Pimpin' Ain't Easy, Especially in Rome

On a lovely fall night in a neighborhood bordering central Rome, my wife and I waited after our choir rehearsal for the tram to pick us up and bring us back to Termini Station. The air was brisk but not too cold. The stars were shining bright, not a cloud in the sky. Love was truly in the air.

Romantic Rome at its finest.

Completely across the tram tracks and on the far side of the busy 3-lane street next to it, we saw a young lady likely to be in her 20's dancing on the corner for drivers to notice. Why was she dancing? That caught my attention first. Next, I noticed that this wasn't the right weather to be wearing a skirt and a surprisingly low-cut top. Wasn't she cold? What also made no sense is that if she is waiting for the bus, she's awfully far away from it. The bus stop closest to her was a good 30 feet away.

And then it all made sense.

A car almost drove passed her location on the busy street and in the middle of the dance, she grabbed the base of her short skirt and with a flick of the wrists, purposely showed more. My wife and I happily saw nothing due to our distance and angle, but I think it's worth noting her technique of drawing people in. Was she dancing to stay warm or was there something else to it?

Alas, I did not interview her to officially find out.

Though the street-side show was not only entertaining but rather informative about the legalities of prostitution, I went to my collection of English-speaking native Italians to find out the truth behind the age-old profession in Rome.

I was surprised that the first person I asked told me prostitution is legal here.  However, the management of said-prostitute, is illegal. That means, as the bold (and easily distasteful for most listeners out there) 1989 lyrics go from Big Daddy Kane, "Pimpin' Ain't Easy". And apparently it's not easy in Rome.

Upon asking my other friends, one was trying to explain what she thought about the intricacies of the law. She led me to believe there's jargon stated in the law that virtually eliminates prostitution as a legal action. Perhaps she's right.  But then again, it's not at all what the first person I asked told me. It's hard to tell what is actually the final legal limitation on the subject, but all I know is I have seen those ladies on the sidewalks and occasionally a car stops.  Think the driver is just asking for directions?

The professionals I'm speaking of aren't everywhere so those concerned about this knowledge visiting with children won't need to shield any immature eyes. The times I've seen them, it's at least 10:00pm.  And they aren't so scantily clad that it makes you feel like you are walking through Amsterdam's Red Light District, where little is left to the imagination. They are on heavily traveled streets OUTSIDE of touristy Rome, making it a hard-pressed activity for a tourist to see one.

So no worries. Just thought you'd like to know. It's a part of Italian culture and it's what makes the country's identity unique.