Only in BIM

EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD JASON ASHTON has no qualms about his night-time profession.

Three weeks ago he shocked some people when he boldly told a magistrate that he works at Bush Hill, St Michael, seeing after the welfare of prostitutes.
At the time Jason was in court on an assault charge.
He confessed he writes down the licence plates of cars picking up the women and makes sure they return safely. For that he is paid $10 out of each fare.

When the WEEKEND NATION caught up with Jason at his home in Gullyfield Avenue, Bayville, St Michael, he proudly said he was a pimp.
"You just wake me up. I got home about 7 o'clock this morning from at the Garrison," says Jason, rubbing his eyes.
It was around midday on a Tuesday.
But he became wide eyed as he spoke about being a pimp - almost glorifying his part-time job.
With a grin on his face, Jason, who is also a mechanic, says he has three women working for him at the Garrison. They pay him a small commission plus rent of $400 each.
When asked where the girls were, he says they were out shopping as the previous night was a good one for them.

Chief Magistrate Clyde Nicholls warned him to stay away from the popular Bush Hill - the main congregation spot for women of the night. But with a shrug of his shoulders Jason says he has no intention of following the Chief Magistrate's advice.

"This is big business in Barbados. I am not the only one. They are a lot of us who have girls," he says, calling some names.

Bursting with excitement, Jason exclaims that he was born to be a pimp.
He got into the business from age 16, when a relative, whom he says operates a strippers club, sent him overseas to get some girls.

"On my first trip I brought two girls for him. He told me to go down there and meet a man who would give me the girls to bring back. He gave me money and I brought the girls here and they stayed with me. My uncle told me to take them to the Garrison and show them the ropes. From then I used to be out there every day keeping them company," he says.
After he realised how lucrative the business was, Jason says he decided to break away from this relative and bring in the girls for himself.
Apart from this one, he points out that another relative also operated a club in the Nelson Street red light district several years ago.

"I grow up in this thing," he says.
And he says business is good.

"A lot of men does pick up these girls - lawyers, bankers, you name it - a lot of big boys. I does laugh when I hear them saying that they don't pick fares because I know they do," he says, pointing out that he even has some of the car registration numbers logged in his cellphone.
However, Jason says he provides "his girls" with protection since some people pass by the Garrison and throw eggs and stones at them.

"When they go into Town they does buy me brand name clothes and shoes. The girls does get out good."

Jason even believes prostitution should be legalised.
"I feel they should legalise prostitution. It is not a crime. I see people going thiefing and robbing but prostitution is honest work," he says. He also said that every night someone from the AIDS Society handed out condoms to the women at the Garrison.