Jackson Heights is such an unusual neighborhood. In the two years I’ve lived in the New York City area, I am sold on the idea that it is the most diverse neighborhood out there. As such, I’ve found myself in some unusual situations. I know where to find a $4 haircut (I won’t be doing that again), a green card, or a social security card. The latest of my unintentional findings is that of “girls for delivery.”
Allow me to explain.
A man approaches me, while I was walking around 71st Street and Roosevelt Avenue. Figuring that I speak Spanish and that as a young latino man I have ‘needs’, he offers me a wink and tells me in almost a whisper “chicas, chicas.” (Girls, Girls) He then proceeds to hand me a card that contains a cell phone number and pictures of topless girls (I sure doubt those are the girls they offer). In the lower left side of the card I can read “Delivery, from 11:00am to 3:00am.”
I couldn’t help wondering how these people can run such a business without getting penalized or without having anyone find out about it. I called and a woman picked up the phone. She asked me where I was calling from and I lied. I asked her to tell me how much it was to get a “delivery.” She was very hesitant in her answer and told me the driver, who would wait outside until the girls are finished with their “date,” would let me know the price. After she asked me for my address for the ‘delivery’, I told her that maybe another day, and freaked, out hung up the phone.
Rafael, a construction worker who moved to Elmhurst last year, assured me that some of those girls may walk out with up to $1000 at the end of the night since most people request them for bachelor parties and similar events. “They brought two out to Long Island one time,” he recalled. “They made crazy money because they entertained a group.”