I do not socialise in real life with other sex workers. I have no problems talking to the women on here, I do think its good for your sanity to have people to talk to especially if you're having a bad day. Also I believe its crucial to take advantage of the ability to share information about bad clients, legal changes etc, for your own safety and awareness.
The sex industry attracts people from across all boards - some people are funding their way through education, some people are using it to support going self employed in another field (I was the through my degree girl turned supporting myself in other self employment), other people do it because the flexibility fits in with other commitments (kids, care), some people do it because they started out as swingers etc etc. And, like all jobs, sometimes some self destructive people get into the industry who have no problems nor qualms about upsetting everyone they come into contact with who isn't funding them (you know that colleague in the office who is nice to the boss but makes everyone else's life difficult? Yup, that person). I don't think its unique to escorting/the sex industry. I have met some lovely escorts and I have met some right nasty two faced types as well. One 'friend' stole my bank card after we went shopping one day - she had watched me put my PIN into the machine, looked through my fingers - she managed to get ?600 out of my bank account about 5 days before Christmas. After that I never socialised with anyone in escorting again and never will. My private life is sacred to me and for someone to not only steal the sum of me fucking 5 different blokes but to then get access to my real name (on my bank card) and possibly have seen other things relating to my private life (student ID etc) was a very sharp wake up call to me to keep myself to myself. I've also seen other escorts being completely turned on by their other escort friends and 'excommunicated' for the silliest of things; again, the fear was "what if they tell X or Y", as well as the sting of being cast out from people they considered friends. Some people (escorts or not) never quite leave school in terms of how they treat other people, and thats fine if someone wants to live their life like that, but if you're aware of things I've done that could ruin my life and upset my family, I'd rather not give you the opportunity in the first place. Its too much of a gamble for me.
To me if you can talk about other people behind their back to me, I wonder what you say about me behind my back. A lot of people talk about how its horrible to 'out' another escort (which it is) but I'm pretty black and white in my standpoint that if you can tell people other confidences of mine, whats to say you won't let that one out if I do something that you don't like? I don't like being the topic of conversation, I like to be left alone to my own devices for the most part. I've never done the social life at work thing when I worked in offices so this is no different. Its just a job to me. I'm pleasant, I make small talk and general water cooler type chit chat but when the stockings are off, work mode is over and I have my own friends and life outside. Work is work to me - nothing more, nothing less. I don't want to go for a coffee with you, I don't want to go to the nights out, I don't want to discuss my personal life in any great depth. I find socialising with what are effectively other colleagues to be a bloody headache.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be private about this aspect of your life. Its your life, no one else's, and you are free to live it as you wish. I have two friends who know what I do, this forum, and thats enough for me to happily do my job and get paid at the end of the day. Its a job at the end of the day.