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Los Angeles cracks down on foot massage parlors
The second-floor storefront near an Asian grocer in Rowland Heights is part of a wave of foot massage businesses that has saturated ethnic-Chinese neighborhoods in Los Angeles County over the last three years. The popularity of foot massage has risen as cutthroat competition has sent prices downward. But now, business owners are dealing with a new problem: a crackdown by county and state officials who have ruled that they need licenses from the state Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. A few weeks ago, investigators arrived at Lau's business, closed its doors and asked that everyone produce certification. The scrutiny has roiled business owners and employees in an industry that has increasingly become a refuge for poor immigrants from China -- many of whom consider the relaxed environs and better pay a superior option to working at a restaurant. The licensing requirement defies commonsense. The Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, which deals mostly with manicurists and hairstylists, determined last year that the young industry fell under its purview because of a law that encompasses the beautification and cleansing of the feet. Many foot massage businesses soak customers' feet in warm water and herbs before administering a massage. Business owners say that they should not have to face enforcement until lawmakers establish a separate set of rules for foot massage. What's worse, they argue, is that the schooling required for a Board of Barbering and Cosmetology license does not include any instruction on foot massage, but mostly hair and nail work. If you have years of experience performing foot massages, you're not qualified to perform foot massages. If you've spent thousands of dollars for state-mandated classes on hairstyling and manicures, congratulations, you're licensed to perform foot massages. Thus the government protects consumers by ensuring that (a) your licensed foot masseuse is probably incompetent, and (b) your licensed but incompetent foot masseuse can charge higher rates because all the competent foot masseuses have been driven out of business. Then there's the sex panic angle. Lau and others believe the state is cracking down out of concern that illicit sexual activities are occurring at the parlors -- something owners strongly deny. "They think foot massage must be something to do with sex," Lau said. "They don't understand how popular this is in Asia. It's part of Chinese culture." (Though she finds it curious that some businesses have private rooms with massage tables, [Terri McLaughlin, a business license investigator for the L.A. County Sheriff's Department] said the suspicion of illicit sexual activity was not the driving force behind the enforcement.) The confusion is understandable. If I happened across a storefront "massage parlor" staffed by recent Chinese immigrants, I might expect to be offered a happy ending. Neither the misguided tingle nor the parting disappointment would make me want to shut the place down. A good foot massage can be a near-orgasmic experience anyway. Maybe some foot massage parlors really are prostitution fronts. So what? (Thanks, Ronnie!)
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In a stunning display of antisex panic, cultural cluelessness and bureaucratic bumptiousness, Los Angeles is cracking down on unlicensed foot massage parlors.