Off topic - Time to move on to the next topic.
Smoking in the street - yea or nea?
On topic - Seems the general consensus to the OP's question, yea or nea (sic), is more of a gray area leaning towards nay. Most advocate the use of common sense and self control, always a good thing. Ya think? The question has been answered, more or less. This thread has turned into ambushes and counter-attacks. Seems to be the ongoing theme in quite a few threads, with common denominators.
Off topic - Time to move on to the next topic.
Off topic - Time to move on to the next topic.
Let me correct this common misconception that the Dutch give two shits about the money being made from the cannabis industry. The Dutch economy makes its money from IT, exports, shipping, etc. Coffeeshops are important to a tiny segment of the economy (those who work at the CS (LOW PAYING JOBS-MANY FOREIGNERS) and the underground (ILLEGAL-NO TAXES) part of it. Yes, cannabis also brings in legitimate travel/hotel money but most Dutch are not in the hotel business either.
So if you think for one second they are going to cry if the government eventually outlaws coffeeshops, you are delusional. And if some particularly important or influential person passes you on the street, with his or her kids, and you are toking up....it can have an effect on what you hold so dearly. So think about that. I am not saying never smoke outside a shop (I do) but seriously, some of the posts here indicate high levels of stupidity.
Some of you fools out to read up about the ultra-right wing government we are about to get here before thinking that your actions do not have consequences.
So if you think for one second they are going to cry if the government eventually outlaws coffeeshops, you are delusional. And if some particularly important or influential person passes you on the street, with his or her kids, and you are toking up....it can have an effect on what you hold so dearly. So think about that. I am not saying never smoke outside a shop (I do) but seriously, some of the posts here indicate high levels of stupidity.
Some of you fools out to read up about the ultra-right wing government we are about to get here before thinking that your actions do not have consequences.
bloody right im a tourist, marco. that is what my post says. cloggies are simple, greedy people and thats that. you will notice that i say the money filter extends around the whole of amsterdam, not just the cs.Marco wrote:You are still just a tourist, and this post reflects that. The Dutch are way more complicated than your post reflects. Of course the tourist oriented businesses in the center are about getting your money, but not the 99% of people who do not live in the center of Amsterdam.chigusa wrote: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.
What the dutch do is laugh their ass off at most of you though, for coming here and staggering from CS to CS but that is another story.
as i understand it the only people who are held in more contempt than tourists are dickhead ex pats who hang around with beardie commie twats.
i agree that the cloogie thieves spend their time laughing at us.
dirty uncle ron. stop trying to make us all act like primary school girls.
back on topic. smoke where you like, it doesn't matter what the dutch think. at all.
Yeah, they hate me so much they pay me to live in the place you save up your pennies and shillings to visit....chigusa wrote:bloody right im a tourist, marco. that is what my post says. cloggies are simple, greedy people and thats that. you will notice that i say the money filter extends around the whole of amsterdam, not just the cs.Marco wrote:You are still just a tourist, and this post reflects that. The Dutch are way more complicated than your post reflects. Of course the tourist oriented businesses in the center are about getting your money, but not the 99% of people who do not live in the center of Amsterdam.chigusa wrote: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.
What the dutch do is laugh their ass off at most of you though, for coming here and staggering from CS to CS but that is another story.
as i understand it the only people who are held in more contempt than tourists are dickhead ex pats who hang around with beardie commie twats.
i agree that the cloogie thieves spend their time laughing at us.
dirty uncle ron. stop trying to make us all act like primary school girls.
back on topic. smoke where you like, it doesn't matter what the dutch think. at all.
Chigusa - you seem to have a very blinkered view on life, especially where it pertains to Amsterdam...
But hey, that's your prerogative.
Enjoy blowing your smoke at the "cloggies" on the streets, as you so eloquently put it... It's such a shame that you don't want to get the most out of your visits to this fair city, but again, that's your prerogative. If all you want is to behave like a spoiled tourist and get laughed at by the Dutch, then go for it fella. All we are trying to do here is answer the questions of the OP, and give him the benefit of the experience that the regular travellers and residents are prepared to share...
Personally, I also secretly laugh at the dumbass "tourists" who sit in the coffeeshops, trying to buy an ounce with their credit cards, bragging loudly about how the weed is so much better at home, whilst snapping their fingers at the staff, expecting them to drop everything and come running to attend to their masters...
It's amazing how much different people can be if you treat them like human beings...
But hey, that's your prerogative.
