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WhoIsNumberNone

(7,875 posts)

7. Also remain alert

Fri Feb 24, 2012, 12:05 PM

Feb 2012

Amsterdam's rat population is pretty soft by US standards, but there are a lot of them. If you leave a bag unattended it will be gone in 30 seconds. A friend of mine had some junkie try to walk off with his bag right in front of him. He went to stop him, and the junkie started screaming that he was being robbed. There are also stickup men that you run the risk of meeting if you go out alone at night. Again- pretty soft by US standards. In the case of another friend of mine, he made it clear if they wanted his money they would have to come and get it, and they faded away into an alley. Naturally, your chances of having something like this happen increase if you broadcast that you are an arrogant American. If you're not a complete fish out of water in Europe, you're a lot less likely to have trouble.

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I've Decided to Travel to Amsterdam later this Year [View all] Yavin4 Feb 2012 OP

Yes, indeed. Doc Holliday Feb 2012 #1

Somewhere with good pot. HopeHoops Feb 2012 #2

I would imagine that HappyMe Feb 2012 #5

One would hope! HopeHoops Feb 2012 #16

Downtown Amsterdam is small enough that you can just walk around The Velveteen Ocelot Feb 2012 #3

Take a canal boat tour Ron Obvious Feb 2012 #4

I've been told WhoIsNumberNone Feb 2012 #6

Sure hope that's wrong. Doc Holliday Feb 2012 #9

Apparently is due to pressure from other European countries- WhoIsNumberNone Feb 2012 #10

I have looked it up Yavin4 Feb 2012 #14

It's delayed until at least next year.....and there's a good chance it might never happen. marmar Feb 2012 #21

I heard the same thing. I would bet, however, that this new rule is not enforced. Paper Roses Feb 2012 #24

Also remain alert WhoIsNumberNone Feb 2012 #7

ditto on the petty crime warning mainer Feb 2012 #22

If you like jazz go to Cafe Alto geardaddy Feb 2012 #8

Yes, definitely the Leidseplein. More: trof Feb 2012 #15

The museum that has the van gogh's. The Anne Frank Museum. I found the red light district applegrove Feb 2012 #11

It's been a while. bikebloke Feb 2012 #12

If you like old bars get a list of brown bars or brown cafes. geardaddy Feb 2012 #13

No idea, but downtown is not huge DFW Feb 2012 #17

By the way, save yourself a night's hotel by not taking a taxi into town DFW Feb 2012 #18

You've had some pretty good advice SwissTony Feb 2012 #19

Coffee shop-wise, Dampkring and Greenhouse Effect are my favorites. marmar Feb 2012 #20

As far as lodging goes, you don't have to stay in Amsterdam to be near there. DFW Feb 2012 #23

I don't know if the coffee shops have been closed to tourists or not. Initech Feb 2012 #25