It is advisable to keep all your personal items, such as mobile phones, wallets, and keys, well hidden on your person at all times, or leave them at home if you can. Due to the types of areas you are visiting, it is very unlikely that there will be CCTV in operation, or even lighting. Making sure you are safe at all times is of the utmost importance. If this happens, it generally means that they are interested and you can approach them. It is unlikely that someone will just walk up to you and announce what they are there for, so it is important to keep a look out for signals, such as eye contact, a nod of the head, or something along those lines. Once you have found an area you would like to visit and arrived there, what do you need to do? You will often spot other people walking around on their own, maybe looking at their phones, or just slowly looking about.
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You will be able to find a full list of areas local to you, with directions of how to get there, safety advice for each particular site, and a message board to see who else may be going at certain times. So, if you are thinking you might like to give it a try, it is best to look on certain websites, such as Squirt. This is because there are often lots of nice, secluded areas that you can disappear into and not be seen by passers-by.ĭue to the secluded nature of cruising sites, you are not likely to just stumble upon one. Some of the most popular cruising sites tend to be in large parks, by canals, and in lay-bys. So from now on, we will focus on cruising. If you are caught then you could be banned from the area or even arrested and potentially charged for sexual offences, which will be on your criminal record and would be flagged any time you have DBS check. Police or security often patrols these areas. Having sex in any public toilet or facility is against the law, even if you are doing it in a closed cubicle. Cottaging, on the other hand, is a different matter, as it is a criminal offence. There is no law specifically against cruising (having sex outdoors), as long as you are ensuring that you are not visible to other members of the public or causing a nuisance. So, although both terms originated around the same time, and they both describe having sex in a public place, there is one major difference between the two. What is the difference between cruising and cottaging?
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Like the word cruising, cottaging was a code word for gay men to plan sex meetings without attracting unwanted attention. It was used to describe public toilet blocks in public areas that resembled small cottages.
The term is used many countries including the UK, the USA, and Australia.Ĭottaging: The term cottaging originated in the early 1960s in the UK. It was a way to plan sexual encounters without attracting the attention of people who may wish to report them to the authorities, or inflict harm.
These meetings are usually one-off, anonymous encounters.Ĭottaging is a term used to describe anonymous sex meetings in public toilets.Ĭruising: The word originated as a gay slang term, sometime in the early 1960s, as a way for people who knew its meaning to arrange sexual meetings. Let’s have a look together at what it means, the laws, and general safety if you do decide to give it a go.Ĭruising is walking or driving about certain areas, called cruising grounds, looking for a sexual partner. You may have heard someone talk about cruising, or have been asked if you want to go, but what does it actually mean? You may be looking for somewhere new, seeking thrill or adventure, or just not be able to have the sex you want within your four walls.
Sometimes, having sex in the safe confines of your bedroom just doesn’t cut it.
This blog was written by our Sexual Health Outreach Worker, Chris Dunbar.