Are the cheap massage places in the (east) bay all skeezy?
March 23, 2017 8:30 PM Subscribe
And more importantly, are they fronts for human trafficking?
I ask this because in NYC there were "tui na" massage places that didn't strike me as happy-ending joints and, though I may be totally wrong, I didn't have a gut feeling they were fronts for anything shady. So I went sometimes because a $40 massage is kind of a great thing if you don't have $120 to fling around at all times.
The first one I went to in the bay area was gross--lots of tentative ass-groping despite lots of big NO body language on my part and at the end, when I was eager just to get the hell out of there, the person working there didn't think a 20% tip was enough and practically didn't let me leave. I tried a place in Oakland Chinatown and it was grimy and sad. Mostly I'd love a place that does 15-minute chair massages, but there's a curious absence of them and a curious preponderance of iffy-looking places with no windows.
Are these places all likely to be unsatisfying/weird-boundaried or worse? I just want a resolutely platonic massage and to know I'm not supporting anything bad. Does this not exist here? If it does exist here, by all means tell me where.
I ask this because in NYC there were "tui na" massage places that didn't strike me as happy-ending joints and, though I may be totally wrong, I didn't have a gut feeling they were fronts for anything shady. So I went sometimes because a $40 massage is kind of a great thing if you don't have $120 to fling around at all times.
The first one I went to in the bay area was gross--lots of tentative ass-groping despite lots of big NO body language on my part and at the end, when I was eager just to get the hell out of there, the person working there didn't think a 20% tip was enough and practically didn't let me leave. I tried a place in Oakland Chinatown and it was grimy and sad. Mostly I'd love a place that does 15-minute chair massages, but there's a curious absence of them and a curious preponderance of iffy-looking places with no windows.
Are these places all likely to be unsatisfying/weird-boundaried or worse? I just want a resolutely platonic massage and to know I'm not supporting anything bad. Does this not exist here? If it does exist here, by all means tell me where.
If you can't pay full retail price for a massage from a professional licensed therapist, as opposed to a sex worker who may or may not be there willingly, I would suggest you go to a massage school's clinic program, where students in the final part of their training are working. They will not grope your butt and they would be happy to get tipped 20%. For a comparison from a cheaper place but still a city: I am in Denver and even our cheaper franchise spa places typically won't go below $50 for a one hour service, unless you're seeing a student.
posted by zdravo at 8:53 PM on March 23, 2017 [9 favorites]
posted by zdravo at 8:53 PM on March 23, 2017 [9 favorites]
Just sending zdravo. I don't know about the cheap places but I have gone to the National Holistic Institute's Emeryville massage clinic for student massages multiple times. It can be a little hit or miss, but it's $35 and extremely non-sketchy
posted by brainmouse at 8:58 PM on March 23, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by brainmouse at 8:58 PM on March 23, 2017 [3 favorites]
I go to Angel Feet Reflexology in Oakland Chinatown. $35 for foot rub and over-the-clothes massage. Never had a weird experience.
posted by homesickness at 10:02 PM on March 23, 2017
posted by homesickness at 10:02 PM on March 23, 2017
I use to go to Happy Feet, which is a local chain of Chinese foot massage/reflexology places that does about half foot massage/half back and shoulder massage for $25/hour. I stopped going because I didn't know what the status of their workers was, but I can confidently say that I had no sketchy groping-type experiences or weird tipping experiences, though I usually tipped $15-20.
posted by asphericalcow at 2:03 AM on March 24, 2017
posted by asphericalcow at 2:03 AM on March 24, 2017
20% is a fine tip for a regular spa massage, but if you're going to one of those $20/hour reflexology places, it would be really insulting. I tip at least $10 on those, $15 if it was extra good.
