Sex, Five, Four...

The countdown has begun. Its about balls. Its about scoring. And its got everything to do with sex and soccer. Sex workers in Hillbrow, Johannesburg are looking forward to the business that the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup will bring with it. The opposing side, namely government and police and hoping to crack down on the sex trade, making it virtually impossible to protect the men and women involved in the trade. The spread of HIV can't be controlled and the safety of sex workers is constantly jeopardised by violence and abuse from police and pimps.

The moral high ground is populated with people who think that legalising prostitution will only make things worse. Worse than what?, some might ask. One prostitute was quoted, saying that she hopes the Cup will result in a nice little nest egg that will lead to an early retirement. She doesn't want to sell sex until she's 65, she says. Smart girl. She's got business savvy. I'd say an early retirement and golden FIFA handshake is in order.

The Town Bicycle

There are three things that interest most people, besides the weather and winning the lottery. They are, in no specific order...sex, money and travel. In my world, that translates to sex, the economy and tourism. There's very little more admirable than addressing all three of those talking points in one breath. Fortunately the Germans have managed to do so and with some success it seems.

A brothel in Berlin has started offering discounts to patrons who arrive on a bicycle. It gives new meaning to the expression "riding the town bicycle." But its not what you might think. The initiative is in an effort to boost sales at the brothel. with the economy what it is, people just aren't paying as much for sex.

Not only can Maison d'envie brothel be credited with counter acting the global economic crises, they're also making some smart business and environmental decisions. Taking a bicycle or public transport is definitely greener than streams of cars heading to the brothel omitting exhaust fumes, causing traffic and illegally parking. Do you think they've considered a car pool? Besides that, they're broadening their target market. The stuffy old boys arriving in their big German cars are being diluted by the young, dumb and full of...energy. The eager to please, the porn watchers, sexually free and bicycle riders can now get a €5 discount on the usual €70fee for a 45 minute session.

Owner of Maison d'envie says that the downturn in the economy has really affected the sex industry. I mean, if you were down on your chips, could you get it up? Understandable but not hopeless, thanks to the shared vision of the owner and employees of the brothel. The big boss, Thomas Goetz put it like this..."Its good for business, good for the environment and good for the girls."

What do the cops say? A version of this..."Man, I wish I could swap my cop car for a bicycle, just for von day." Calm down, this isn't corruption and they're making no arrests, prostitution is legal in Germany. One of the few countries who have transcended the stigma of buying and selling sexual acts. Since 2002, 400 000 sex workers have been allowed to enter into formal employment contracts. Another good reason to travel.

So there you have it, sex, money and travel - on a bicycle no less but look on the bright side...you can use your GPS enabled cell phone to track your trip, visit www.hummba.com to find out more.