The word is uniquely Dutch and does not easily translate to English, but the word often tossed around is “tolerance”. The Dutch have a live and let live attitude to life. If something doesn’t hurt anyone, it’s generally considered ok, even if officially illegal. If something is illegal for many years and the problem doesn’t go away, its becomes tolerated and regulated.
Marijuana is the most common example that people think of. It’s technically illegal in Amsterdam, but the authorities long ago decided they couldn’t legislate it away. Whether legal or not, people would be smoking pot regardless. While harder drugs are strictly illegal, the rule is to “tolerate” the sale and use of small amounts of marijuana. It’s sold all over the city at coffeeshops, which are allowed to sell a certain amount per person per day. Of course growing it and selling mass quantities is illegal, but everyone looks the other way assuming that it doesn’t get out of hand. As my friend Rick Steves likes to say (see a clip to his video below), the Dutch have made the choice between allowing something or building more prisons, and allowing it has worked rather well. A recent study says that only 22% of Dutch have tried marijuana, which is half the percentage in the US. Drug-related deaths are also 16 times more common in the US (per capital) than in the Netherlands.
For more on coffeeshops, check out this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RjKw-C0VGU&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=B009F20AC021B66E
Coffeeshop:
Prostitution is another area Amsterdam is famous for. Of course, it happens in every city in the world, including Portland and Seattle and Salt Lake City and wherever else people live. Amsterdam is most famous for its red-light district. As you can see in the picture below, window-shopping is taken to new heights in Amsterdam. It’s a bit unnerving the first time you walk by the windows, but it’s all completely regulated and legal here. In fact, prostitution is legal in many European countries. You see red light windows in Belgium and Germany as well, and there are also red light districts in Paris and London (or Aurora Avenue in Seattle or Interstate Avenue in Portland!). There are pros and cons of course, as with everything. On one hand, the proponents point out that legalized prostitution eliminates pimps and underground criminals involved in the sex trade, gives the women a choice of which customers to accept, and gives them rights as legally recognized workers. Those against say that it leads to human trafficking, especially from Eastern Europe and Northern Africa, which is probably true to a small extent. The city is attempting to diversify the red light district, including limiting the number of windows to 300. Regardless, the world’s oldest profession will still be practiced here for awhile I’m sure. Apparently €50 is all it takes, for those interested ….
Those are the two famous cases, but there’s a few others that I find interesting too. A park on the outskirts of Amsterdam was known as a place where gay men hooked up in the bushes (which of course, happens to be right near my office – obviously PwC only locates in the best parts of town). The local city council was faced with complaints about the activity. Recognizing that the activity has gone on for years and that it couldn’t really be stopped, under the policy of “gedoog” signs were erected (no pun intended) to warn passerby that this sort of thing might be going on. The idea is again the same: it’s not hurting anyone, and we can’t stop it, so we’ll allow it if it’s confined to certain areas and doesn’t hurt others. To me this typifies the Dutch way of dealing with social issues under this live and let live mentality. In the US these people would probably be locked up and registered as sex offenders. Not saying this is the kind of thing I want to see everyday (and luckily, I have not!), but I find the proposed solution a fascinating cultural difference. These are the things you notice living in a new place.
Finally, something you see in Amsterdam that I find very amusing, and that you’d never see in the US. Faced with the problem of people peeing in alleyways and canals after a night on the town, the government decided to do something about it. Now in key nightlife areas of the city, you’ll find portable urinals set up on Thursday, Friday, Saturday night. It seems strange and little disgusting (although I can attest that it’s a godsend on a night of bicycle bar-hopping!), but again a very practical solution (for guys anyway – I love the male bathroom deal on the side). The alternative is what you find in places like Belltown – people peeing in alleys and bushes and becoming a nuisance to the neighborhood.
All of the so-called social ills described above happen in every country in the world. The Dutch have a unique "live and let live" mentality. Believe it or not, most of the people here tend to live a fairly conservative lifestyle. Most Dutch people I've met would never step foot inside a coffeeshop and the thought of patronizing a prostitute is as unthinkable to them as it is to me. They live within their means (flashy cars and designer bags are frowned upon) and place a focus on the family. Despite their own way of life, they allow others to do what they want as long as no one is hurt. It's refreshing to see people secure enough in their own well being that they don't feel the need to focus their attention on legislating "morality" on others.
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