A little riddle: what on earth is this strange object in the photo? With all those buttons, could it be some infernal machine from science fiction? You have several answers to choose from.
- A: The controls of a spaceship in an 80s film.
- B: A game for winning cuddly toys at a fairground.
- C: A device for monitoring the temperature of a nuclear reactor.
- D: Pah, whatever, we all know it’s some kind of sex thing!
Answer: what is this infernal machine?
As you may have guessed, interstellar travel and teddy bears have nothing to do with it, because this infernal machine is actually… a video booth in a sex shop.
I was rather intrigued by these places from another era, perched on the narrow line between seedy and erotic. So I decided to set off on an exploratory mission to the cinema corner of an “old-fashioned” sex shop.
In the shop itself, the choice of sex toys is a tad limited: a stock of Fun Factory, a few well-known models from other brands (but, strangely, not a single LELO), a few bits and pieces made of jelly and a few giant dildos. When it comes to lubricants, there isn’t as much variety as online, of course, but there’s still plenty of choice. On the other hand, there’s no shortage of videos… An entire room is devoted to DVDs.
A man comes down the stairs from the “cinema”. He seems a little embarrassed when I glance in his direction without thinking. Then another follows the same route. It seems pretty busy in there.
You have to pay to use the booths. So I ask the shop assistant how much they cost. Nine euros for half an hour. My visit won’t take more than ten minutes, but half an hour is the minimum rate. I don’t know whether many people stay for a whole half-hour, or whether people often go for the two-hour deal.
He asks if I have a preference when it comes to choosing the video, but I don’t really care about that (I’ve got an internet connection, thanks): it’s the place itself that interests me. I pay, he gives me a booth number and I head upstairs. I get to my booth. It locks with a bolt.
Inside a video booth in a sex shop
I close the door, and take the opportunity to (try to) get a few photos to show you what it’s like. But I only have my phone with me, and it’s not the best-lit place in the world. Anyway, I know the results won’t be great, but never mind, I’ll give it a go.
So, here’s a wider view of the little room in the picture opposite.
I told you, you can’t see much. But I’ll describe the bits you can’t see (after the riddle, the puzzle).
Under the screen, a little bin full of tissues (perhaps it’s just as well you can’t see it after all). Maybe the people who came before me were sad, or had colds, who knows. But I’m willing to bet these tissues contain very little snot. Against the wall, a dispenser of clean tissues. Opposite the screen, a green bench, a little torn.
The gizmo crammed with buttons and indicator lights contains the DVD controls. Or the tape controls, who knows. The machine, anyway, dates from the VHS era, if not earlier, though the player has probably been replaced since.
What are sex shop video booths for?
As you can imagine, if this place still attracts visitors, it’s neither for its modernity nor its high-end feel. But that’s another story… As I don’t have much experience in this area, we called on others to share their stories.
A few fans of sex shop video booths agreed to open up to us in the following series of articles:
Sex shop video booths: why go there?
- Part 1: They’re safe, cheap places for swinging.
- Part 2: To watch porn or indulge in exhibitionism.
- A saucy account: a session of exhibitionism in a sex shop.
