Hacker News Reader

Comment by crispyambulance | Hacker News Reader

What even is an "escort-karaoke bar?" Karaoke and prostitution don't seem like a remotely believeable mix.

Whatever the case, it seems creepy, I am glad to have deleted my Uber account.

I take it you've never been to Asia? I would usually refrain from continent-wide generalisations, but the KTV lounge/brothel combo is pretty ubiquitous.

http://www.shanghaiexpat.com/phpbbforum/what-is-a-ktv-t11299...

It's actually a very common things in Japan at least, for men and women. Not just karaoke either, men and women pay younger, attractive people to pour them drinks, pay attention to them, laugh at their jokes, etc.

Not defending Uber's CEO of course, but this is like learning that Jeffry Dahmer occasionally drove slightly over the limit.

I'm glad to have learned about this now so that if I find myself in an Asian country with colleagues at a "karaoke" joint, I'll be able to suppress my "WTF" face when a mama-san brings in a line of numbered girls.

It can be even more awkward... at that kind of establishment often they'll either cater to Japanese people only, or tourists only (you do get some mixed places). The thing is, they're so polite that it can take a long time to realize that you're just in the wrong place.

Note: this goes for almost everything, from baths to ramen shops.

This is in Seoul. A news story would be businessmen going to a norabang and not seeing prostitutes

Reply on news.ycombinator.com