In Bonn, Germany, where prostitution is legal, hookers pay a “prostitution tax” to a ticket machine in order to have sex for monies. The fee is €6 (or $7.80) and shoots out a receipt to make the occupation official.
The machines were just installed and is very similar to the ones you see these days that take parking money. Over the first weekend, the machines collected $US382 worth of taxes. That’s, um, a lot of work right there. According to the new law, street prostitutes must pay the tax when they work between 8.15pm and 6am. After one warning, a hooker working without a ticket will be fined $US145. ‘Spensive!!
I guess from the government’s perspective, if you’re gonna allow it, you might as well tax the shit out of it. Each Siemens-built ticket machine costs $US11,575 to install. I’m thinking they’ll make their money back in no time. [NY Times]