"They Think Foot Massage Must Be Something To Do With Sex"

Katherine Mangu-Ward | July 21, 2008

A crackdown on Chinese foot massage parlors is underway in Los Angeles: "Authorities have raided about a dozen foot massage parlors in recent months, from San Gabriel to Rowland Heights, charging operators and masseuses with fines of up to $1,000."

Which is weird really, because if you think about it, who needs a cheap foot massage more than a jackbooted thug?

An attorney representing a new association of foot massage parlor owners has argued that the industry employs more than 1,000 people—many of the poorest Chinese emigres hoping to establish a foothold in the United States.

So is it protectionism? Or prudery?

"They think foot massage must be something to do with sex," [shop owner Ching] Lau said. "They don't understand how popular this is in Asia. It's part of Chinese culture."

More on the thuggery of cosmetologists here and here.

Via Virginia Postrel's Dynamist blog.