Bad Date Book

A Bad Date Book (also known as Bad Trick Sheets) is a written record that circulates in cities that have a high concentration of street based prostitution. It contains reports of bad dates (violent clients who see prostitutes), describes the incidents, and frequently provides a description of the person, the vehicle, and the license plate number of the offender -- sometimes a picture of the person is included. Bad Date Books are published periodically and handed out to sex workers on the street. Reports are usually collected by outreach workers who are distributing the list. Sometimes information comes from the police or the media, complete with composite drawings or photos. The Bad Date Book can serve as a warning system, so that sex workers can avoid cars and clients who fit descriptions on the list. Bad Call Lists have also been made available to sex workers who advertise and work over the phone, and reports are often collected over the phone. The first Bad Date Book was published in Vancouver, Canada by the “Alliance for Safety of Prostitutes” (ASP) in 1983.

A ‘date’ is the term sex workers use to describe a meeting with a person for the purpose of sex for money; a 'bad date' is a term describing someone who abused or abuses a sex worker.

Many organizations produce a "Bad Date Book" including:

• Sex Professionals of Canada
• COYOTE (in New York)
• WISH (in Vancouver, BC)
• Crossroads (Alberta, Canada)
• Downtown Eastside Youth Activities Centre (in Vancouver, BC)
• The Bad Date Coalition of Toronto
• Street Workers' Advocacy Project (Saskatchewan, Canada)
• Bad Date Sheet Intervention Project (Tacoma, WA)