Ask Anna: the creative art of cruising for intercourse

March 29, 2021

Ask Anna: the creative art of cruising for intercourse

Ask Anna is really an intercourse line. Some columns contain language some readers may find graphic because of the nature of the topic.

If a guy is delivering signals to a different guy, such as for example viewing him and rotating their shoes/socks to his ankles down, what does this mean? Or if he sits beside after this you talks about both you and taps the base of their base or his ankle, so what does it suggest? I’ve had this take place while waiting in the bus end. Any suggestions about what these indications could mean will be valued. — Male Body Gestures

They’re cruising you for intercourse, and I also will be shocked in the event that you didn’t realize that. Maybe you’re too young to consider the Sen. Larry Craig sex that is gay scandal of 2007. Then touching the foot of the undercover officer in the stall next to him, who then arrested him if so, it involved the Republican (homophobic, closeted, “family values”) senator soliciting for toilet sex in an airport bathroom by tapping his foot.

The utilization of coded signaling was for protective reasons, as gay males were frequently targeted by police (but still are) and susceptible to harassment, abuse, and/or imprisonment. In order to prevent this, also to allow other queer guys to get them, they developed codes, often elaborate ones — like the hanky rule — to show intimate interest.

In accordance with a quite lengthy post about public sex codes on Urban Dictionary, “Tapping the foot over over and over repeatedly in a separated rhythmic pattern essentially claims ‘Hello buddy, i will be readily available for public sex.’ that is gay a positive a reaction to the tapping could be a much slow rhythmic tapping translated to ‘Well hello to you too. I will be also readily available for public sex that is gay will be thinking about having some with you.'”

The advent of apps like Grindr, Manhunt, and Growlr have mostly diminished the art of general public cruising. Although not completely.

Regarding the ankle rotation, I’ve never been aware of that as a cruising signal, and neither has Bob Sienkiewicz, editor of cruisingforsex, who we contacted regarding the inquiry.

“More generally speaking, exactly exactly what I’ve seen and skilled is when some one has gone out — walking in the road, on general public transportation, even sitting in a few general public places like lobbies or airport terminals where they need to wait or often wander and wait again — if an individual makes attention contact, then walks away or looks away, then looks straight back and one other celebration is searching straight back, then it may be cruising,” he claims.

The bigger point is the fact that if you’re thinking about reciprocating with one of these males, then your basic advice seems to be to mimic the action of just what one other has been doing, which lets them understand you’re interested, too.

Then ignore it if you’re NOT interested. And they’ll carry on their merry way.

Should you care to have a dive that is deep cruising signals, you can read Laud Humphreys’ 1970 book “Tearoom Trade: Impersonal Intercourse in Public Places.” It’s been criticized for the unethical research methods — Humphreys didn’t get his interviewees’ consent, several of whom had been straight-married, like him, and tracked subjects down by their license dishes — but the book details the elaborate and stylish dance of this public cruise, several of which will be still used today.