Cruising defenders ask that outdoor cruisers send them their own alerts about the cities where they reside. Use extreme caution, the defenders advise. Or, "Better yet, simply avoid these locations."

Two sites on the Web now advise what to do in case of arrest. One site was created by an Australian lawyer, while another is offered by an American. A Boston law firm says it will provide free legal advice regarding entrapment and public sex, using e-mail sent via their web site. They offer this for free. The web site is Donahue & Grolman's Virtual Law Office.

Following are the latest Outdoor Cruise Alerts sent by anonymous individuals from various locales:

Scotia Tower basement Food Court can. I walked in last Thursday afternoon to check out the action (about 3 pm) to see 2 plainclothes cops (or private plainclothes security -- I couldn't tell which) pull out an official looking "badge", and terrorize a Chinese guy who had been in there cruising. That guy was led off screaming, to a holding room down the hall. One "cop" has a ruddy face, mid-50's, silverish hair, combed right back from his forehead, the other guy is a bit younger, mid-40's, geeky looking, balding, about 6'2" with a beard and moustache. Both were wearing non-descript plainclothes. One went around the corner (to where the stalls are), and the other stood out near the main door. The can has been getting really super busy lately with many cruisy guys jacking off at the urinals, in front of some straight business types using the place too. There's obviously been complaints.

Police have been setting up "sex-sting" operations in Roeding Park since August. The local newspaper quoted the authorities, "out in full force with the winter months ahead. We want to make our presence known." The sting operation involves plainclothes officers. Names of arrested are listed in the local newspaper as well as occupations, places of employment, and place of residence. The targeted restroom is located towards the back of the park across from Maple Grove.

Paradise Books. I was alone in a booth, secluded and situated so that I could j/o alone and see the shadow of anyone coming toward my booth. A large figure suddenly loomed over me and wouldn't leave. I covered myself with my shirt tail and hands, hoping he would leave. I wouldn't look up, assuming it was (someone unattractive to me). It was a police officer who ordered me to pull up my shirt. Of course, my dick was out and hard and too long to get stuffed into my pants quickly. He ordered me to leave immediately. It was a police raid. They began handcuffing patrons and yelling at them. The officer ordered me to leave quickly. I believe they let me go because I happened to be watching straight porn at the moment. Everyone else was busted. I was surprised the owner hadn't flashed the lights or done something to warn everyone.

Larimer County Sheriff's office has supposedly got a 24-hour operation going at the Rest Area on I-25 outside town. If you'd not violate the trespassing law, or any public decency laws (they will give you time to do that), they will identify themselves as the law, take your information and take a picture of you with your car. There may still be action going on in the restrooms themselves or in someone's car; however, the wooded area north of the southbound rest area is now heavily patrolled.

Management and cops are totally on to the scene at the Mobil Gas Station on Garden State Parkway, exit 153, and have started taking license plates and harassing the guys in the rest room by yelling/kicking you out. I'd stay clear for a while.

The toilets in the theatre in Gordon Square are the property of University College London and are under close patrol by our security staff. The acts for which you list our building are illegal in the United Kingdom and any individual found using the toilets improperly will risk prosecution under UK law.

Mature Video off highway 70 has recently had police cars in the parking lot and reports of plain-clothed cops visiting there with a few arrests being made.

Cops are involved in a sting operation hitting the Rest Areas between exit 98 (East Holly Rd) and exit 93 on I-75 in Northern Oakland County. One local channel, in time for sweeps, has been involved in the investigation. While the faces were obscured, they mentioned detailed descriptions of who the people were... you know... he's a so and so church minister... so anybody knowing these people could easily tell who they were.

The rest areas along Interstate 24 have been patrolled frequently. There have been over 120 arrests and then are considering closing down this rest area due to that fact. Also, there has been extensive television coverage and the names and addresses of people arrested have been publicized (a couple of teachers, a councilman, and a pastor).

