"DON’T BRING A KNIFE TO A GUNFIGHT, PARDNER"
| There is a phenomenon, as despicable as it seems, that
if you walk down the street in the Red Light District at any time of day or
night you stand a chance of being hassled by people who can’t decide if
they are beggars, drug dealers, or muggers. The RLD is reasonably safe, except
for the pickpockets & pushers who can be aggressive at times. You have to
keep your guard up, and present a good offense. One good offense is to look like you are having a really bad time. Don’t smile, because that is only a signal that you have too much money. You should look as if you are poor and that is why you are having a really bad time. Something like this goes back to my idea about dressing like crap in Amsterdam. People who are having a really bad time as a result of being poor typically look like crap, too. If you look like crap and also look like you know where you’re going, you probably will be left alone. Niewedijk (650 years old in 2001!), the shopping street one block over from Damrak, has always felt a bit "sketchy" to me, but not as bad as the Red Light District. Niewedijk (and Kalverstraat past Dam Square) are shopping streets teeming with consumers and tourists by day, so it's pretty safe. At night, after all the stores close, the neighborhood has a different complexion. Don't let this stop you from visiting De Kuil coffeeshop, the falafel store across the alley from De Kuil, or De Wildeman bar nearby. The rest of Amsterdam's tourist center is much safer and "beggar" free. My favorite neighborhoods are Museumplein, Leidseplein, Rembrandtsplein, the Jordaan, Visselstraat, the Amsterdam canals Keizergracht, Prinsengracht, Herengracht, and the Singel. All these areas are well protected by police. Safe tourists are returning tourists. The outskirts of Amsterdam have less police presence, and are not so safe for tourists. You don't have to go too far south or east past the Heineken Brewery before you get into neighborhoods where tourists probably shouldn't go. If you go to Ajax stadium consider taking a taxi instead of the Metro. Any small town away from Amsterdam is even better, in my opinion. The old city of Haarlem is a great place (photos here), just 20 minutes train ride from Amsterdam Centraal Station. There's an Amsterdam Central Station photo page here. Back to Amsterdam and the Red Light District... because the Red Light District is under constant camera surveillance, very few crimes are actually committed there. Instead, a dealer will attempt to get you "off-camera" somewhere before they might ask forcefully for money or a passport. The story below happened at the fringe of the Red Light District near Niewe Markt. I learned most of this the day I wore my best shoes. I think people can figure out how rich you are by looking at your shoes and hands. Nice skin and polished shoes means a tourist to harass. Americans, by default, are rich. One day a "poor war refugee" walked up to me and asked if I wanted to buy some cocaine. I gave him usual lie/line about how "I can’t do that stuff anymore." Usually that line leaves them with only one more thing to say, "How about you just give me some guilders?" Then this question is repeated until either you hand over some cash because you’re intimidated or you take control by walking away. Let me take up one paragraph explaining that I made the mistake of stopping to talk to this guy. This particular harasser had a line I’ve never heard before in Amsterdam. When I refused all forms of payment, he said, "I’ve got a gun, and I’m going to shoot you. Give me some money!" I looked down and saw a not-so-convincing bulge. Taking my chances, I said to the guy, "You’ve got a gun, huh? Why don’t you show me?" I leaned over towards him, decided he didn’t have a gun, and walked away all the wiser, or something. I was scared, I won’t deny that. Indeed, there really are criminal types with guns in the central parts of Amsterdam, especially in the Red Light District. I don't know if this guy had one, but I do know now not to stop or respond to these "street beggars." Another time in the Red Light District, I was staying on the edge of the Red Light District on Dam Square in the Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky. This was during my first-ever trip to Amsterdam in 1995. This was a business trip, but through a twist of luck I was able to stay in one of Amsterdam's nicest hotels for three days, on the company dole! I was a single man, 26-27 years old at the time, and staying at an expensive hotel. Every one of the 3 evenings when I walked out the front of the hotel, I was immediiately approached by a person or two saying, "Coca, coca." These guys were not that agressive, but they just assumed I would want to buy something it I was staying in that hotel and was alone. On that same first trip to Amsterdam, I awoke early one morning and strolled around the Red Light District. Early menat 10am, and still many shops were closed, many tourists were still asleep. A "war refugee" approached me and asked if I wanted to buy coke. I said no, and he said the same line as the gunless one, "Give me some guilders." I just stared at him for a second and then walked away. He did not make a problem for me. So, I would recommend that you visit the Red Light District in the late afternoon and early evenings when the most tourists are there. You will have safety in numbers, but be careful with your belongings. Depsite other people who say the RLD is perfectly safe, you should always be on a higher level of awareness when in the Amsterdam Red Light District. |