thedanNYC

I mean... to each his own, but those are probably 10 out of the 20 hot people in London. The rest are male Susan Boyles. Hit me up if you end up needing to make an end-of-life trip so we can pick a better country for you to live it up in

Again, I did not express an opinion about whether your behavior is racist. And I don't want to get into an online debate about that topic. "I'm not interested."

I did not express an opinion about whether your behavior is racist. I said it is discourteous. And I also said that a simple "I'm not interested" would be a more civilized answer to give someone, particularly when you're clearly fully aware of how your normal answer is going to be perceived and the reaction it will cause. Bu if you prefer to go around telling people that you're not interested in them because of the color of their skin, and then blabber on about how that's not racist and make analogies to other types of behavior to defend your preferred answer, then more power to you.

I don't want to start a whole different controversy here, but you really can't see why people would react poorly to this? You're literally saying that no aspect of their existence is worth you taking a look at simply because of the color of their skin. I wouldn't tell people that and expect them to respond with an "oh, okay". A simple "I'm not interested" would be a more courteous thing to say. Expecting courteousness doesn't make people pussies, it makes them civilized. The trans issue is different because OP is basically saying that he likes men with penises, which is completely natural when it comes to being attracted to the male form as it is traditionally understood. Just to say it, I would always make that point that directly and clearly; I wouldn't dance around it by saying you want men with "all the working parts" because trans men are not defective. If you've been saying things along those lines, then that might be what is getting you in trouble. Your sexual preference shouldn't offend a trans man without a penis if he's secure in his manhood, much like a man with a small penis shouldn't get offended if you only like horse-hung men. But, again, to be civilized, I think the people who are telling you to not give a specific reason for turning down a trans man are right. A simple "I'm not interested" would work. You don't owe anyone an explanation about why you're not interested, and I would say as much to avoid getting into arguments that won't be productive.

What does "safe" mean to you? We all know what one must do to be "safe" out in the world in general: wear masks, practice social distance, don't meet up with strangers, avoid indoor spaces because virus particles may be hanging in the air, wash your hands and high-use surfaces regularly, etc. If you can't practice social distance, a mask might be enough to protect you (but that statement presupposes you're not having non-social-distanced strangers hover over you and touch your body head to toe for an hour). So, if you must get a massage, which happens in a setting that is incompatible with most safety recommendations, then you should at least apply as many of those recommendations as possible, such as wearing a mask the entire time, opening the windows in the massage room so that air circulates, having the massage table and other items you will come into contact with properly disinfected, having the masseur disinfect his hands and wear a mask, disinfecting your hands before and after the massage, etc. Do that, cross your fingers, and maybe you'll be able to say the massage was "safe"...not because the experience was inherently safe, but perhaps simply because you got lucky.

I vote for @BeefyDude posting a photo of dat ass for research purposes. You know, just so that the people can at least compare theirs to his and get an idea of whether they have a chance of getting that much-wanted attention. ???

Just curious, what do you guys mean when you say he, or another masseur, is "standoffish"? Is it that he wasn't talkative enough? Is it that he didn't say please when asking you to get on the table? Did he give you a mean look? I'm wondering what the unmet expectation was.

That is correct.

I feel like the "what precaution do you take when out in the world" question is the new "are you neg?". I'm not sure that anyone (masseur or client) will say "I'm a Karen out there fighting the good fight against the greeter at Walmart to the defend my "right" to not wear a mask in a privately own business establishment", but we know that's happening. And people who genuinely think they're doing everything right might still be sick and not know it. People who had COVID before might be able to get it again (the jury is still out on that). So all those "precautions" are nice to have for peace of mind. But the bottom line is you should only get a massage if you're comfortable taking the risk that you might leave the session with a nasty little virus in your system. I would hope everyone understands that and that nobody'll be surprised if that happens to them despite the "precautions" that an unknowable number of people interacting with your masseur, and he himself, allegedly took.