Long Beach police have stepped up undercover patrols of Marine Stadium, off Colorado Street (supposedly in response to upcoming city elections in which wealthy homeowners want the cruising stopped in this park adjacent to their homes). On Friday, Nov. 14, nine guys were arrested throughout the park. Over six undercover vice officers were involved in unmarked cars. Men were arrested in the Park's two public restrooms, in the parking lots and adjacent streets. Arrests were made of guys who weren't even engaged in any blatant sexual activity (no nudity, stoking through clothes, etc.) but were picked-up for making an "unwanted sexual proposition" to very gay looking officers who set-up the encounters. Those arrested spent over 12 hours in the city jail Friday night and now face lewd or obscene conduct charges. These so-called "potty patrol" sweeps are expected to continue. The cops don't play fair here and misrepresent the facts on police reports, so!

The gloryhole in the bottom of the Colvard building at UNCC has been found by the campus police. They are continually monitoring all out of the way restrooms.

Cook County Forest Preserves should be approached with caution, whether in cars or walking into wooded areas for sex. Forest preserve police are exercising zero tolerance of sex in parks, and first time offenders will be arrested. Undercover cops are being used.

The toilets at Piccadilly Railway Station are covered by 5 cameras. One watches you from behind as you go into the toilet and another watches you from the front. Two more cameras are situated in the sink/cubicle area and therefore can't see activity other than for people lingering. A 5th camera is situated above the urinals (on the left hand side). I know because I work there.

Macy's is currently running an entrapment net in all their stores in the San Francisco Bay Area to as far north as Santa Rosa. This is plainly entrapment. People are being warned, not arrested but threatened with arrest for returning and are forbidden to return upon pain of arrest for trespassing in the store concerned. Nasty.

Bally's Health Club,11315 Ventura Boulevard. The men's sauna is like a bathhouse. About the 2nd of November, vice went in and made 5 arrests.

Winton Woods, off Winton Road. Park rangers will hide in woods and watch/stop anyone who may be cruising. If stopped, they add your drivers license and car info into a "watch" file.

Feeding Park on Norumbega Road. After dark there was a cop waiting to greet me. He stated that a "very bad element" hangs out there and asked me to turn off my car. He asked how I ended up there (it is pitch black) and then asked me to leave.

Hilton Hotel and Towers, 6th Ave. at West 54th St. I was confronted by a uniformed security guard and another one in a suit as I was leaving the 2nd floor rear tearoom. They asked me why I was walking in-and-out of all of the bathrooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors. I was in the front 2nd floor tearoom (about 5-10 min), left, went to the third floor but simply went up the front escalator and down the rear one, not entering the 3rd floor tearoom. I then went in the 2nd floor rear tearoom. As I was leaving this one they confronted me. I had not exposed myself to anyone because I hadn't had time in either tearoom to figure out if things were OK. Damn, I hadn't even gotten hard. They asked me to come downstairs with them to the Security Office and claimed to have videotape of me going into all three tearoom's. They asked for ID and took my picture and filled out a form which stated that I had been warned to stay out of the hotel unless I had official business there and that failure to do so would be trespassing. I am contacting a lawyer to see what my rights are.

Be wary of cops on Julian Street between Stockton and Cinnabar. I was pulled over on the pretense of narcotic trafficking when I pulled over to warn someone that I saw a couple of policemen several blocks away. I was questioned, detained for several minutes, and had my car searched. Basically, I was harassed for being where I was. This is becoming common for that area, so watch out!

All public parks in Mecklenburg County should be approached with extreme caution. Crackdowns against cruisers have been reported by the press. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are very much in favor of vice control in public places. Also, Salisbury City park and adjoining Hurley Park, both about 4-5 city blocks in area, are bad spots for pick-ups. City Park renovations (about a year ago) include better lighting and upgraded restrooms, increased security and police presence. A few men have been arrested within the past 2 years for soliciting undercover officers at both parks. One of the arrested men was a retired minister and former soil and water commissioner. Details of arrest were published in The Salisbury Post newspaper.