Enjoy blowing your smoke at the "cloggies" on the streets, as you so eloquently put it... It's such a shame that you don't want to get the most out of your visits to this fair city, but again, that's your prerogative. If all you want is to behave like a spoiled tourist and get laughed at by the Dutch, then go for it fella. All we are trying to do here is answer the questions of the OP, and give him the benefit of the experience that the regular travellers and residents are prepared to share...
Personally, I also secretly laugh at the dumbass "tourists" who sit in the coffeeshops, trying to buy an ounce with their credit cards, bragging loudly about how the weed is so much better at home, whilst snapping their fingers at the staff, expecting them to drop everything and come running to attend to their masters...
It's amazing how much different people can be if you treat them like human beings...
never thought id agree with you MARCO, but i stand corrected.Marco wrote:Folks, just look at the people posting here and make your own decision. Do you want to go through life thinking, acting, and breathing like Blurau or Chigusa? If so, follow their advice. Have a nice week everyone.
personally i do smoke while wandering around but i try not to make it obvious
Marco wrote:Folks, just look at the people posting here and make your own decision. Do you want to go through life thinking, acting, and breathing like Blurau or Chigusa? If so, follow their advice. Have a nice week everyone.
First...Thought we had a truce on personal attacks
Second ... THIS IS THE INTER NETZ ... YOU KNOW ITS ALL PRETEND ... RIGHT
THIRD... WHAT I'M SAYING IS ... DONT ACT LIKE YOUR SNEAKING....
you dumb ass bitch overthinkers...over think...over blow things up to a major international incedent.
FOURTH.... STOP OVERTHINKING THE WET DREAMS ... YOU DUMB BOYS
I tried to give you a chance because cause you supposedly were a friend of a friend, but you are the dumbest dusty-cunted dyke I have ever come across. Every post you put on this board makes the good people want to leave this board.bluelaru wrote:Marco wrote:Folks, just look at the people posting here and make your own decision. Do you want to go through life thinking, acting, and breathing like Blurau or Chigusa? If so, follow their advice. Have a nice week everyone.
First...Thought we had a truce on personal attacks
Second ... THIS IS THE INTER NETZ ... YOU KNOW ITS ALL PRETEND ... RIGHT
THIRD... WHAT I'M SAYING IS ... DONT ACT LIKE YOUR SNEAKING....
you dumb ass bitch overthinkers...over think...over blow things up to a major international incedent.
FOURTH.... STOP OVERTHINKING THE WET DREAMS ... YOU DUMB BOYS
And its not only the internetz, many, many of us know each other in person.
hold on I got to get more of the stupid postDaveS wrote:Jesus wept....
Well, I think we can now see the clear demarkation between the ignorant people and those who can actually see the bigger picture.
To be perfectly honest, it is this kind of attitude that will make the Dutch government crack down completely on the whole coffeeshop scene...
Interesting to see the comments from the Amsterdammers themselves on this - many thanks folks.
It's simple... Be discrete. I have no problem with local people having a quiet toke on their way to work in the mornings, or even those of us who visit having a crafty smoke on the trek between coffeeshops - but do you see the difference? Those of us who seem to care about what happens on the grander scale will ensure that they don't flout the laws by brazenly taking the attitude that, "Hey, Im paying good money to come to your pissy little european town, so that gives me the right to smoke when and where I please..." No it doesn't.
It's still illegal. If the police see you walking with a spliff, but that you're being sensible and aren't being an asshole, they'll usually leave you alone. If you have this whole "I can do what I want - they can't touch me" kinda vibe, then keep it up! See what happens.
It doesn't matter if you're 16, 26, 36 or 46 years old - behave like a twat, and you'll get treated like one. Maturity is not a function of age.
dumb postMarco wrote:What do the Dutch do?bluelaru wrote:DaveS wrote: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...
ALL OF THIS TO SAY WE SHOULD... NOT DO
WHAT THE DUTCH THEMSELVES DO
The Netherlands has the lowest level of cannabis usage in Western Europe.bluelaru wrote:ARE THERE ANY WEED SMOKERS THAT ARE DUTCH.......YES
DO THEY SMOKE IN THE STREET .............. YES
THEN SO CAN ....I
REST OF YOU .... WHO WANT TO LIVE IN FEAR......GO RIGHT AHEAD
Regardless, you are back-pedaling you intellectual midget. Its about respect and not making the legal situation worse.
Respect, LEARN IT