(Long link, make sure you cut-paste it properly.)
Looks to me like, in some ways, they're "making sure the city is safe for mongering and weed" by eliminating the GLUT of establishments and thus reducing the risk to silly uninformed tourists. I haven't been to the 'Dam since 1991 (IIRC), so I can't comment on what it's been like lately. But I find it hard to believe that the vibe could be eliminated effectively in the way Giuliani succeeded in ruining Times Square ...
Then again, the Dutch did give us Calvinism.
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last commentI read the article a couple of days ago. My step daughter has a friend that is an M.D. in Amsterdam and she has gone over there several times in the last few years. She stayed at her friends house and got to see the real Netherlands. She saw the red light district and was at first a little shocked. Last time she went, she tried to get me to go with her. I said "What for?" She replied "The women (prostitutes)". I passed. In her opinion, things have gotten a little out of hand. Even for the Dutch.
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The redlight district kind of bored me a little, but what was good were the orgy party locations outside of the redlight district. Now that was a good deal (1997 - 2001) for $70 you got all the sex you wanted. It had it all. Most of it was just dancing with a girl then having sex and then rest and then go at it again with a different girl. If you didn't mind having sex while 10-15 others were having sex at the same time it was pretty cool.
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I didn't see anything positive for those who believe in freedom. Seemed like their government wants to be more like the USA. From the article:
"'Once we were a free country. Now they tell us what to do,' she said."
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Made a visit to Amsterdam in 2000. Took a tour of red light district and saw the the prostitutes in the windows. I remember the guide saying no pictures while in the red light distruct unless you wanted your camera confiscated! Passed by the Sex Museum and in front of it was a bicycle with a dildo that penetrated a female manequin on the seat with every rotation of the pedals! Tour stopped at a bar and it had some posters inside for some of the sex shows nearby-advertised girls fucking champagne bottles, etc. Quite an interesting place!
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Things I noticed in Amsterdam within the past decade:
-- signs in business windows saying "Stop Hard Drugs"
-- surreptitious dealings in alleyways
-- police arresting those who deal and purchase hard drugs
Conclusion: Wherever the line is drawn, people will cross it.
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Yeah, they should make it totally utterly illegal for people to murder. Then they should crack down on that ...
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From what I've heard from friends, it's gotten a little bad. More hard core drugs, more street walkers/pimps, all of these resulting in more serious crime, and more organized crime. Amsterdam will still be a free willing party town, trust me.
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Hey Book Guy... One breast is rotating counter-clockwise and the other is rotating clockwise. It could be that I'm the only one who's noticed that. But then, I've caught my self staring at your photo for two or three minutes straight. It's mesmerizing.
Yank
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rofl
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