Texting on the Job

Posted by Deirdre Oakley, AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS – Texting on the job is never a great idea, but if you’re a ‘lady of the night’ in Amsterdam’s Red Light (De Wallen) District it’s probably particularly bad for business. Window sex working is unique to the Netherlands and the red-lit lady in the picture is supposed to be vamping seductively to attract ‘window shopping’ customers (mostly young male tourists).  Texting in the window isn’t quite the same thing and it could get taxed. According to a recent New York Daily News article the Dutch government has decided to levy a 19 percent sales tax on the window-advertising sex workers beginning this year.

Photographers beware:  you’re not supposed to take photographs in the Red Light District. I didn’t know this and was yelled at by another sex worker. This was lucky. Word on the street is that it’s not uncommon to get your camera snatched and smashed by an angry pimp.

Deirdre Oakley is an Associate professor of Sociology at Georgia State University and the Editor of Social Shutter. You can contact her at doakley1@gsu.edu. To view more photographs of Amsterdam’s Red Light District log on to our Facebook Page.