As they knock on the door, the women working in call-out adult entertainment know that it’s hard to predict what awaits them.
They hope that the men on the other side are not too drunk, or not too high.
They double check the booking on a whatsapp text, and re-examine the copy of the customer’s ID that is usually required to confirm a booking.
They text their friends, share their location, and take as many precautions as they can.
But it’s still a risk.
If the men at that house, or inside that hotel room have no respect for them, they could be in trouble.
“The girls have rules about how they do it, they never go anywhere alone,” adult star Annie Knight said.
“But if there’s a six-foot-five guy there when you turn up to the booking and it’s only two of you then girls can get into situations that are really scary.”
The call-out, in-home adult industry has come under the spotlight in the wake of the Sydney Swans scandal.
Police are investigating claims from three women that sexual assaults occurred inside a room at the Pullman Hotel in East Melbourne.
The Pullman Five, as the players have become known, have denied any wrongdoing and are yet to be interviewed by police.
But the risks highlighted by that incident are happening every weekend, and even weeknights, across Australia.
Women working in the industry set strict boundaries when they arrive.
They’re not prudes, but there are lines that cannot be crossed.
“There can’t be any confusion, when a girl arrives at a booking she sets out the rules,” Ms Knight said.
“I know of times when girls have been telling clients now and they just keep on trying it because they think so little of the women.”
Deposits are normally taken before the booking because sometimes men just don’t show up.
The rest is paid in cash, or a bank transfer like PayID through a phone number.
Most customers prefer to pay cash, to avoid an awkward itemisation on their joint bank accounts.
Bookings for adult entertainers to attend as topless waitresses are advertised for about $200 an hour, but beyond that, things are negotiable.
“That’s for the booking, if they want something else like a lap dance, that’s extra,” Ms Knight said.
Michael Trimble, who co-owns the Bar20 strip club in Melbourne, has concerns about the safety of women working for call-out agencies.
“I’ve heard about sexual assaults before at these jobs,” Trimble said.
“A former dancer of mine says that when she reported a sexual assault to her agent, the agent dismissed her and continued to send other girls to the same address.”
There’s little, if any, regulation around who can start an agency.
Typically, all it requires is a phone number and a directory of potential entertainers who might be available for booking.
Trimble wants greater scrutiny on call-out jobs and on the agents who profit from them.
“Anything can happen. There’s no security there for the girls. It’s up to them to protect themselves,” he said.
“The girls are typically very outnumbered. It will be two or three girls among a whole bunch of guys and there is always drugs and alcohol going on at these things. Some of the people who run these agencies don’t care where they’re sending these girls to … whether it’s some sort of clubhouse or a hotel full of footy players” Trimble explains.
Unlike call-out agencies, Trimble says his business must operate under very strict conditions.
“We’ve got a liquor license fee – which includes our strip club conditions- of more than $40,000 a year just for the privilege of providing this service in a controlled environment.”
“We have to have a certain number of security guards on at all times and we must have CCTV.
“If we breach conditions too many times, we can lose our license. These agencies have absolutely no accountability whatsoever.”
Trimble wants more oversight on call-out agents.
“There’s no licensing. There’s no background checks. There’s no requirements. They’re just sending girls out there- into potentially hostile environments and just hoping everything’s going to be OK.”
Owner and founder of the Australian Adult Industry Awards, Maxine Fensom, heard about the August 17 Swans scandal from her base in Las Vegas.
“I’ve had my business for over 30-years so obviously I’ve seen the whole gamut of the good, the bad and the ugly,” Fensom said.
“I think it was pretty bad actually. I think the boys’ behaviour was pretty awful.”
Fensom said exotic dancers often walked into rooms where men were drunk and felt “they can do whatever they want”.
And a “private show” booking for dancers to arrive at 5am – as was made by the Swans players – rang alarm bells.
“It’s the worst time,” she said.
“Everyone’s had too much to drink; they’re tired, so it’s not what I would do.
“I wouldn’t even answer the phone.”
Most “shows” went off without a hitch, she said, but it just took one client to overstep the mark.
“It just takes one dickhead to wreck it,” she said.
Regarding touching, Fensom said there were off-limits areas.
“You definitely can’t be touching no-go areas,” she said.
But Fensom said she was aware adult entertainers were accepting payment to be slapped on the buttocks adding: “I don’t even understand it to be honest, but I’ve heard like $50 a slap and the girls have very sore bottoms afterwards.”
“I think that’s been going on for a bit.”
As for touching breasts, she said most adult entertainers allowed it although she did not encourage the practice.
Clients included bands, singers, politicians and sports stars.
The Swans incident itself did not surprise her.
“I guess they had a lot to celebrate. I think they were probably just in the moment … not really thinking about consequences.”
Ms Fensom said she wanted to see the women’s allegations tested in a criminal court.
“I don’t think there’s any excuse for this type of behaviour and apparently they locked one of the girls out of the room and she was naked and (they) thought it was funny, and I don’t think that’s funny at all. I think it’s abusive,” she said.
As for the players allegedly angling for a discount, Fensom said she couldn’t fathom it.
“Why would you say that you’re a carpenter? Carpenters make great money first of all, but why would you try and dodge money when you’re making so much money?
“I just find that really rude.”
“I don’t know if it’s their upbringing or just their misogynistic attitude.
“Someone like me needs to go and speak to them and tell them how to treat people and how to treat women properly.
“Because seriously, (these women) are like everybody else. They’re accepting a job, and I know what that job entails, but it doesn’t mean they have to be pushed into a hallway naked, sexually abused, laughed at, lied to, or cheated out of their money.”
“It’s shit behaviour”.
She said the positive side of the industry was watching women set themselves up financially, often educating themselves and buying property.