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:06 AM on March 24, 2017
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:06 AM on March 24, 2017
Along the lines of students, there is a massage school in Emeryville that has student therapists and discounted massage rates. Several years ago, I also got good, last-minute discounts on massages via Groupon and Yelp Deals, if you're not opposed to those services. I always tipped 20% based on the full rate of the massage, though.
posted by stillmoving at 10:02 AM on March 24, 2017
posted by stillmoving at 10:02 AM on March 24, 2017
On preview, I see someone has already linked the Emeryville school. Apologies for the duplicate suggestion.
posted by stillmoving at 10:03 AM on March 24, 2017
posted by stillmoving at 10:03 AM on March 24, 2017
Also massage tips are more flat rate than %. 20% is too low. Tip $15-$20 per hour of massage.
posted by saradarlin at 1:12 PM on March 24, 2017
posted by saradarlin at 1:12 PM on March 24, 2017
I'm a licensed massage therapist. I don't recommend going to a student clinic. You are unlikely to receive a quality massage at one. I'll describe what our clinic was like: clients were charged $40 (and this was a decade ago), the massages were done in a large room with curtains between the tables, so you do not have privacy, the teachers would stick their heads in periodically to make sure everything was going ok, and sometimes come in and talk the student through something. The students are normally going through a set routine and will be unable to meaningfully customize the massage. They will basically just be trying to get through the massage without forgetting the bolster/spilling oil/making a draping mistake.
You may not legally tip massage students. They are not yet licensed as massage therapists and may not receive any pay for massaging someone. The money is paid to the school.
A cheap massage is usually not going to be a quality massage. In the rare case that you get a good massage for cheap, it means that a deserving therapist is not receiving a living wage. Massage is EXTREMELY hard on the body, NO therapists do 40 contact hours a week. If you get a good massage for $40, the therapist is receiving a maximum of $20, and almost certainly less. They may be receiving nothing. They may be trafficked, and no you can't tell.
I really don't view this as any more ethical than sweatshops. Yes, (most) people nominally had a choice abou whether to become a massage therapist or not, but we aren't told the truth about working conditions and pay until we find it out for ourselves and we already owe thousands in school loans. It's really not a nice thing to take advantage of someone who works their ass off, who went into the profession because they wanted to heal people or make them feel good.
You could go to a chain like Massage Evil--excuse me, Envy, and yes you will pay less. But you'll also end up in a contract with the company, any decent therapists will leave for greener pastures and there's no guarantee that you'll find another therapist you like.
I'd urge you to save up and get good massages but less often. The effects of a truly good massage will last longer as well.
posted by nirblegee at 9:17 PM on March 24, 2017 [1 favorite]
You may not legally tip massage students. They are not yet licensed as massage therapists and may not receive any pay for massaging someone. The money is paid to the school.
A cheap massage is usually not going to be a quality massage. In the rare case that you get a good massage for cheap, it means that a deserving therapist is not receiving a living wage. Massage is EXTREMELY hard on the body, NO therapists do 40 contact hours a week. If you get a good massage for $40, the therapist is receiving a maximum of $20, and almost certainly less. They may be receiving nothing. They may be trafficked, and no you can't tell.
I really don't view this as any more ethical than sweatshops. Yes, (most) people nominally had a choice abou whether to become a massage therapist or not, but we aren't told the truth about working conditions and pay until we find it out for ourselves and we already owe thousands in school loans. It's really not a nice thing to take advantage of someone who works their ass off, who went into the profession because they wanted to heal people or make them feel good.
You could go to a chain like Massage Evil--excuse me, Envy, and yes you will pay less. But you'll also end up in a contract with the company, any decent therapists will leave for greener pastures and there's no guarantee that you'll find another therapist you like.
I'd urge you to save up and get good massages but less often. The effects of a truly good massage will last longer as well.
posted by nirblegee at 9:17 PM on March 24, 2017 [1 favorite]
P.S. If you are short on cash, you might ask around and find someone who is interested in goods or services you have to barter. I sometimes traded with a caterer or aesthetician.
posted by nirblegee at 9:19 PM on March 24, 2017
posted by nirblegee at 9:19 PM on March 24, 2017
(For the record) I went to a student clinic for the first time recently, and the massage was customized, uninterrupted, done in a private room, and quite good.
Which isn't to say that what nirblegee describes isn't a thing - it's just not the only thing.
posted by trig at 1:07 AM on March 25, 2017
Which isn't to say that what nirblegee describes isn't a thing - it's just not the only thing.
posted by trig at 1:07 AM on March 25, 2017
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posted by zeri at 8:49 PM on March 23, 2017 [1 favorite]