It was there, just past the tobacconists, that she waited for customers. Anna was not required to give any of her income to anyone. When the weather was cold, she could heat herself up at the hotel and there was always someone there if she had problems. We agreed on the prices. And these women had no boss.
Working for yourself is, for many women, one reason they prefer working on the streets to working in various kinds of brothels. They do not have rent to pay, are not tied to any working hours and do not have to hand over any money. Unlike in brothels, where it is customary to have long conversations at the bar and to consume alcohol, contact time with clients on the streets is short.
Since then, sex workers have vanished from Linzer Strasse. However, within residential areas, certain areas have the right to define so-called tolerance zones where sex workers are permitted to work. The red-light district in district 2 of the Stuwerviertel existed until , when the local administration also declared this area to be prostitution-free.
Nowadays, sex workers in Vienna can only work legally in industrial and commercial zones. There are property owners who view prostitution as being a reason for low rents.
There are also locals who feel harassed by sex workers and their customers, and who complain about filthy streets and noise. These areas are not explicitly defined as tolerance zones, but the girls are allowed to work, as long as it is not a residential area. It is not always easy to approach the women. The women have to use the bushes as a toilet while they are working. Sex with a street worker costs 30 to 40 Euros. That is what happens when someone is in dire straits and needs money.
