These are the same guys blowin each other over POSTCOUNTS
NOW THEY ARE TO MUCH OF A PUSSY TO SMOKE IN PUBLIC
Smoking in the street - yea or nea?
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Pauli Wallnuts
- Posts: 2999
- Joined: Sat 28th Mar 2009 04:19 pm
- Location: South London
Re: Smoking in the street - yea or nea?
i never leave a cs without a j rolled for the walk 2next1 ALWAYSarchambaut wrote:So, in my researching my upcoming visit to NL, I keep reading that the Dtuch take a dim view of people (especially tourists) wandering around with a spliff,
Is this correct?
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USbongLord
- Posts: 6704
- Joined: Tue 19th Sep 2006 07:47 pm
- Location: Baltimore,Amsterdam
I think what it all boils down to is to just use a bit of common sense - something which seems to get lost in all the recent backbiting on here... 
What does the law say? Well, and correct me if I'm wrong, weed is still not legal in Amsterdam, and therefore if you are smoking it in a place which has not been designated for smoking, then you can expect to feel a little bit of heat for it. It is only down to the tolerant attitude of the Dutch laws that you can smoke in the coffeshops after all...
Now over the years I have seen the reactions change somewhat as to what constitutes a "smoking area". I can remember quite vividly sitting outside Barneys only a couple of years ago, waiting for my breakfast with a couple of other people, skinning up and then discretely lighting up (and by discretely, I mean keeping the spliff pretty much palmed in my hand whilst keeping an eye out for passers-by who might not want to share my secondhand smoke, ie families, old folks etc.). The waitress came screeching out and told us off, saying that we could only smoke inside the coffeeshop... we could get arrested... if we didn't stop, then she would report us herself... And so on..
Ok, fair enough - we were told, and didn't do it again. But now, there seems to be a lot more latitude as to what denotes the "smoking area", especially now the tobacco ban has effectively made it impossible to smoke a mixed joint inside many coffeeshops, forcing the customers to smoke outside the coffeeshop - whether it be in a small patio style area, or just stood outside the door...
Even sitting outside the Green Place on my last two trips, happily smoking their product in the sun, I was patently aware of the fact that large groups of tourists and families of both young and old folks were passing directly outside, so I kept the spliff burning only when I felt that noone else in what I considered to be the "vulnerable" age-groups were in close proximity... Same thing outside Basjoe, and the same thing outside Amnesia.
Now I don't honestly what the law tells us about this situation, so I don't try and provoke a potential confrontation. Simple. If there's a chance that I'll end up on the wrong side of the police, then I keep it nice and discrete.
Early morning has found me heading back to Centraal with one or two spliffs left to finish off, and so I'll maybe spend a few minutes on one of the quieter bridges over a semi-deserted gracht, enjoying those last couple of hours... If someone comes past, simply palm the doob and relight it when they've passed by. Many of the Dutch smoke on their way to work, but they don't make a big deal of it, so why should we? The same thing applies at Schiphol - so long as you're not making a big thing of it, you should be ok to stand outside, well away from most of the travellers and enjoy that last taste of freedom - it's just not good sense, imho, to behave like a loutish tourist, blowing smoke at people who clearly don't want it. If you behave like an idiot, then you deserve to get treated like one.
It's just finding that happy balance, where you feel you can still enjoy your smoke, but not offend anyone at the same time. It's not about being a pussy, more about showing a little respect and common courtesy for the people who live there. They could turn around one day and say, "That's it... Enough's enough - ban the weed and close down the coffeeshops..." Let's not give them the ammunition they need, eh?
Yes, there will always be the braindead minority who just cannot see this, and will make it harder and harder for the ever-so-tolerant dutch people to continue to allow us drug-tourists to come and use their beautiful city, but surely we can help to keep this precarious situation a viable one, by using a touch of decorum whilst we are guests there?
Use your heads people... Have fun and enjoy what Amsterdam has to offer, but don't start ruining what we have, eh? I'd like to be able to continue going there for many years to come...
What does the law say? Well, and correct me if I'm wrong, weed is still not legal in Amsterdam, and therefore if you are smoking it in a place which has not been designated for smoking, then you can expect to feel a little bit of heat for it. It is only down to the tolerant attitude of the Dutch laws that you can smoke in the coffeshops after all...
Now over the years I have seen the reactions change somewhat as to what constitutes a "smoking area". I can remember quite vividly sitting outside Barneys only a couple of years ago, waiting for my breakfast with a couple of other people, skinning up and then discretely lighting up (and by discretely, I mean keeping the spliff pretty much palmed in my hand whilst keeping an eye out for passers-by who might not want to share my secondhand smoke, ie families, old folks etc.). The waitress came screeching out and told us off, saying that we could only smoke inside the coffeeshop... we could get arrested... if we didn't stop, then she would report us herself... And so on..
