well hi everyone,im a new member and after reading the forum it looked superb for advice,were off to the dam for the first time next month and just wondered if anyone can advise on safety,there are only two of us and reading the forum there is a lot off talk off beggars,dealers and in some instances people getting mugged or at the very least dealers carrying blades,we just want to go and have a relaxing three days with no worries and just take in what the dam has to offer,any advice and tips how to avoid trouble would be much appreiciated,were english by the way if that means anythink,many thanks
Amsterdam may have a few unscrupulous characters, but as does any other major city! In and around the Red Light district are where most the drug dealers lurk. Everyone has different tactics dealing with them and there have been a few posts on this same subject. I find ignoring them works, they can be pretty pushy, I just dont make eye contact and keep walking, however I am a big guy and it works for me. I couldnt say whether the drug dealers and such carry blades, some might possible, however I've never encountered any violence. Despite the shady characters there is a heavy police presence. If you are being harassed and they wont leave you alone, pop into a shop and just browse, they will have moved on to the next target by the time you come out. As with any other major city, keep wallets and cameras relatively hidden, dont advertise your wealth etc . Dont let a few characters put you off what is essentaly a beautiful and wonderful city!
cheers,also were really into the mushroom thing,we uaually have them at home sitting at home or when camping but would you be sound to sit in bar or would you advice staying in hotel,dont fancy spending six hours of a 3 day trip holed up in hotel
Good point about being holed up in the hotel.... however bear in mind barstaff are not going to be all that keen on having people under the infulence of shrooms in the bar, it could potentialy make other customers feel uneasy and such. It depends on what sort of bar, in a coffeeshop they would be more tollerant towards shrooms (I imagine) Whenever ive been in the past we've stuck to the hotel room for shrooms, because sometimes you just dont know which way the effect wil take you - admitedly mushrooms are not my forté.
I hear you, bigloui...Shrooms used to grow in my backyard and I gave them away! I'll just stick with my weed. The government is full of SHIT when they call marijuana a "gateway" drug. I never "gated" my way to another drug and don't want to and I'm middle aged now. It pisses me off when I think of the drug group marijuana gets lableled in when every study shows it's NOTHING like other drugs and is quite beneficial for MANY ailments. Nothing pisses me off more except for crimes against children. Don't even get me started lol I feel like Nemesis. Hey Nem, we need to meet, smoke and talk one day... bet we could start with things that piss us off and end up laughing... humor is something I use daily just to deal with the reality of this world. I guess I'm like the Kathy Griffin of politics lolol equal opportunity basher no matter what anyone says or thinks. At least while we still have free speech (and we're slowly losing that, really). Peace from the forever outspoken, islandgurl
Hello AwayDays, Great to hear from another new member...I stumbled upon this little community a short while ago and have been checking and reading the threads daily ever since...I'm relatively new to posting and have really enjoyed the kind response I have received so far...I have only 7 more sleeps until I go to AMS and can hardly sleep with the anticipation I'm feeling! Just be careful with yourself...going over for 3 days with "no worries" as your goal will result in exactly that imo...You get what you give I think...and unless Karma owes you a kick for past misdoings...you'll be fine. I can hardly wait to go to Grey Area and Rookies and hang out at a sports bar to watch a little World Cup...eventhough the US got their pee pees spanked by the Czech team I'm still so frickin' excited just to be leaving in less than a week...anyway best of luck to you. VP
yeah thanks for that,as i say were just going to mellow out and just want a peaceful break with no hassle,i take it we keep ourselves to ourselves and we will be fine.what started me thinking was a friend of mine just come back and he mentioned the minute he was outside central station he was swarmed by beggars and dealers.in fact one dealer proceeded to follow him all the way up damrak,usually i would just tell them to go screw themselves but i think best course of action is to blank them,thanks again and cracking forum
I think some people are affected by the beggers and such, especially if it is a bit of a culture shock... I tend just to not really notice them. When you're with a group of friends it is easy to blank them, however when you are on your own I can imagine it is a bit more daunting. Where abouts you coming from awaydays? When are you over there?
coming from england mate(liverpool)over there in august,been booked for a while so these last two months are a killer waiting to go.
Tips 1. determine the high you wanna get, for a pleaseant uplifting high go with Sativas, for knock out stoned go with indicas. 2. Bring walking shoes,youll be doing alot 3.RLD: just say "nay" when a dealer trys to sell you coke,it means no in dutch,always works for me. 4. avoid taxis,the second they see you are not a local they will cheat you. 5. bring clothing for both midly cool conditions and hot conditions,these last few days its been hot,cool,hot,cool 6. To be honost Dutch food will be expensive and it really sucks, i recommend going to supermarkets and buying some of the ready made meals and salads,same for stuff like drinking water,you can buy a 12 oz spa water in dam square for 2 euros or a 1 liter at an Albert Heijn for 1, better cost. 7. If you mostly want to drink go to Rembrandtsplein,there a few good dance clubs there too, if dancing is what you want to do go to Leidseplein. 8. dont look like a tourist
thanks peeps,as i say its my first time and want to sample all the delights has to offer,whats the score on the rld.when you go in are you likely to get ripped off or they lovely young woman,actually might just go for an older bird.can you talk them down or is it set price,sorry to ask so many questions but just like to have all bases covered,cheers in advance
also im reading a lot about gangs of dealers hanging round on bridges and how obvious they are and how to avoid,if there that obvious why arnt the police cracking down on them and arresting them.surely its better for amsterdam tourism if they totally clamped down because as far as i can see from this forum the only downside to the dam is the dealers and the problems they cause
Well its not that eay,sure some do hang around the bridges but they scatter when cops come,trying to pick out the dealers from just regular tourists can be hard.
Dealers tend to hang around on bridges purely because you get a lot of people needing to cross bridges, only a few bridges per canal. They're not really that intimidating, the Red Light district gets very crowded at night, there is a high police presence and the majority of people there are tourists... strength in numbers!! Each working girl Differs in her prices, the set price is usualy 50 euros, on a slow night she may be willing to work for less. However always be courteous, she is offering a serivce and you have to respect her decisions. Always set a price beforehand. You are paying a sum of money and dont be hassled into buying what you dont want, same advice as any shooping! - However its not my area of expertise, I tend not to go for the whole RLD thing, somethign tells me the girlfriend wont approve.
I totally agree with you BigLoui and your advice for our friend AwayDays. Say nay or no to the dealers, no smile just be firm but not confrontational. Ask shopkeepers or police for directions and stick with others if possible when trolling for fun...remember the RLD is a sin pit full of sinners. Be respectful of the pros, they are working. Set the price of services at the door/window, if you don't like the price you can leave before entering. If you know what you want - state it, normally you're looking at receiving half/half if nothing else is said and there may be a small premium for the girl to be totally nude...so I've heard. Don't be too fucked up - you're a job to them and they want to get you in and out as quickly as possible...time is money. The RLD is a cool place for all kinds of shopping...live a little...try some new flavors. I'm bringing a buddy next week who has never been to EU...should be fun seeing his reaction to the buffet. Have a great time you "old bird" VP
