Gay cruising in public shower

Gatekeeping

The conversation has been amplified by a more recent phenomenon: the “peak gay sluttiness” era. Many have private rooms, dark areas, and group spaces.

🎥 Adult Cinemas & Video Booths

Adult cinemas with private viewing areas or booths are also known for casual, anonymous encounters.

Jonah Wheeler, aka @showoffjonah on TikTok, is one such influencer who provides practical advice for those hoping to get in on the action. Some prefer late-night visits when the area is quiet.

🧖‍♂️ Saunas & Bathhouses

Gay saunas are a more structured, safe, and private space for cruising. It is also nerve-wracking.

“Cruising is only viable if the people that don’t want to see it never see it,” he emphasizes.

The Dangers of Visibility

But this shift to the digital realm brings new questions. He teaches his followers how to look the part: “Come dressed like you know your way around wood. Jeans. His advice is thorough: identify the people not playing, gauge the room for small but significant signals, and only proceed if everyone in the space is on board.

These spots often attract men looking for privacy and spontaneity, especially after dark or during quiet hours.

🚻 Public Toilets (aka Cottaging)

Cottaging is the slang term for cruising in public toilets. New York’s Penn Station has seen nearly 200 arrests since June for activities tied to public sex, a statistic that many argue points to an increasing risk for cruisers.

The answers are murky, but one thing is clear: the anonymity of cruising is slowly fading.

RELATED: Caught Cruising at Penn Station: Amtrak’s Pride Month Controversy

At the same time, law enforcement is stepping up its crackdown on cruising areas. These spaces are often frequented by men who enjoy voyeurism or group play in a controlled indoor setting.

🚶‍♂️ Footpaths, Trails & Canals

In some areas, long walking trails or canals become informal cruising areas, especially near towns and cities.

With platforms like TikTok, even the most private of acts can find themselves broadcast for public consumption, bringing new possibilities and new risks.

The Future of Cruising

So, is public cruising dead? He adds, “These are very ordinary gestures, but you can do them in response to someone else doing them as a way of communicating non-verbally.” The reality of cruising in spaces like saunas and steam rooms relies on these small moments of tension—where nothing is said, but everything is understood.

The Lowe’s Method: Cruising in Public Spaces

In contrast, the new breed of cruising influencers—like @chasebrody99 on TikTok—take a more playful approach.

Not quite, but it’s undeniably changing.