anyone here objects to sharing one's board handle as a method of screening. In fact, I think most guys would agree their board handle should be the universal way to screen someone. But to answer your question, while in Florida just as I said in my initial post starting this thread

1. Not one asked me for real life references / ID / personal information.
2. Not one asked for a deposit

I did share my USASG handle with one of the woman I saw which was good enough for her (I should note I am not very active on USASG, I have very few posts, except when I take my trips to Florida but I have been a member for 5 years - with maybe 5 posts a year - so it's not like I am well known or have a wealth of posts and reviews like I do here).

I did not share any community alias / USASG handle with anyone else - and none of them requested it.

[bkfantasy]

Hmmm...I almost always include my board handle in my initial communication. It's not like I am a high volume or high profile board poster, but I don't think I've ever posted anything I wouldn't want someone to read, nor do I engage in pointless petty squabbles. Seems to work pretty well as I'm able to see almost everyone I want to without providing any additional information.

[berryberry]

Originally Posted by bkfantasy

Hmmm...I almost always include my board handle . . . Seems to work pretty well as I'm able to see almost everyone I want to without providing any additional information.

That is exactly as it should be. One of my whole points. No reason why a provider needs personal information to verify you are legit if they can see you are an active participant in a hobby forum.

But back to Florida, I did not even need to do that (except in one instance) during my trip. A whole different and much better hobby scene down there