Panama's Famous Push Buttons
Say you’re a couple and you want to get away for a little privacy, a couple who don’t want anyone to know that you’re a couple, or a trio of criminals who need a place to chill out while the heat is on. Then, you might want to check out one of Panama’s famous “Push-Button” motels.
What is a Push Button? It’s basically a motel, where you pay for a few hours of privacy.
In Panama, they’re called “push-buttons” because you drive into a garage next to (or below) the room, push a button and the garage door closes behind you.
The entrance has a little slot into which you deposit your money, typically $10 for 2 hours, though the range is $5 to $10, and once you’ve paid, the room’s door is opened.
[These types of establishments, also called ‘Love Hotels’ or ‘Sex Motels,’ are very popular in Tokyo and in Brazil. See the incredible ‘City of God,’ if you want to watch an incredible crime go down in a Rio push and convince yourself not to go to one.]
What do you get for your money?
At Las Cascadas in Llano Bonito (just off the Corredor Sur, you get a clean room with a comfortable bed with fresh sheets for $10. The bathroom is spotless and the shower has a glass wall into the room. There is a large mirror on one of the walls. You get a television with some cable channels and one channel of adult entertainment. Music – usually salsa – is piped into the room, but you can control the volume, as you can the lighting.
If you want a drink, a snack, a condom or even some sildenafil, there’s a menu. Pick up the phone and let the management know what you want - in Spanish.
A few minutes later, there’ll be a knock on your door and the drinks and food will appear on a special shelf in the door.
Usually, you’ll never see the people who let you in or give you your order.
Discretion is the order of the day at the Push Buttons.
Other Pushes are more elaborate, and more expensive. There are several on La Transismica and on Tumba Muerta heading out to Tocumen. (One of these, famously advertises “The Seat of Love” and “The Love Swing.”)
For a top ten list of Push Buttons, click here.
Oh yeah, and the thing about the criminals. It really happened, just a few weeks ago. The cops knew the thugs were hiding out in a Pushes, so they started the arduous process of knocking on each and every door. Amorous patrons were outraged, but lodged no complaints.
The criminals were captured and supposedly are incarcerated.
