In early June, Massage Express closed temporarily at 7135 Wisconsin Avenue, and the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services posted a Do Not Occupy notice in the window. I had not heard of any arrests or police activity there, but it's fairly unusual to see a notice like this in downtown Bethesda. I contacted the DPS, and the email response said, "There was some issue with Massage Express use and occupancy permit, which has been resolved. Massage Express has re-opened their business as of June 12, 2014." No details, but the business reopened as normal.
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| Massage Express on June 10 |
One factor may be legitimate businesses getting snagged by new County rules designed to fight human trafficking. DPS now requires documentation from the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Services that certifies every massage practitioner has obtained a valid Board of Chiropractic Medicine Massage Therapist Certification. Until such is supplied by DLRS, no occupancy permit will be issued/re-issued. So just one therapist's credentials (or lack thereof) could potentially lead to a temporary closure, until the paperwork can be verified.
Given that there is no indication of any unlawful issues at either business online, or in the press, it seems likely that the issue is regulatory red tape.
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| Bethesda Wellness Spa yesterday |
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| Reviews on Yelp give high marks for the spa's atmosphere and decor |
"Given that there is no indication of any unlawful issues at either business online, or in the press, it seems likely that the issue is regulatory red tape."
ReplyDeleteGiven that there is no indication of any unlawful issues at either business online, it's unwise to call them "massage parlors".
On the other hand, Robert could branch out from reviewing TV dinners and bumwines, to reviewing the local "massage parlors". Maybe he could even bring his "Winter Wonderland" wallpaper with him when he does.
ReplyDeleteOh, sorry, my bad. Robert does not review bumwines. It's just that they go so well with TV dinners.
"Massage Express" is not a massage parlor?
ReplyDeleteSnark Addict, my article made clear these appear to be legitimate businesses. That was the whole point of the piece! Some people are seeing these signs, and assuming something was going on there. I am explaining why the new County rules might result in a temporary permit problem, even when the massage business is a legitimate one.
ReplyDeleteBob you are right. But replacing conjecture with conjecture is still conjecture.
DeleteLove you!
And my point was that "massage parlor" has a specific meaning that does not apply to legitimate businesses.
ReplyDelete"Massage studio" - OK.
"Massage salon" - OK.
"Massage therapist" - OK.
"Massage parlor" = hohouse.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary: "massage parlor - noun - a place where people pay to be given a massage."
ReplyDeleteAs in "Full Body Massage $300; Pleasure FREE".
ReplyDeletehttp://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=rub%20and%20tug
Has the Urban Dictionary trumped Merriam-Webster in academic circles these days?
ReplyDeleteBethesda Wellness received a similar notice sometime last year and reopened about 2-3 weeks later I think. I'm surprised they would receive another notice unless there are new massage therapists with license issues.
ReplyDeleteClearly you've never been to Bethesda wellness spa, robert. That's or you're playing dumb.
ReplyDeleteHahahahahahahahaha
ReplyDeleteI'm going to go with the unlicensed "therapists" for Bethesda Wellness on Cordell. Here's why:
ReplyDeleteMy former neighbor (young female) went there for a message to help with migraines. She didn't give me any indication that something shady was going on, but this was sure strange... the massage therapist commented that she (the client) really seemed to know a lot about massage and asked her if she wanted to work there. My friend wasn't a licensed massage therapist or anything close, just a young woman.
I walk by this place daily; it's been a good year since I saw any signs of life inside that place. Always empty, not even workers inside.