There are definitely regional and generational answers to this question for professionals.

On the West Coast in the 90s, the houses almost always had the women start out as submissive and work their way up. To be honest it is a great way to truly understand BDSM and work your way up. While I don't have issues with subing, I am very uncomfortable with not knowing how experienced someone is and if they take the top's responsibility seriously. I was not comfortable with money superseding responsibility. So I went for an apprenticeship in a collective dungeon, not a house. Yes, we all flogged each other and tied each other up, but it was more communal and under supervision.

In the 2000s in NYC, if you were hot and had a black dress they handed you a whip and tossed you in with a client. (Which is why I cleaned up when I arrived in 2002 already fully trained.) Subsequently, NYC has always had a "I was born dominant!" attitude.

I remember in 2007, Mistress Wynter taught a fire play class and I volunteered to try it out. Wynter knew what she was doing I wanted to experience being lit on fire before doing it to someone else. People in the class kept promising not to tell. I insisted I didn't give a flying F. I took the class to learn and I was going to get the most learning I could out of it.

I'm not sure how things are in the US at the moment, but here all classes pretty much require switching in order to learn a practice. Not only for the top to know, but also for the sub to appreciate the work a top has to do.

Having said that, I think I get the whole golden showers thing and really don't feel like being peed-on.