Ok, fair enough - we were told, and didn't do it again. But now, there seems to be a lot more latitude as to what denotes the "smoking area", especially now the tobacco ban has effectively made it impossible to smoke a mixed joint inside many coffeeshops, forcing the customers to smoke outside the coffeeshop - whether it be in a small patio style area, or just stood outside the door...
Even sitting outside the Green Place on my last two trips, happily smoking their product in the sun, I was patently aware of the fact that large groups of tourists and families of both young and old folks were passing directly outside, so I kept the spliff burning only when I felt that noone else in what I considered to be the "vulnerable" age-groups were in close proximity... Same thing outside Basjoe, and the same thing outside Amnesia.
Now I don't honestly what the law tells us about this situation, so I don't try and provoke a potential confrontation. Simple. If there's a chance that I'll end up on the wrong side of the police, then I keep it nice and discrete.
Early morning has found me heading back to Centraal with one or two spliffs left to finish off, and so I'll maybe spend a few minutes on one of the quieter bridges over a semi-deserted gracht, enjoying those last couple of hours... If someone comes past, simply palm the doob and relight it when they've passed by. Many of the Dutch smoke on their way to work, but they don't make a big deal of it, so why should we? The same thing applies at Schiphol - so long as you're not making a big thing of it, you should be ok to stand outside, well away from most of the travellers and enjoy that last taste of freedom - it's just not good sense, imho, to behave like a loutish tourist, blowing smoke at people who clearly don't want it. If you behave like an idiot, then you deserve to get treated like one.
It's just finding that happy balance, where you feel you can still enjoy your smoke, but not offend anyone at the same time. It's not about being a pussy, more about showing a little respect and common courtesy for the people who live there. They could turn around one day and say, "That's it... Enough's enough - ban the weed and close down the coffeeshops..." Let's not give them the ammunition they need, eh?
Yes, there will always be the braindead minority who just cannot see this, and will make it harder and harder for the ever-so-tolerant dutch people to continue to allow us drug-tourists to come and use their beautiful city, but surely we can help to keep this precarious situation a viable one, by using a touch of decorum whilst we are guests there?
Use your heads people... Have fun and enjoy what Amsterdam has to offer, but don't start ruining what we have, eh? I'd like to be able to continue going there for many years to come...
Wow DaveS, you literally took the words right out of my head, exactly what I was thinking. Nicely worded.
Be warned that there are some on this forum that think the only thing one needs to be concerned with when visiting Amsterdam is puff, puff, pass.
Observe the responses. Try to guess which ones come from the Dutch and which ones are from foreigners. I willing to wager that most if not all idiotic responses come from foreigners.
I liken the fucked-up attitudes of some in this forum to a systemic problem called "The Ugly American", although in my example the nationality is interchangeable. So when reading the following, use and or replace American with any other nationality, like "Ugly Brit" for example.
The Encarta dictionary defines "Ugly American" as: stereotypical offensive American: a loud, boorish, nationalistic American, especially one traveling abroad, who is regarded as conforming to a stereotype that gives Americans a bad reputation. In contrast, Dictionary.com defines "the Ugly American" as: Pejorative term for Americans traveling or living abroad who remain ignorant of local culture and judge everything by American standards.
Some people make it just too easy.
Be warned that there are some on this forum that think the only thing one needs to be concerned with when visiting Amsterdam is puff, puff, pass.
Observe the responses. Try to guess which ones come from the Dutch and which ones are from foreigners. I willing to wager that most if not all idiotic responses come from foreigners.
I liken the fucked-up attitudes of some in this forum to a systemic problem called "The Ugly American", although in my example the nationality is interchangeable. So when reading the following, use and or replace American with any other nationality, like "Ugly Brit" for example.
The Encarta dictionary defines "Ugly American" as: stereotypical offensive American: a loud, boorish, nationalistic American, especially one traveling abroad, who is regarded as conforming to a stereotype that gives Americans a bad reputation. In contrast, Dictionary.com defines "the Ugly American" as: Pejorative term for Americans traveling or living abroad who remain ignorant of local culture and judge everything by American standards.
