Drive-Thru Strip Club in Pennsylvania

December 22, 2009

This is an old story, not exactly breaking news, but it strikes my funny bone:

Report by James Langton, for the Telegraph, 1 Oct 2000:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1368484/US-strip-club-caters-for-drive-in-voyeurs.html

PROOF that Americans believe any activity is more pleasurable when behind the wheel of car has come with the opening of the world's first drive-through strip club.

Patrons at the Climax Gentlemen's Club outside Salem, Pennsylvania, can view exotic dancers just as they would order a McDonald's Happy Meal - if at a somewhat higher price. The club has installed a drive-in lane. Drivers first pull up to pay a cashier $5 a minute per vehicle, then move to a second window where the curtains are drawn back to reveal the silicone-enhanced charms of the club's female employees.

Club owner Nick Fratangelo said: "Everyone has a smile on their face when they drive through." He opened the drive-through window to cater for customers too modest or pressed for time to stop and visit the club. Staff say that the busiest times at the drive-through are at weekends. They report some cars dangerously overloaded with customers, who must prove they are over 18, anxious to extract the maximum value.

Most pay for no more than five minutes, although one man recently spent $100 for 20 minutes, causing a queue, and creativity problems for stripper "Barbie", who said: "After a while, you run out of things to do."

The club has taken security measures not usually associated with a drive-in culture. Thick scrub and thorn bushes prevent peeping Toms, and partitions on either side of the viewing window prevent motorists from seeing anything until they have handed over their cash. Bouncers are ready to prevent photography.

Barbie said that her clientele has changed with the arrival of the drive-through. "It's a novelty to women and they don't have to spend the $15 to $20 for admission to the club. We also get a lot of college kids who can't really afford the door, but they can afford the window."

The concept also sets an interesting legal precedent. Laws in many American states ban nude dancers on the grounds that clients might sexually assault the women - something that is almost impossible at the Climax club, particularly if the seat belt laws are observed.

The club has some detractors. Many in the deeply religious village of Salem are unhappy at the latest roadside attraction, 35 miles from the city of Pittsburgh, and on a school bus route. Local religious leaders have inundated their politicians with letters of protest. Pastor Beth Hands of the Straight to the Heart ministry said she had counselled a number of men who found it hard to resist the temptation to jump into their cars.

She said: "They get off work and go over there and their wives are at home wondering, 'What is wrong with this relationship?'"

The leader of the local council said parents have asked her to take action. Salem believes that the drive-through is a publicity stunt by the club's owner after the village passed anti-smut regulations two years ago. Mr Fratangelo claims it is harmless fun.