We like to think that visiting a sex shop is one of the few places on this earth we can escape the judging eyes of the public, but it turns out, your secrets are no longer safe.
In an interview with Cracked (link below), sex shop workers Audra Carr and Devan Thayer reveal some of the most salacious truths they've uncovered during their time in the biz. Among the secrets revealed...
Anal is Big on Valentine's Day
As Audra puts it, "We will always sell out of beginner butt plugs, anal lube, pegging kits, anything to do with butt stuff." For the uninitiated, "pegging," a term invented by sex columnist Dan Savage's readers, is when a man is anally sexed by a woman wearing a strap-on, and if it's something you've been waiting until after a romantic candlelit dinner and a few bottles of wine to ask for, you should know that you're not alone. Valentine's Day is a veritable butt-sex free-for-all.
Jerk-Off Booths are Still Popular and Not Very Clean
"Most shops (at least the ones I know of) have contracted the cleaning out to a third-party sanitation company that comes around three to four times a day," Devan says. If that sounds a little infrequent given the high traffic these booths must see, that look of horror slowly taking shape on your face is entirely appropriate. Some shops have special, fancy (read: expensive) booths that are rented by the hour, and those are closed off after each customer until they're cleaned. "All the pay-by-the-minute booths in the back, though, are 'anything goes' in between cleanings, since most people spend less than 10 minutes in them," he says.
Amyl Nitrate and Other Illegal Goods Are Available For Purchase
Amyl nitrite, colloquially referred to as "poppers," is a chemical people huff that supposedly increases sexual sensation along with producing the usual case of the giggles that normally accompanies inhaling toxic fumes. Selling poppers is, of course, way illegal -- but selling head cleaner isn't. It's basically the same chemical, and everyone knows the only head you're cleaning is your own, but it's absolutely legal as long as we all talk about it in exaggerated sarcastic air quotes and never question why someone would want a room deodorizer that smells like rancid gym socks.
People Bring the Whole Family to the Sex Shop
And then there are the shoppers who make it a family affair -- it's all too common to see women browsing monster dongs with their kids in tow. Obviously, the last thing anyone wants to see when they look up from the back cover of Cum and Cummer is Junior's wide-eyed, curious stare, so they're asked to leave. "Our store is 18-plus, no exceptions," Audra says, "even if it's a tiny baby who doesn't know what he's looking at. I've actually held babies outside of the store for women so they can shop."
The Underground Sex Movement Isn't as Far Underground as You Might Think
Meanwhile, BDSM enthusiasts also have public social gatherings called "munches" where they meet up, typically over undercooked hash browns, just to hang out and ask if they've whipped any good subbies lately. And Audra knows exactly when and where they take place, because she's constantly getting invited to them.
Via Cracked