Were the 2010s the golden age of punting?
This isn't a review but I wanted to put it in the Wellington Reviews section because it's being written from someone whose punting experience has been almost entirely based in this region. The thought occurred to me today that people like to reminisce about eras that were supposedly better than now. While I 'm probably not the only one who thinks the first quarter of this century has been far from a terrific ride for society as a whole, it would be fair to say that the 2010s were the best years to be a punter, right? I didn't begin punting regularly until late 2008, so there could be those with longer 'careers' who may beg to differ in opinion, but I certainly think they were great times, especially in Wellington. The start of the decade saw the rise of smartphones and cheap broadband, making the fledgling NZ Girls website so much easier to discreetly look at, and it was amazing just how many options there were. The escorts were younger (we were all younger!), the prices were affordable and living costs were relatively low, despite the lingering effects of the GFC.
I often look back over my punting diary with admiration over just how many sexual conquests I had for under $200 each time. I was putting up to 50 times annually throughout the second part of the decade, and yet in 2016-18 only once each year did I pay more than $150, and on all three occasions they were $160. In 2013 I had a euphoric 45-minute double massage for $240, and even as late as 2019 I had a satisfying half-hour one with two Asians for $180. Many of the sessions I booked lasted 45 minutes or an hour, often massage but sometimes full service, usually Asian but many times non-Asian, and from young to middle-aged. Sometimes they were forgettable, but a huge number of them had me writing the initials BPE - "best punt ever" - by the names in my diary.
So what happened when the fucking 2020s arrived? Covid and the subsequent cost-of-living crunch. Many establishments closed and several independents retired, while prices went up and up. For example, when One Night Stands was based in The Terrace I remember paying $150 for an hour's full service with a lady who was keen to kiss as well. Now if you want to have a 1-hour full service at 1NS over in Newtown you have to pay $240 plus another $50 for the privilege of being kissed - almost double the price in less than 10 years. I believe this is more to do with falling supply and thus competition than rising living costs. Not only that, many escorts are still around after 15 years or more on the scene, and sadly it is true that we don't get more attractive with age. I know that the 'veterans' have kept their prices down because of this, but it's meant the new girls on the scene are charging way more starting out than the older generation used to, even taking inflation into account. And of course, there has been a growing number of negative reviews on this forum, particularly in regards to the highly frustrating 'bait-and 'switch' tactics of the touring Asian SWs who seem to be the only ones who charge less than $200 for any service that lasts more than half an hour these days.
As many others here have commented, the punting scene seems to have been dying in Wellington this decade thanks to the perfect storm of higher prices, stagnant wages and reduced options. The question is, will we ever have another golden period?
I often look back over my punting diary with admiration over just how many sexual conquests I had for under $200 each time. I was putting up to 50 times annually throughout the second part of the decade, and yet in 2016-18 only once each year did I pay more than $150, and on all three occasions they were $160. In 2013 I had a euphoric 45-minute double massage for $240, and even as late as 2019 I had a satisfying half-hour one with two Asians for $180. Many of the sessions I booked lasted 45 minutes or an hour, often massage but sometimes full service, usually Asian but many times non-Asian, and from young to middle-aged. Sometimes they were forgettable, but a huge number of them had me writing the initials BPE - "best punt ever" - by the names in my diary.
So what happened when the fucking 2020s arrived? Covid and the subsequent cost-of-living crunch. Many establishments closed and several independents retired, while prices went up and up. For example, when One Night Stands was based in The Terrace I remember paying $150 for an hour's full service with a lady who was keen to kiss as well. Now if you want to have a 1-hour full service at 1NS over in Newtown you have to pay $240 plus another $50 for the privilege of being kissed - almost double the price in less than 10 years. I believe this is more to do with falling supply and thus competition than rising living costs. Not only that, many escorts are still around after 15 years or more on the scene, and sadly it is true that we don't get more attractive with age. I know that the 'veterans' have kept their prices down because of this, but it's meant the new girls on the scene are charging way more starting out than the older generation used to, even taking inflation into account. And of course, there has been a growing number of negative reviews on this forum, particularly in regards to the highly frustrating 'bait-and 'switch' tactics of the touring Asian SWs who seem to be the only ones who charge less than $200 for any service that lasts more than half an hour these days.
As many others here have commented, the punting scene seems to have been dying in Wellington this decade thanks to the perfect storm of higher prices, stagnant wages and reduced options. The question is, will we ever have another golden period?
