Driving down Niagara St. One might certainly reasonably ask why the Niagara Falls Reporter has revisited this topic of prostitution in Niagara Falls. After all, it was only two years ago this paper published as a cover story, "An Interview With Three Prostitutes. But there has been continuing interest in this topic. The web page which carries the story has been visited by hundreds of thousands.
I decided to revisit the same streets, not only for those who found the original interesting and might wish to hear more, but also for those who had not read the first story. And as for those who find it redundant, repulsive or indecent, I can only apologize and ask you not to read on.
For this is a real part of life on the streets of Niagara Falls, one of the poorest cities in the nation, and one beset with drugs, crime and the hard life of struggle.
In this milieu, prostitution exists and a frank and candid recording of the voices and the stories of the women who live this life is, to my mind, every bit as important as the voices of politicians or developers or businessmen, who are always finding their way into the pages of newspapers and magazines.
Here are the voices of those we rarely hear, or stop to listen to. Not as sellers of sex, or as degraded creature, but as people: Hear their voices. The names of the working women and some incidentals were changed to protect the privacy of those who agreed to be interviewed. Once again I ventured, by car, down the streets of Niagara Falls, specifically Niagara Street, where street walkers - prostitutes - are known to walk each night.
