Employing someone to act as driver and security buddy?

[Lorelei]

I have started off into escorting  a few weeks ago with outcalls only and paying a male friend to be my driver and security buddy.  Appointments were really picking up lately. But yesterday my (now former!) friend decided he's too "in love" (read obsessed and posessive) with me and can't stand the fact that I have sex with other men and that with him I don't and won't and therefore no longer wants to drive me.

Now, I've had three calls from potential clients today for outcalls and had to turn them all away due to there being no easy public transport between my home and their house or hotel. Plus the fact that I don't have any security contact at the moment.

So, since I am in need of a driver and security buddy and we as independent escorts are legal and have self-employed status, I thought about paying someone to do these things. I want this job to be done properly and I think that if I pay for it, the person will be more motivated to do it this way. It also seems only fair to me to pay people for their time and effort, just as I am getting paid for mine.  I know that escorts can be buddies for each other, but from my experience this doesn't work that well at all because of conflicting schedules, difficulty to reach an agreement that both parties be genuinely pleased with and natural reluctance people have when it comes to doing things for free.

I've just placed an advert on gumtree about "seeking a personal driver". I described the job in general terms as my needing someone to drive me for both work and social purposes. The pay I am offering is ?9 per hour and a flat rate ?5 for every 15 miles forth and back to cover petrol; minimum total pay ?15 per job, even if it is less than an hour.

What I'd like to ask you girls: has any of you gone down this route of employing a driver? How did you negotiate the agreement? Do you have any ideas or suggestions about how I could introduce the nature of my work to the potential drivers I am going to interview following my advert?

How did you stay in charge of the partnership and stay out of exploitative entanglements? I am going to photocopy the driver's passport/license and a couple of utility bills with proof of address just as any employer would do and I will make it clear that if he or she does me any harm in any way, he or she will be traced.

Also, do you think I am offering a reasonable pay in my advert? I can't drive and have nothing to compare it to.

[Dionne]

Hi Alexandra would you not think about getting a taxi there and back?
Sorry I didn't return your call about Friday I've been really busy but if you want to call/text me before and after any bookings then you are more than welcome to!!! Xxx

[Lady_Lust_XXX]

I know nothing regarding paying someone to drive as I am a driver  but the mileage allowance does seem rather low.  Most cars will cost that to run without any overheads.  I would also think 'pay for driving and waiting' may depend on the area you are in and where you are going to.  I may be wrong.   

I've thought of using a friend for 'company only on way to and from bookings' and I had thought of a standard straight rate.  I had thought around ?50 for the evening but my minimum outcall booking is 2 hours but that would be using MY car so they wouldnt have any outgoings. It would also be for one hour travelling each way.  I dont travel any further for an outcall.

 Will be interesting to hear what other females have to say.

[EmilyJones]

I don't know about the rates of pay for drivers (did you say what area you're in? That might help others give you an idea of a good average!) but I think your security checks sound very sensible and appropriate. I would expect to provide that information if I wanted someone to trust (and pay) me to drive them around in my car (if I had one!).

Will you also tell them what to do if, God forbid, you do not emerge from a client's residence or hotel on time? Your driver will need to know how to help without panicking.

Definitely be prepared for more potential oddness, no matter how carefully you vet the final candidate... People who've not sucked willy for cash can often find it hard to understand (as you unfortunately found with your friend) that we aren't necessarily inclined to have sex with anyone who comes near us. You might need to offer almost twice that pay rate, in order to avoid only hearing from respondants who think they'll be getting a BJ every hour, too?

Someone should start up an official escort taxi service - preferably with current or ex-escorts as drivers!

[Lorelei]

Hi Dionne, thanks for your kind offer, I will use it if need be. I advertise outcalls within a 20 miles radius from Coventry and taxis are way too expensive on such distances. They might be ok for within the city though, but then I can take local buses for that. So I still need a personal driver.