Some people make it just too easy.
dirty uncle ron
answer yes or no. do you condsider my reply in this thread to be an idiotic response?
stop your holier than thou shit.
all this respect business, don't be ridiculous. the cloggies have no respect what so ever for you. you are merely some dumb twat passing through the big money filter that exists around the whole of amsterdam. don't fool yourself that you are somehow "fitting in with the locals" just because you are too much of a little girl to have a good time.
amsterdam is now and has only ever been a place where you can buy dope in shops and smoke it more or less where you like.
in case you fancy telling me i don't have a clue, here are my amsterdam credentials. im 46, ive been going to amsterdam very regularly since i was twenty, i have many friends who live and work in the city.
i smoke dope where the urge takes me. i do this both at home and in amsterdam. i have never been troubled by anyone about it.
all of you," respect the magic city, it's full of joy and fairy dust", people really have got no idea.
answer yes or no. do you condsider my reply in this thread to be an idiotic response?
stop your holier than thou shit.
all this respect business, don't be ridiculous. the cloggies have no respect what so ever for you. you are merely some dumb twat passing through the big money filter that exists around the whole of amsterdam. don't fool yourself that you are somehow "fitting in with the locals" just because you are too much of a little girl to have a good time.
amsterdam is now and has only ever been a place where you can buy dope in shops and smoke it more or less where you like.
in case you fancy telling me i don't have a clue, here are my amsterdam credentials. im 46, ive been going to amsterdam very regularly since i was twenty, i have many friends who live and work in the city.
i smoke dope where the urge takes me. i do this both at home and in amsterdam. i have never been troubled by anyone about it.
all of you," respect the magic city, it's full of joy and fairy dust", people really have got no idea.
where do you all get this idea that the dutch are tolerant? they are not tolerant, they are business people for whom nothing is as important as the bottom line.
honestly, have you people even tried to look at the buggers without the rose tinted dope specs.
don't be fooled. just because they let you do things that you can't do at home doesn't mean that they are nice people. all they want is your money and they will pretty much let you do anything if you give it to them.
i'm not saying that you can fight and shout in the street. act the cunt and you can expect a tickle, you might even get locked up for the night. but dope is nothing special and the only way it will get you into real trouble is if you load up a sock with half a pound of black and belt some cunt around the head with it.
honestly, have you people even tried to look at the buggers without the rose tinted dope specs.
don't be fooled. just because they let you do things that you can't do at home doesn't mean that they are nice people. all they want is your money and they will pretty much let you do anything if you give it to them.
i'm not saying that you can fight and shout in the street. act the cunt and you can expect a tickle, you might even get locked up for the night. but dope is nothing special and the only way it will get you into real trouble is if you load up a sock with half a pound of black and belt some cunt around the head with it.
Wow, this thread took a sharp turn into 'heated' territory. 
I'm sticking with the idea that it depends where and when you do it. When you're in a touristy area like the centrum, almost everyone will overlook it if you are out in the open and not pissing anyone off. I have only seen ONE incident where someone smoking weed was an issue, and that was because the dude was smoking in a covered alley that he didn't realise had a roof on it.
As chigusa said, the Dutch aren't really that tolerant. They tolerate the drug tourists for their economy, but will waste no time in telling you if they don't like what you are doing. This includes smoking near children or old people, hanging out in a residential area while smoking (if they can see you're just passing through, most people wouldn't give a shit), and sometimes, smoking a joint in a pub's beer garden/smoking room (in this case, each establishment has their own rules. It's up to you if you're going to break them or not).
Just be aware of your surroundings, don't be a douche and no one will mind. General rule for life.
I'm sticking with the idea that it depends where and when you do it. When you're in a touristy area like the centrum, almost everyone will overlook it if you are out in the open and not pissing anyone off. I have only seen ONE incident where someone smoking weed was an issue, and that was because the dude was smoking in a covered alley that he didn't realise had a roof on it.
As chigusa said, the Dutch aren't really that tolerant. They tolerate the drug tourists for their economy, but will waste no time in telling you if they don't like what you are doing. This includes smoking near children or old people, hanging out in a residential area while smoking (if they can see you're just passing through, most people wouldn't give a shit), and sometimes, smoking a joint in a pub's beer garden/smoking room (in this case, each establishment has their own rules. It's up to you if you're going to break them or not).
Just be aware of your surroundings, don't be a douche and no one will mind. General rule for life.
Happens quickly around these parts, more so lately. Must be a summer thing.QueenMab wrote:Wow, this thread took a sharp turn into 'heated' territory.
Very reasonable and practical. Wait for it...QueenMab wrote:Just be aware of your surroundings, don't be a douche and no one will mind. General rule for life.
Visionary,huh?Dirty Uncle Ron wrote:
Be warned that there are some on this forum that think the only thing one needs to be concerned with when visiting Amsterdam is puff, puff, pass.
Observe the responses. Try to guess which ones come from the Dutch and which ones are from foreigners. I willing to wager that most if not all idiotic responses come from foreigners.
Wat is er aan de hand?!
I smoke all over , just don't make a big thing of it & try not to blow smoke in peoples faces , if I see a family group &or kids i'll cup the joint in my hand until im past & tbh I think ive seen alot more people getting dirty looks while wandering around pissed than ive ever got while wandering stoned & smoking .
Sending out the good vibes to those that need them right now