Hmmm...a couple grand sounds like a pretty excessive exaggeration. I am sure it happens but that is definitely not the norm.
I stripped on and off for 14 years. Most of the places I danced in were dive bars, and I would make enough to pay the bills but it never was a huge amount of cash. I didn't hustle for lap dances, however, which is where most of the money is in most clubs. Grinding on random dood's cocks was never that appealing to me. A lot of clubs which push the girls do hustle lap dances often are just shifty covers for prostitution.
When I started dancing I worked for an agent, and would get a base pay and would travel to various clubs for a week at a time, with room usually included. Dealt with a lot of crazy bitches during that time. One club, another one of the shifty prostitution covers, wouldn't let me give a private dance to a woman, which really ticked me off. And one of the girls PISSED on another girl's costumes in the dressing room. Theft was also a regular occurrence. Also, at one of the first clubs I worked at, the management actually gave lines of coke to the girls; probably just enough to get them hooked. There can be elements of drug abuse in certain places.
Best place I worked in was the Lusty Lady. Woman managed, with a high base wage, and a peep show so it was all behind glass. Worked there for over 7 years until it went out of business. The management made sure to keep the crazy bitches to a minimum though there were still occasional bursts of that there. I became a much better performer working there.
Stripping definitely shaped me into the person I am now. It is not for everyone and you have to have a strong spirit to deal with all the bullshit involved. I am done with that aspect of my life now but I know it made me into a stronger person overall.