Strafe13

I've never had occasion to travel to those areas, but I'm certainly not averse to those types of guys. If I ever pass through those locales, I'll keep them in mind as an option, but I wouldn't have the 1st clue as to how to make that fantasy a reality.

https://rentmen.eu/BigHungBro we got so hot. It was crazy. Kisses were so deep from the stud 

I also saw those new pictures and they rekindled my interest in Stephen a little bit.  But the most recent post in this thread about an experience with Stephen was made by @ChasingGirth just this past Thursday, a mere 5 days ago, which I found to be rather detailed and helpful.  Unless you suspect that Chasing was describing an old encounter, I don’t think you can ask for better responses from the forum. 
 
I’ve never seen Stephen in-person, but I’ve reached out to him more than once in the past in attempts to schedule an appointment. Each time he didn’t even bother to respond to my texts.  Based on what I’ve read in this thread, it doesn’t seem like a great loss, despite his gorgeous eyes, solid build, broad shoulders, and plump, kissable lips. *sigh* 💔

Please don't ruin this teachable moment by getting defensive and hurling insults.  There isn't a single thing you've pointed to that shows or even suggests that I've accused anyone in this thread of being an outright intentional racist.  This is oh so typical in discourse on racism in this country nowadays. When people of color try to engage seriously on the subject of racism, we're met with claims that racism is rare or doesn't really exist, and/or we get gaslit by the dismissal and minimizing of the things that our lived individual and collective experiences tell us might be red flags. Or, the cherry on top, is when we get accused of being the real racists for calling out potential (or actual) racism.  All of us on this thread and in this forum can, and should, do better.
 
Multiple members of color in this thread have pointed out how this "right to select with whom I do business," as exemplified here by an escort's request for client photos, triggers our proverbial "spider sense" as to racially discriminatory or other invidious motives. There is a strong historical basis for that intuitive feeling, as this has been, and continues to be, the rhetorical response from those who have opposed (and continue to oppose) prohibiting discrimination in public accommodations and employment.  Places that used to refuse service to black people also used to proudly include Jews and the Irish on those same signs, by invoking the same right.  Like it or not, this is our history and it informs the present.  The main difference in the modern day is that folks hide the bigotry when they invoke that right.  By analogy, the queer community deals with this now with certain vendors saying they don't want to serve us, all the while telling anyone who'll listen that it's not because they're anti-queer. 
 
More often than not, if we're hearing pleas that something "doesn't make you racist (or queerphobic, or antisemitic, or ableist, etc.)," then we're at the point where it's time to critically reflect on whether said thing is really so innocuous or if our unconscious biases may be influencing it.  I'm sorry that you interpreted that as accusing others, whomever they may be.  It was meant to challenge all of us to do the hard work and not just rest on our comfortable beliefs that we would never do anything racist, or that things we've long thought of as just fine might actually be problematic.  I include myself in the "us," so there was no avoidance of looking in the proverbial mirror.  

Reading is fundamental, sir.  In the same portion of my sentence that you quoted, I specifically said that I wasn’t saying that you were doing this.  Interestingly, you left that part out when you quoted me.  You also ignored the qualification I placed at the end of that sentence too.  Why would I have included those qualifiers if I intended to paint with a wide brush, as you say?  I also explained why, based on my own experience with Kai, I did not believe that his requests for pics from prospective clients presented as a cover for racial discrimination.  If I wanted to  paint with a wide brush, why would I have offered that type of individualized assessment of Kai’s approach?
 
It’s also a lot more than that this “can be true.”  There’s long, sordid history of folks invoking the right to be selective so as to justify or excuse discriminatory practices.  Does that mean that this is true all of the time?  Of course not, and I never said that .  But it’s not some rare, isolated phenomenon, as your word choice appears to imply.  Nor is it “absurd” for people of color in this country, and black people especially, to not give the benefit of the doubt to those who expose a, how do I put this diplomatically, less than inclusive and welcoming business model.  Given the historical and cultural backdrop, one could argue that it’s at least a bit naive to be surprised or shocked that some people would legitimately question the true motives for such a rationale.  If not naïve, then it’s least somewhat indicative of a cultural blind spot.
 