In my experience, what works (and keeps you safe) is opening the door wearing something that a gay guy might see as a potential opening to flirt but that a straight guy would either not think anything of or only find odd (but not offensive) at worst. Being in your underwear or wearing a loosely tied robe are good examples of that. That way a gay guy can bite if he wants to, and both straight and gay guys won't feel harassed/you won't feel like a creep if things don't work out.

That took some b-a-l-l-s!

I've said this a few times in different threads, and I'll say it again here. Premiere 57 is not a gay bathhouse, despite how fun it can be. Do not let your guard down because if an attendant does happen to walk by and catches you "having fun" (or someone reports you), they will kick you out. And they will not go about it very discreetly. I've seen that happen.

Out of curiosity, did you bolt when you saw the actual masseur, or did you stay for the session?

This is true. And Kabuki isn't a "just go and maybe you'll get lucky and find yourself there alone with a couple of gay guys" spa, as can be the case at Burke Williams. Kabuki gets so packed on men's days that you might find yourself on a long waitlist to get in. So I wouldn't recommend checking it out unless you'd be happy to enjoy some R&R and people watch at best.

Yes, but you have to be very careful considering that it's a legit YMCA (so there are straight guys and minors using the locker room). You don't want to get into an uncomfortable situation if the wrong person comes around the corner while you're doing your thing...so discretion is important. Also, the crowd looking for play tends to be older, so the place probably won't be your cup of tea if you're looking for younger guys (or cleanliness because the locker room is grimy).

I think that might play a role. But perhaps masseurs don't want prospective clients (who may or may not be very serious about booking) chatting them up for 15 minutes and wasting their time. Texting allows more control over how much time one spends on a given conversation, and it may lead to a call if it seems like the prospective client is serious about booking.

Any recommendations in Houston?

Side note - If you do want to go on PEP, I suggest being honest with the doctor about what happened (as awkward as it might be). You always want to give doctors enough information to code STD-related prescription, tests, etc. as necessary due to high-risk exposure to have a better chance of your insurance company covering the costs.

@Mustang is definitely right. If you're looking for clean and nice, this is definitely not the right place for you. But you can gather that from reading any review on Yelp. That aside, I wouldn't say it's not worth checking the place out. You might enjoy the scene.

Russian baths has men-only times on Thursdays and Sundays. It can get very busy, to the point where guys are packed like sardines in the steam rooms/the sauna. The staff doesn't just walk around...they sometimes sit in the sauna/steam room too. So while there's play to be had if you want it, you have to be very careful. P.S. - You can't always walk around naked because staff will likely tell you to cover up if they catch you. So not the best spot if you're looking to show off.

Rushed at Equinox? There's plenty of guys who are basically tenants in the locker room, and nobody says anything about it. Well, except that time when a young, uppity gay told an old gay (loudly in a packed steam room) that he should really take a break and drink some water because he'd been in there way too long.

@Talley YMMV = Your mileage may vary (i.e., you may or may not get anything more than a strictly therapeutic massage on a case-by-case basis depending on whether the masseur into you). MT = Mutual touch HE = Happy ending

I would love some details!

Hey guys, Do you have any recommendations for day spas in Houston that have a clothing-optional men's area (and are not gay bathhouses)? Thanks!

Almost had another hot moment at the same spa at the 5-star fancy European hotel as I referenced before. This time I could tell that the check-in guy was gay as soon as he started to speak to me (it wasn't the same guy from my previous visit by the way). I went to the locker room, undressed, showered and came back out in my towel to ask him whether I needed to wear a towel in the steam room. That's a pretty clear question, right? It's also a valid question coming from an American because, as some of you know, you're supposed to go into the steam room stark naked without a towel in many European countries (this particular country included). Well, he stepped out from behind the counter and said "I don't understand. Show me what you mean." as he started walking to the locker room. I said okay and followed him all the way through the locker room to the spa area. When we got to the steam room I asked again whether I needed to take off my towel. He opened the door for me and said I could if I wanted to. So I took it off, hung it outside and walked in. Unfortunately there was a guy in the sauna with a direct view to the steam room...so the check-in guy took a good look, smiled and closed the steam room door. #cockblocked