I'm sorry to hear some of the stories in this thread. It makes me angry to think that boundaries could be so easily disregarded by guys within the realm of the tickling fetish.
I almost exclusively these days visit escorts. There's a variety of reasons for this, primarily that I don't have the time to form relationships through fetlife, but also I feel like I get some of my kicks from tying up and tickling woman who aren't 'professionals' or that familiar within the wider bdsm scene. I hope that makes sense.
Whether it's in person, over the phone, or in a text message, I ask the same thing a bunch of times in different ways.
"Are you comfortable being tied up and tickled?" "I do not want you to do anything you aren't comfortable with." "Will you be OK with having your hands and feet tied?"
If I sense hesitation (and I'd like to think I'm pretty good at reading others), I won't pursue it. In fact, sometimes, they've said 'yes' and I've still said, "You know what? You sound really nice, I get a good vibe off of you, but I don't reckon this is for you. Thank you though for being so accommodating."
Now, in saying all of this, I'm very clear about my expectations. "You'll be tickled and tickled extensively." or "You wouldn't have gotten tickled like this before." I'm not here to compromise what I'm looking for (and I do like the torturous side of tickling too, although I'd always prefer that the ticklee enjoy the experience overall), I'm not a sucker to pay a bunch of money for a lackluster experience.
The key is that communication early on. I can't stress it enough. I've always said that you can develop an intense sexual and amazing chemistry with another person who you've just met, far beyond their 'job description' as an escort', if you bring honesty and transparency to the table from the beginning.
Women will respect that shit, guaranteed. It is not easy to convince somebody who doesn't know you to let you tie them up and tickle them (especially sole-trader escorts working alone and for themselves), but the amazing tickling experiences I've had with a variety of very cool, very decent women has wholeheartedly come from them primarily being open minded enough to invite such conversation, and trying my best to create an honest environment. I don't mean to harp on, but it's just true.
I seldom go for internationals. Here in Australia we have a lot of south-east Asians working in the industry, and whilst Asians are absolutely some of the best ticklees, it's extremely difficult to have any of these initial conversations with someone who speaks less than a sentence of English.
It's not fair on them and it's not fair on me.
The safeword is always RED and that's communicated well before they are tied up, and repeated once they are tied before the tickling commences.
"Let me know if the ties are too tight." as well is a big one. I want to make the ticklee feel at ease and confident that she still has control over the situation. If she knows this, then she can lose herself in the experience.
It all sounds pretty 101 stuff but in this day and age, particularly around consent, you can't risk your reputational and legal livelihood on miscommunication. Just as important, Im not here to traumatise somebody based on my own personal selfish whims and desires.
I'm not trying to one up myself here. I'm here to create a safe tickling community that welcomes others and who walk away from these first time experiences, sexually energized, refreshed and begging ME to come back and do it again another time.
The stories here sound like the perpetrators of the horrible experience were likely face-value, decent looking, quite easy to engage, nice enough blokes (tell me if I'm wrong) and I guess that simply shows that the differences between somebody decent and somebody who isn't won't be immediately distiniguishable - so demand communication. Demand honesty. If you don't get it, then walk. Each and every time.
Stay safe peeps.