Lawton Constitution knows pimpin’ ain’t easy…

2:13 PM EDT on July 17, 2017

Every now and again, I'll check small-town Oklahoma newspapers like the Enid News Eagle, Lawton Constitution or Hooker - Beaver Review for weird or interesting news stories to share with the rest of the world.

For the most part, it's a monotonous, boring, fruitless job, but sometimes it pays off. For example, check out this article about a prostitution sting via The Lawton Constitution. It was written by likely future TLO contributor Scott Rains...

Prostitution Sting Nets Pimp, Marijuana
The old adage goes: "Pimpin' ain't easy."
Lawton police reminded a man and woman Friday night that it's also illegal.

Yep, Pimpin' ain't easy. That's an amazing bit of knowledge for grandparents to learn in the local newspaper.

But know what isn't easy? Writing original ledes! I don't blame Scott going for the easy fruit, but you should avoid clichés like the plague! His next article about a local business person being charged with embezzlement will probably begin with – "The old adage goes: "Mo' money. Mo' problems."

Here's more from the article:

LPD Detective Kimberly Morton reported the Special Operations Unit conducted a prostitution sting after identifying a familiar name on www.backpage.com, a website popular for the solicitation of prostitution.
The woman was known from a prior investigation.
An undercover officer began texting the woman to the phone number posted to her ad. Through the messages, they agreed to trade money for sex, the report states. The detective went to the room at a hotel at 2202 U.S. 277 around 7:45 p.m. and met with the woman. Officers took the woman into custody and swept the room.
They smelled marijuana and found a burned joint in the ashtray. A large, wrapped condom was also on the bed. A small bag of marijuana was found in the woman's bra.

I'll admit, the only reason I finished reading article was for the amazing lede... and the hope that Ralph Shortey or some other Oklahoma lawmaker was involved. He wasn't. Disappointing, huh? As I said, reading through these small town papers can be a boring, fruitless job. Thanks goes out to Scott for making it fun for a moment.

Patrick @okcpatrick

Patrick is the founder, editor and publisher of The Lost Ogle.