You might be reading the title and thinking “what are Escort Ireland on about now?” After all, fining sex workers for not wearing high-vis is a ridiculous idea, right? Well, it is, but that isn’t stopping it from happening in Italy, as the Expo World Fair 2015 draws more and more sex workers to Milan.
The deputy mayor of the town has spoken out and said that any sex workers in the city and particularly on the streets need to be wearing high-visibility gear to make them stand out from the grounds. Is it a good idea, or just a ridiculous suggestion?
Safety first?
The deputy mayor of the town, Luciano Sinigaglia, isn’t just saying this to try and make it easier to find a sex worker to spend some time with. It seems to be that he is suggesting that this silly idea is actually purely to keep the prostitutes in the streets safe, especially with the increased traffic to the area.
There are said to be an estimated 15,000 sex workers moving to the area in order to attend the 2015 Expo World Fair, which has been dubbed by the locals as “Sexpo”, and with so many taking to the streets he believes that the city of Milan needs to step up its game to ensure those on the streets are safe at all times.
He spoke out about the move, saying that “the sex workers should be treated as employees who work on road construction and forced to wear clothes that make them visible”. He went on to say that this mean miniskirts and revealing clothing was out, while the more sensible and reflective clothing was in.
Yes, he wants sex workers to put away their heels and skirts in favour of some sensible shoes and some neon-yellow trousers. I am not convinced that this is all in the name of safety. I’m sure you can let them wear some nice neon tights under their miniskirt and they will still be noticeable. This instead seems to be trying to make them look like construction works and not sex workers. If it was all in the same of safety, surely there would be signs in the red light district warning people to drive slowly in case they hit one of the workers in the area?
Crackdown on prostitution
Honestly, this seems to be more like a crackdown on prostitution in the city, and that this is the perfect way to do it. The threat of fining sex workers for not wearing high vis will make them want to comply with the rules rather than throwing away their hard earned money, and it is going to make it so much easier for the police to find sex workers in the city to bother.
They are going to charge around €500 for failing to comply with the law. It’s a hell of a lot of money, and so is pushing the sex workers to comply. If they don’t, being caught a second time without “the right highway clothing” will lead to them being taken to the police station and shown exactly what clothing they should be wearing and why they are wrong to walk the streets without a high vis miniskirt on.
Sex workers wear what they feel most comfortable and sexy in, as that helps to bring in clients. I don’t think I have ever seen someone looking sexy in a high vis jacket and sensible boots, and I really doubt that the Milan street workers can pull it off. If they can, I will be very impressed!
To be honest, it seems much more likely that this is simply a way to crack down on prostitution. Those unwilling to pay the fine might don the ridiculous high vis uniforms they are being told to wear, and this will make them fair easier to spot not only for drivers, but for the police eager to stop sex work. The authorities in the area are taking a very strong line against prostitution, as four years ago they introduced a law to fine the clients of street-walkers. The amount they will have to pay? You guessed it, €500.
Dark times ahead?
It is looking like a dark time to be a sex worker in Milan if you don’t follow the rules. You will pretty much be damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Don’t put on a high vis jacket and matching clothes and you could face a huge fine. If you do, your client will be reluctant to see you in case they then get fined. How exactly the mayor of the area believed this would work, we don’t know, but he seems to still be optimistic about it.
“We are almost ready with the definitive draft of the document,” he proudly told Corriere Della Sera, “I hope to have it [the ordinance] up and running by the start of September.” Yes, as soon as September sex workers could be fined for wearing a miniskirt instead of the far less sexy high vis jacket. Maybe we’ll see a rise in high vis fashion around Milan? After all, it is said to be the fashion capital of the world!
I think it is about time that the authorities realised that you cannot stop prostitution. Just because you don’t agree with it doesn’t meant that you will be able to eradicate it completely. After all, it is the oldest profession in the world! People have been fighting for years to stop it. It won’t go without a fight.
What do you think of this idea? Should street workers be forced to wear high visibility clothing “for their own safety”? How do you think this suggestion would go down in the streets of Dublin? Let us know by leaving a comment in the box below or by heading over to the Escort Ireland forum and joining in the discussion there.
Since then she has gained a fine reputation with her blogs on sex advice, sexual health and amusing news stories from around the globe. She is also a campaigner for the rights of sex workers from all over the world.
In her spare time, Lara keeps herself active by going running, and is something of a film buff. She also loves to go travelling.
- Adding the correct “favourites” to your profile - April 24, 2023
- Common Mistakes Made During Sex And How To Fix Them - April 25, 2019
- Your Hay Fever Could Be Eased By More Sex! - April 2, 2019
Please log in here to leave a comment.