Look-outs and rest areas on the Blue Ridge Parkway, particularly the one known as "Sleepy Gap," have come under police surveillance, using undercover cops. This area should be avoided until at least after Christmas.

Trumbull Shopping Park on Main Street. Stalls and urinals are checked regularly. Security guards are posted right outside the men's room. I walked in as a guard walked out. While I was at the urinal, the guard came back in and questioned what I was doing. I practically had to ask him if he wanted me to leave. He said he had "gotten complaints" about me, and escorted me out. Then, as I walked away, I heard him snickering with one of his security co-workers.

Belvedere Theatre, off Memorial Drive, has reportedly been the scene of carjackings of men leaving the theatre.

Will Rogers Park has been targeted by vice. Newspapers list all arrested for suspicion of acts in the park.

I visited Tropicana Adult Bookstore about 2 weeks ago. I parked my car in the far back lot and sat in the car watching other people. There were other cars also parked alongside me with the drivers minding their own business. Suddenly the police arrived and barricaded us with their car, took our IDs, and questioned us what we were doing. This was around noontime. We were then advised not to loiter. The police then went inside the bookstore and mini-theater for a "walk through."

Recent news coverage on the animosity between the OSU wrestling team and cruisers in Larkin Hall has drawn attention to the antics in the steam-room and restrooms in this building and other places on campus. Extreme caution is urged -- OSU police intend on stepping up their actions and targeting "non-student" loiterers.

Swinney Park. I drove in last night after work only to have the police do a plate check and then have the results broadcast over the loudspeaker so everyone in a two-block area could hear it. I was humiliated and angry with this kind of treatment. I hadn't even done anything.

At Vince Lombardi Rest Area, I was approached by two undercover officers in the stall area of the bathroom, asking me to verbalize what I wanted to do with them. Obviously, I didn't and got the hell out of there. Neither one of them showed themselves at the urinal. Neither did I. Someone I know was arrested there not too long ago.

The Woodville rest area on route 20 is still a fun place, but after dark, use extreme caution. I have been approached twice now by a state trooper and was warned not to be there after dark. There is a sign stating the park is closed from 12:30 am to 6:00 am, but the law seems to think it should be dusk to dawn.

Harem theater was raided by police a few weeks ago and several men were arrested.

Law enforcement officers conducted a sting the last week of October in Forest Park (east Baton Rouge, on South Harrell's Ferry Road, near Interstate 12 at Millerville Road). Some 17 men were arrested on various charges. Most were local, however, others were from nearby towns and cities.

Tell your readers to avoid Bear Cut. I was there last weekend at the Metro Dade police showed up. The leader of the pig force insisted that this was private property, and we (about 40 nude sunbathers and cruisers) would be arrested for trespassing. They actually arrested no one as they did not have the manpower to control the "trespassing" crowd.

Dallas and Fort Worth adult bookstores are being hit by good looking undercover vice men. They even take out their cocks and play with them. I know, I've been nabbed by a 40 year old cop and went through hell for a year.

Be careful at the rest area on I-77 south between Charlotte and Fort Mill. There is an undercover cop going through the rest area on some nights and making note of the cars there and recording the license plate numbers. If he sees the same car there more than once the same night, he will warn the driver that he is subject to arrest. I've never seen him actually go into the rest room, though he might. Lately he has been driving a metallic red unmarked Crown Victoria.

Villa Rica, Georgia (November 3, 1997)

The truck stop at exit 6 has installed video camera in ceiling air vent. I watched two guys being taken out in hand cuffs while I was taking a piss. Heard cops say they saw everything that happened. Hole is still open, and they are just waiting for you to make a move, then you are busted.

Three plain clothes officers arrested at least four in the theatre part of the French Quarter Theatre on October 27, around 5 pm. The men were taken out to the parking lot and searched. The rest of us made it out the emergency exit and scattered fast.