[ana30]

What about teaming up with another escort?  There's a few escorts out there who oNLY do outcalls -meaning they're not extremely busy... The other girl could drive, wait for you and vice-versa. You guys could tip each other whenever one is the driver so everybody is making money. And the "waiting girl" could  attend her phone calls and book appointments while waiting.  Having another female escort-friend would make the situation less "odd". i Personally I would feel more comfortable working like that than with some "strange" guy.

It's just an idea...

[strawberry]

I used to have  driver on an occasional basis but he was almost always using my car. I would pay him ?10 per hour for his time. At that rate a 2 hour booking with 1 hour drive each way would total ?40. I can't help with vetting since I already knew the person, and he was completely fine with my occupation!

[Lady_Lust_XXX]

That sounds about right to me Strawberry plus if you are using their car then mileage allowance too.  Im not sure what the 'normal rate' is for that nowadays but i would think around 30p/40p per mile would be realistic.

[Lorelei]

Thanks girls for your input, I've now edited the advert to change the pay to ?10/hour and 30p/mile. I did a google search about mileage rates and seen that indeed HMRC suggests between 25p and 40p per mile.

I'll let you know what comes out of this, in the mean time feel free to continue to post your comments on the subject, I'm always very interested to read them. My biggest dilemma is now about how to tell the candidates that I'm an escort and they're going to drive me to escorting appointments. I see other are seeking drivers on gumtree as well, just read an advert about "we have vacancies for discreet drivers to drive our personel to their appointemnts".

Of course I will set a security procedure with them so that they know what to do and in which set of circumstances.

[Champagne]

Have you thought about having a chat with local taxi drivers .  I've found that most are more than happy to come to a private arrangement to act as a driver as and when needed (make sure they are aware that it is a cash arrangement and not exchanging services). 

I don't take many outcalls but the driver I used before getting my own transport would give me a price before taking me to the booking.  He would then act as my security, I would give him the hotel room details should I need assistance (luckily I never did but I know he had actually gone to the assistance of another WG that did need help during a hotel booking).  Once I got to the room I would call or text him to say all OK and got paid etc.  He would then wait for for me, if I was running late he would call or text me to check all OK and take me home.

He was excellent and fully accepted it was a cash arrangement and never tried it on once (which is always a relief).  Unfortunately, I'm based on the south coast so he would be too far away for you.

Having two drivers may be a good idea just incase one couldn't make the booking your back-up driver would more than likely be able to.

Top tip, check if he's married and does his wife know what he's doing otherwise you may find that he couldn't drive you anywhere if the wife was home or needed to go shopping etc etc!

Good luck in your search.

Adele xxx

[Lorelei]

UPDATE: I got about a dozen replies to my advert and after a few casual interviews in coffee shops I selected two girls and a man with whom I thought I will communicate well. I've had a few drives with them and everything has been fine; depending on how far I was travelling within the 20 miles radius I cover, I ended up paying between ?20 and ?50 per appointment for the driving. Unfortunately, I'm not getting much work - about 1-2 clients a week only - and therefore didn't have much work to offer the drivers, which I think they are a bit disappointed with, but there's nothing I can do about it.

Consider also that to about half the bookings I've had since then is's been convenient for me to travel  by train or bus, which I did, as it was obviously much cheaper. There's also been cases when I had a same-day booking but none of the three drivers was available (of course, since they can't make a living driving me, these people have to go on with their lives) and I declined clients or in a couple of cases managed to travel there on my motorcycle. That was a bit awkward, but it worked out well in the end. In both cases I managed to find a pub or restaurant with a toilet room nearby and get changed before meeting the client - but this arrangement also meant I was carying my big rucksack with me for my motorcycle jacket and other clothes in.

I'm now preparing to get my car license. I've already got the car, insured and all, and have hired a casual accompanying driver to practice with me every other day. My driving is improving greatly and I hope that sometime in August I will finally have my own transport.