And can we please retire this phraseology about something not making one a racist?  There’s nothing on this earth that magically *makes* someone a racist. While proudly racist people will do racist things, not everything they do will necessarily be racist.  But to a certain extent, we’re all the products of this society and culture, and that means we carry all kinds of implicit biases and subconscious beliefs that manifest in all kinds of ways.  Hence, most of us can, and often do, act in racist ways without even being consciously aware of it or intending to do so.  Sometimes that manifests in our ideas about being “selective” about who we’ll do business or associate with, who we find attractive or qualified for certain roles and positions, the types of traits that are acceptable when displayed by certain people as compared to others, what we define as professional, etc.  It’s a deep complicated issue that requires a lot of critical introspection and soul-searching.

You still ignored the other parts of that very paragraph from which you quoted, where I explained how I was not generalizing. The part about you was one of multiple examples. Read in isolation I could see how you made that mistake. But I still wouldn’t question your intelligence for it.  

Please don't ruin this teachable moment by getting defensive and hurling insults.  There isn't a single thing you've pointed to that shows or even suggests that I've accused anyone in this thread of being an outright intentional racist.  This is oh so typical in discourse on racism in this country nowadays. When people of color try to engage seriously on the subject of racism, we're met with claims that racism is rare or doesn't really exist, and/or we get gaslit by the dismissal and minimizing of the things that our lived individual and collective experiences tell us might be red flags. Or, the cherry on top, is when we get accused of being the real racists for calling out potential (or actual) racism.  All of us on this thread and in this forum can, and should, do better.
 
Multiple members of color in this thread have pointed out how this "right to select with whom I do business," as exemplified here by an escort's request for client photos, triggers our proverbial "spider sense" as to racially discriminatory or other invidious motives. There is a strong historical basis for that intuitive feeling, as this has been, and continues to be, the rhetorical response from those who have opposed (and continue to oppose) prohibiting discrimination in public accommodations and employment.  Places that used to refuse service to black people also used to proudly include Jews and the Irish on those same signs, by invoking the same right.  Like it or not, this is our history and it informs the present.  The main difference in the modern day is that folks hide the bigotry when they invoke that right.  By analogy, the queer community deals with this now with certain vendors saying they don't want to serve us, all the while telling anyone who'll listen that it's not because they're anti-queer. 
 
More often than not, if we're hearing pleas that something "doesn't make you racist (or queerphobic, or antisemitic, or ableist, etc.)," then we're at the point where it's time to critically reflect on whether said thing is really so innocuous or if our unconscious biases may be influencing it.  I'm sorry that you interpreted that as accusing others, whomever they may be.  It was meant to challenge all of us to do the hard work and not just rest on our comfortable beliefs that we would never do anything racist, or that things we've long thought of as just fine might actually be problematic.  I include myself in the "us," so there was no avoidance of looking in the proverbial mirror.  

I’ve gotten a few $400/hour quotes from some providers, only one of whom was a well-reviewed guy who could, IMHO, legitimately ask for that.  But I’m getting $350/hour more often than not, starting last fall.  So that seems to be the new norm, with some providers slightly below (at $300 or $325/hr) and some slightly above (at $400/hr).

Please don't ruin this teachable moment by getting defensive and hurling insults.  There isn't a single thing you've pointed to that shows or even suggests that I've accused anyone in this thread of being an outright intentional racist.  This is oh so typical in discourse on racism in this country nowadays. When people of color try to engage seriously on the subject of racism, we're met with claims that racism is rare or doesn't really exist, and/or we get gaslit by the dismissal and minimizing of the things that our lived individual and collective experiences tell us might be red flags. Or, the cherry on top, is when we get accused of being the real racists for calling out potential (or actual) racism.  All of us on this thread and in this forum can, and should, do better.
 
