some simple cruising advice insights from a humble slut:
the early bird gets the worm(s)—sometimes: a dick can only get off so many times in a day & most need a decent break in-between. most asses & throats get sore at some point. viagra wears off. the poppers headache kicks in. and everyone just has to get back to the land of the living eventually. that means that your chances of finding some action can be greater earlier on during rush hour. this is triply so for parties, and less so for very fluid late night settings such as the ramble in central park at night or a club that stays open into the morning hours
knowing the lay of the land: always do a round when you arrive. if it's a space where I can get there before the action really gets going I do that too. one benefit of being an early worm is that you get the chance to get acquainted before the place is swarming with hungry guys. that said, if you're into cruising in the dark it can really add to that overall experience of mystery & suspense to not know where you are. I still have no idea what the ramble looks like in the daylight & I honestly might keep it that way forever
the chum effect: one of the surest ways to attract more people and get more sex going is to start things yourself. get your dick out, jerk off, get on your knees, show your ass. sucking a dick is always reliable for this in my experience. the action will almost always bring others sniffing around. you can also take this as a warning that if you participate in sex in an open space you will have people watch and/or want to join. it is always acceptable for you to tell folks to move on if you're not into a crowd, but at some point you really should just find somewhere more private
the swarming trap: one side effect of the chum effect is the swarming trap. as more people notice more people a crowd can build up. if you find yourself in a swarm keep in mind that the chances you'll get in on the action going on inside are very slim. of course you can and should watch as much as you want, and maybe even take advantage of the opportunity to scope out others in the swarm. but I don't recommend spending too much time there if you're actively looking for your own action
the prince charming trap: it can be tempting to spend the whole time looking for the ideal person. I find this can be especially true if you're looking to have anal sex, since that is often one-and-done for the night, can involve a lot of prep, and involves more commitment. of course it's always worth it to do your rounds and pose a bit. but once you feel yourself getting impatient I recommend stepping outside of your expectations, I promise that you might find enjoyment you would never expect with people you would otherwise never consider. to me this is really at the heart of what makes cruising spaces different, especially dark spaces
the rule of 3: nothing takes all the fun out of cruising quite like getting in your head, especially feeling overly self-conscious, and anxious that you're going to strike out. I have learned to give myself three failures before I go for a walk to shake it off and reset. that includes direct no's, walkabouts that don't turn up anything, posing that gets no positive response, etc. my suggestion is to leave the immediate cruising area and do whatever will calm you & get you out of your head. to me this can look like walking around outside the peak cruising area & taking time to enjoy the nature, or stepping outside the building to walk down the street with my vape & watch the city life around me. then you take a deep breath, tell yourself you're hot & anyone would be lucky to get the chance to fuck you & that no's are not about you, and get back to the hunt
no is not about you: this one is really hard. at least it can be for me. believe it or not, when someone doesn't want you that isn't about you. it's just about them and what they want. also, sometimes it's not that they don't want you, it's just that they don't want what you're offering in this specific moment. so try your best not to take it personally, and to focus on letting yourself be open to letting more in rather than on others keeping you out
get while the gettin' is good: once you've had a good experience it can be tempting to keep seeking out another, especially if you didn't get off. keep in mind that the chances of having more than one good experience aren't that great—and the chances of having more than one great experience are basically zero. I have learned to do one more walkabout, one more round of posing, and then I take my good memories and go before they start to turn sour
closing time: remember the prince charming trap? come closing time, almost everyone drops these pretenses, and anyone still looking is more likely to find someone who just wants to get off with someone else. this conflicts with being an early bird, unless of course you are planning to stick around for the full peak period (which can be really fun if/when you ever have the time). so I'd recommend early bird if you're very committed to having sex with a particular type of person, because closing time is not a time to be picky
make connections: if you feel a good vibe with someone you can strike up conversation. we're all people after all. and for some folks these spaces are some of their only access to gay community. cruising chatter should always be with library voices. sex sounds can be louder depending on the setting. be attentive to the fact that conversation before hooking up could likely be suggesting to the other person that you're looking, so it's best to make it clear if that's the case
after-care: if you are a brooder like I can be, I recommend that give yourself some time before you go thinking about it all too much. if you had a good time, let yourself just feel good. if you didn't have a good time, do whatever self-soothing works for you. if you had a bad time, find someone you can get support from. also: use sanitizer & mouthwash, take a shower, moisturizer that ass, enjoy some throat coat tea, make sure you took your PrEP or ARVs today, take your DoxyPEP, and schedule testing if you feel you need to (or if it's been more than 3 months since your last tests). if you're an analyzer like me, you can also debrief with yourself at some point: think about what you enjoyed, what you didn't enjoy, and what you could next time to have even more fun
HAVE FUN! this one could go without saying, but I've yet to meet a person who can't manage to get so in their head that they suck all the joy out of even the most casual & fun experiences at times. the point of sex is to connect with & enjoy the world*. if you ever find that you're not enjoying it anymore, it might be time to take a break—yes you can get burnt out even on things you like. and if you find that you're not enjoying much of anything that you used to, it might be time to seek out some mental health support
*no the point of sex is absolutely not to procreate, that is just one of many possible side effects