Safety Safety is a critical issue for dancers. Many men do not understand that what we sell is a fantasy and feel that our employment makes us fair game for unwanted attentions. The six dumbest words that can leave a woman's mouth are "I can take care of myself". No you can't! Get any notion that you're some kind of tough girl out of your head. Men are bigger, stronger and meaner. So are some of the house girls! Your little kickboxing lessons at the health club will not help you. If a grown man hits you with full force you will be knocked unconscious and very likely break some bones. Do not ever make safety decisions based on your opinion of your ability to defend yourself unless you are a seasoned dancer.

As a dancer, leaving the club after work is the time when you are most vulnerable. On occasions you may find an overly enthusiastic customer who decided to wait for you outside the club after closing. Mostly they are just confused about the nature of what a dancer does.

This being said transportation is a critical safety issue that you really have to think about. Going to work is not a problem- they can't really see where you are coming from. Leaving is when you have to be most vigilant. Public transportation is out of the question, it's too easy to be followed and is rarely safe at the hours you'll be riding. I'd suggest sharing a cab with one of the other girls. If you decide to drive, make very sure that your car is reliable, last thing you need is a break down on an empty road at 3AM. A cell phone is almost mandatory to have and if you just use it for emergencies it only costs about $15 a month. Make sure when you register you car you do it to another address (friend, parent, etc.). That way if some creep takes down your license plate number he can't find out your home address.

For obvious reasons never give any personal info to anyone who knows you as a dancer. There is no reason anyone needs to know anything but your stage name. Don't tell them where you live or what school you go to no matter how trust worthy they seem.

Once that information is out it's very difficult to put back in the box. ...

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