Multiple members of color in this thread have pointed out how this "right to select with whom I do business," as exemplified here by an escort's request for client photos, triggers our proverbial "spider sense" as to racially discriminatory or other invidious motives. There is a strong historical basis for that intuitive feeling, as this has been, and continues to be, the rhetorical response from those who have opposed (and continue to oppose) prohibiting discrimination in public accommodations and employment.  Places that used to refuse service to black people also used to proudly include Jews and the Irish on those same signs, by invoking the same right.  Like it or not, this is our history and it informs the present.  The main difference in the modern day is that folks hide the bigotry when they invoke that right.  By analogy, the queer community deals with this now with certain vendors saying they don't want to serve us, all the while telling anyone who'll listen that it's not because they're anti-queer. 
 
More often than not, if we're hearing pleas that something "doesn't make you racist (or queerphobic, or antisemitic, or ableist, etc.)," then we're at the point where it's time to critically reflect on whether said thing is really so innocuous or if our unconscious biases may be influencing it.  I'm sorry that you interpreted that as accusing others, whomever they may be.  It was meant to challenge all of us to do the hard work and not just rest on our comfortable beliefs that we would never do anything racist, or that things we've long thought of as just fine might actually be problematic.  I include myself in the "us," so there was no avoidance of looking in the proverbial mirror.  

You still ignored the other parts of that very paragraph from which you quoted, where I explained how I was not generalizing. The part about you was one of multiple examples. Read in isolation I could see how you made that mistake. But I still wouldn’t question your intelligence for it.  

I’m not saying @pubic_assistance does this, but the rationale he expresses (that business owners should be able to refuse service to whomever they want for pretty much any reason) has been, in my experience and as borne by America’s history, a cover for discrimination in public accommodations.  While there’s obviously no empirical evidence, it’s my firm belief that many escorts hue to this same mentality and use the request for stats and/or pics as a means of filtering out members of those demographics against whom they wish to discriminate.  Like others have said here, I’ve also had providers go silent once my race or color has been revealed.  Heck, it happens in regular hookups all the time.  The LGBTQ community is just as bigoted as any other demographic group.  Conversely, it’s no more bigoted than any other group.  Racism, sexism, queerphobia, white supremacy, Christian supremacy, and various similar ills are endemic in our society, so I’m never surprised when and where they manifest.
 
All the above being said, I don’t know whether this provider Kai requests pics from prospective clients so he can practice racial or other discrimination. But I doubt it, and here’s why.  Kai and i never met, but we messaged back and forth within the past 2 months or so, when i tried to set up a meeting (it didn’t come to fruition).  Kai asked for pics and stats from me, but since my race is indicated in my rentmen profile name, which I’d shared in my initial message to him, I suspect that his request, which came later, had less to do with race/color/ethnicity than with some other trait for which he’s screening.  Ultimately, we didn’t meet because the vibe felt off even though he seemed to be less rigid with the photo request.  But if screening me based on race was the objective, he could’ve just ignored me when I disclosed my profile name in my intro message.    So I guess that something else is going on there.
 Some providers request pics, rather than stats, and in discussions they revealed that it’s a safety measure.  Be that as it may, it doesn’t surprise me that they could be clueless as to how that might be perceived by others as potentially indicative of racial or other discriminatory animus.  

I’ve gotten a few $400/hour quotes from some providers, only one of whom was a well-reviewed guy who could, IMHO, legitimately ask for that.  But I’m getting $350/hour more often than not, starting last fall.  So that seems to be the new norm, with some providers slightly below (at $300 or $325/hr) and some slightly above (at $400/hr).

I’ve gotten a few $400/hour quotes from some providers, only one of whom was a well-reviewed guy who could, IMHO, legitimately ask for that.  But I’m getting $350/hour more often than not, starting last fall.  So that seems to be the new norm, with some providers slightly below (at $300 or $325/hr) and some slightly above (at $400/hr).

Reading is fundamental, sir.  In the same portion of my sentence that you quoted, I specifically said that I wasn’t saying that you were doing this.  Interestingly, you left that part out when you quoted me.  You also ignored the qualification I placed at the end of that sentence too.  Why would I have included those qualifiers if I intended to paint with a wide brush, as you say?  I also explained why, based on my own experience with Kai, I did not believe that his requests for pics from prospective clients presented as a cover for racial discrimination.  If I wanted to  paint with a wide brush, why would I have offered that type of individualized assessment of Kai’s approach?
 
