Arcadia bans new massage parlors
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[url]http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_10801618[/url]
• Photo Gallery: Massage
ARCADIA - Overwhelmed by a surge in license applications averaging as high as four per day - and concerned about the possibility of prostitution - Arcadia is saying no to new massage therapy businesses.
City Council members this week placed a 45-day moratorium on all new license applications for businesses that supply massages as a secondary service - such as spas, acupuncturists and chiropractors. Arcadia also will stop issuing new licenses to massage therapists.
The ban could be extended for up to one year.
Tuesday's council action came after Arcadia police reported on a series of inspections officers made at massage therapy businesses launched this past May.
Police said they found code violations at more than 30 locations they visited. Although no prostitution-related arrests were made, officers saw enough to believe it is ongoing at some businesses, Arcadia Police Department Chief Robert Sanderson said.
"There were a couple locations where, as we approached the front door, one of the customers went running out the back," he told City Council members.
Sanderson also singled out a Web site where users share information about sexual acts performed by massage therapists. The site contained reviews for 110 therapists in Arcadia, he said.
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the past three years, the city has handed out some 700 licenses for massage therapy. Recently, applications have risen to an average of two to four per day. Of those, Sanderson believes, only 10 percent were for legitimate therapists.
Officials said a moratorium on new ones will give them time to study the issue.
Ultimately, the council could approve stricter licensing standards for message therapists and additional conditional use permit requirements.
Cynthia Leath, an assistant manager at Urban Retreats, a day spa with 16 massage therapists, said she supports the ban on new licenses.
"It's keeping the ones that are legit open without other businesses that are doing illegal stuff going up and making us look bad," she said.
But Leath also fears the ban will hurt her spa's business.
"Not everybody stays," she said. "So if they go, then our staff goes down, and we just expanded our business, so our clientele has gone up a lot."
Winnie Zhang, manager of Magic Hands Spa, said she has heard rumors about prostitution at massage businesses. Her business is legitimate, she said, and she supports the ban.
"It's a good thing. A lot of people do massages and don't have licenses," she said. "I don't think it will affect our business."
Although the ban applies to all new massage therapist licenses - even legitimate therapists - the city needed to take sweeping action in order to stay ahead of a rapidly growing problem, City Manager Don Penman said.
"There could be a legitimate massage therapist that comes in and gets caught in the trap," said Penman. "That's just unfortunate. But it would be too difficult to go through the process of screening - that may be one of the recommendations, that we have to have our own screening process."
[email]alfred.lee@sgvn.com[/email]
(626) 578-6300, Ext. 4496
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Weirdest Massage yet.. what happened?
Went to an AMP recently in La Crescenta. Saw a couple reviews that looked like it was good to go to. I get there, find the place inside a building, finally someone answers the door walk in for a half hour. So far everything looks good. Same routine works on the back, thorough on the glutes too (good sign), works the legs (not the inside of the legs though).comes the flip and this is where it gets weird.
Got some weird conversation questions. Like she learned them from a bad English phrase book. Starts working on a foot massage, then on the shins. Still works on the shins. Five minutes later still working on my shins. Then she finally switches to the other leg same thing. Must have spent like 15 minutes just massaging my shins. I was so confused. I didn't know if I should have said anything or not. She worked on my shins so long it started to hurt the hairs on my legs. She leaves the room for a couple minutes, comes back with a hot towel to wipe off my shins LOL. Then leaves again, finally a couple minutes later she returns and says "ok done".
I was almost clueless, everything seemed like this place would at least finish happily, even from some review of the place. She didn't even massage above the kneecaps! I feel maybe I should have been more direct, instead I acted more like "thats all? Really? No more massage? ". Then as I'm getting dressed in confusion and dissapointment she comes back and gives me a business card with her cell phone? Ok now what on earth am I suppose to do with this? I won't be going in this area for much longer so I don't plan to return to throw away more money. I just said thank you and took off.
. W t f.
Avoid Places on Valley as follows...
AVOID!
Well Spa
10423 Valley Blvd, Ste C
El Monte, CA 91731 (Close to Valley Mall)
Tel: 626-448-8516
AVOID!
Pacific Health Center
Address: 529 E. Valley, #258C, San
Gabriel, CA 91776
626-288-9788
Have some good places in my black book, these will not make it...
WASTE of $$$$$$$$$$
PM me if you have any other ?'s or if you would like to exchange info.
Help my little friend stand up straight
Can anybody tell me of places that will provide V or C. Got issues staying up. Sucks. Please PM.
Urban Therapy on Whittier Bl - still Open?
I haven't been to UT in maybe a year. Was wondering if anyone has been there lately and had anything to report? (yeah I tried a search but I didn't even find the old reports so I must be searching in the wrong way)
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Question For Anybody To Answer
I decided to visit a MP in Arcadia on Friday. I've read some reports on this place (don't remember the name. Santa Anita Ave. Next to liquor store. Yeah you know the one) and figured I would stop by after a long day at work. Pay. 60 for 1hr. About 20 min into massage, I finally realize that this is provider is not going to give extras after giving all the signs (rubbing her leg, her ass). I decide to just enjoy the massage and get out of there. After all, I paid for a massage. She gives me a half-assed massage. All she did was lightly touch my body and while looking up at the ceiling through the whole thing. After the massage, I get dressed and begin to walk out. She says "you pay tip? " So I reach in my pocket and hand her a $5. She looks at me with a sorryfull look and says "everyone tips me at least $20. " I tell her "well your massage sucked". I walk out as she's saying something to the other girls in the hall, probably "this guys a cheapskate" or something.
My question to you all is:
Should we be required to give a large tip (or any tip for that matter) if the massage was no good?