There's a website causing a lot of controversy in the news right now by suggesting that people should actually be able to profit from being a friend.
The site--Rentafriend.com--is owned and operate by a man named Scott Rosenbaum in Stewartsville, New Jersey. On the site, you can type in your zip code and find people in your area who will gladly go see a movie with you or scrapbook in your living room--for a price. Alternatively, you can put up your own profile and determine an hourly rate for yourself. If you want to contact anybody or have them contact you, you have to pay the site to do so.
The obvious question--Isn't this just prostitution without the sex?
The obvious answer? Yes, yes, and yes.
But that doesn't seem to bother anybody involved with the site. It seems to be another way the Internet allows shy people to connect with others that they wouldn't feel comfortable meeting out in public. Rosenbaum monitors all the profiles, and if he sees anything on the sexual side, the profile is pulled.
After hearing about this, I had to go on the site myself and see what sort of people in my area were charging for their companionship.
I admit that when I typed in my zip code, I was thinking that maybe three or four profiles would come up. After all, we're in a bad economy. People are cutting back. What are the chances someone would actually pay for a chess partner or a wedding date?
The chances were actually quite good.
I found about thirty people of all ages and both genders who think they're interesting enough to merit upwards of $30 an hour for their company.
Then again, maybe they were just looking for company.
One woman looked like your typical soccer mom. Was she looking for another woman to grab cocktails with after a hard day with the kids?
I had no intention of paying the monthly fee to contact any of these people, but I did start thinking about my relationships with my friends.
If I really were to put a price on some of the things my friends have done for me, it would be well into the hundreds. A birthday celebration last Saturday with four of my best friends would probably be past the limit on any of my credit cards.
Isn't the best thing about having friends the fact that as impossible as we can all be, there are still people who willingly spend time with us?
But hey, if it gives some lonely people out there with some extra cash a chance to feel a little less isolated, I suppose it's not so bad.
I just hope my friends don't find out about this, or I might not be able to afford the guests at my own birthday party.
The site--Rentafriend.com--is owned and operate by a man named Scott Rosenbaum in Stewartsville, New Jersey. On the site, you can type in your zip code and find people in your area who will gladly go see a movie with you or scrapbook in your living room--for a price. Alternatively, you can put up your own profile and determine an hourly rate for yourself. If you want to contact anybody or have them contact you, you have to pay the site to do so.
The obvious question--Isn't this just prostitution without the sex?
The obvious answer? Yes, yes, and yes.
But that doesn't seem to bother anybody involved with the site. It seems to be another way the Internet allows shy people to connect with others that they wouldn't feel comfortable meeting out in public. Rosenbaum monitors all the profiles, and if he sees anything on the sexual side, the profile is pulled.
After hearing about this, I had to go on the site myself and see what sort of people in my area were charging for their companionship.
I admit that when I typed in my zip code, I was thinking that maybe three or four profiles would come up. After all, we're in a bad economy. People are cutting back. What are the chances someone would actually pay for a chess partner or a wedding date?
The chances were actually quite good.
I found about thirty people of all ages and both genders who think they're interesting enough to merit upwards of $30 an hour for their company.
Then again, maybe they were just looking for company.
One woman looked like your typical soccer mom. Was she looking for another woman to grab cocktails with after a hard day with the kids?
I had no intention of paying the monthly fee to contact any of these people, but I did start thinking about my relationships with my friends.
If I really were to put a price on some of the things my friends have done for me, it would be well into the hundreds. A birthday celebration last Saturday with four of my best friends would probably be past the limit on any of my credit cards.
Isn't the best thing about having friends the fact that as impossible as we can all be, there are still people who willingly spend time with us?
But hey, if it gives some lonely people out there with some extra cash a chance to feel a little less isolated, I suppose it's not so bad.
I just hope my friends don't find out about this, or I might not be able to afford the guests at my own birthday party.
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