It’s also a lot more than that this “can be true.”  There’s long, sordid history of folks invoking the right to be selective so as to justify or excuse discriminatory practices.  Does that mean that this is true all of the time?  Of course not, and I never said that .  But it’s not some rare, isolated phenomenon, as your word choice appears to imply.  Nor is it “absurd” for people of color in this country, and black people especially, to not give the benefit of the doubt to those who expose a, how do I put this diplomatically, less than inclusive and welcoming business model.  Given the historical and cultural backdrop, one could argue that it’s at least a bit naive to be surprised or shocked that some people would legitimately question the true motives for such a rationale.  If not naïve, then it’s least somewhat indicative of a cultural blind spot.
 
And can we please retire this phraseology about something not making one a racist?  There’s nothing on this earth that magically *makes* someone a racist. While proudly racist people will do racist things, not everything they do will necessarily be racist.  But to a certain extent, we’re all the products of this society and culture, and that means we carry all kinds of implicit biases and subconscious beliefs that manifest in all kinds of ways.  Hence, most of us can, and often do, act in racist ways without even being consciously aware of it or intending to do so.  Sometimes that manifests in our ideas about being “selective” about who we’ll do business or associate with, who we find attractive or qualified for certain roles and positions, the types of traits that are acceptable when displayed by certain people as compared to others, what we define as professional, etc.  It’s a deep complicated issue that requires a lot of critical introspection and soul-searching.

I totally agree with you, if you’re the one sending your photos upfront. And yes this community is very racist. 

As a person of color who hires, you have to start with the understanding that the gay community is extremely racist and providers reflect the community.  If you don’t want bad experiences, it is better to be transparent and tell the provider and deal with their racism up front.  I tried it the other way and had so many bad experiences that I paid for.  I would much rather have providers who will work with me than roll the dice on their racism 

Having been with Trevor twice, I totally agree with this. 

I don't think Trev is the right guy if you aren't going to bottom.
 

I concur. FunNicolasny didn’t respond to my text inquiry either, so I gave up.

I also saw those new pictures and they rekindled my interest in Stephen a little bit.  But the most recent post in this thread about an experience with Stephen was made by @ChasingGirth just this past Thursday, a mere 5 days ago, which I found to be rather detailed and helpful.  Unless you suspect that Chasing was describing an old encounter, I don’t think you can ask for better responses from the forum. 
 
I’ve never seen Stephen in-person, but I’ve reached out to him more than once in the past in attempts to schedule an appointment. Each time he didn’t even bother to respond to my texts.  Based on what I’ve read in this thread, it doesn’t seem like a great loss, despite his gorgeous eyes, solid build, broad shoulders, and plump, kissable lips. *sigh* 💔

To follow up @Asterisk’s post, it looks like Bruno has removed his phone number from his rentmen ad, even though it still says to text him.🤦‍♂️.  He’d been in his native Brazil for an extended period over the holidays, during which time his ad listed him as unavailable.  Maybe Bruno inadvertently clicked the field to remove his number when he changed his ad back to the available status?

JasonVesper and I texted back and forth quite a bit on my last trip out to Los Angeles back in September. He was very nice and professional in our attempts to schedule a meeting, but we just weren’t able to work something out.  He said to look him up on my next trip, and I plan to do just that.  Hope this helps, for whatever it’s worth.

Whoa @Strafe13 thank you so much for the info!!!!

I saw this charlatan a few years ago when I visited Las Vegas, @Chidude.  Total hustler who arrived at my hotel scammed me out of money, then blocked me on rentmen so I couldn’t leave a review to warn other clients.  And the reason he has so many sterling reviews, @azdr0710 is because he pressures clients to leave him reviews before they’ve even seen him.  I alerted the rentmen administration to this guy, including his scheme to rig the review system in this manner, but they refused to do anything about it.  But karma is a train that’s never late, as I later found out from this very board that he was the Vegas escort arrested in a scheme to extort another client who called law enforcement nonetheless.  I never learned the outcome of the case but that’s besides the point.

I saw him, liked him, liked his body, and would trust him.  I personally would not repeat because he's not geared up for my main interest, which is bondage; but otherwise I think he's sane and pleasant and has a great physique.