1. Carrying ID
The Compulsory Identification Act which was introduced on 1st January 2005 states that anyone 14 years or older must carry an official photo ID. A copy is not sufficient. Police often do stop and searches in Amsterdam and I have seen them suddenly block off whole streets in the red light district, search everyone and check IDs. You may be fined 50 Euros (25 if aged 14-16) if caught without a valid ID.
2. Safety
Amsterdam is relatively safe but like all major cities has it's crime. Most common are pickpockets and bag snatchers. Trains are a particular target where a thief will grab a bag just as the train is about to pull out of a station and quickly jump off as the doors close. So hold on to baggage tightly and be aware of what's going on around you. If something unexpected happens or someone starts being friendly towards you it may be a distraction for an accomplice to grab your wallet, bag or whatever.
In May 2012 one of the girls told me about recent thefts where three or so guys (Chinese in this case) work together in some of the narrow streets like Trompettersteeg. They will target someone with a bag and walk closely with him. One will try and open the bag and the front person will suddenly stop causing everyone one to bunch up together. This enables one behind to reach into the bag and steal what ever is inside.
I strap my cash to my ankle when it's not possible to leave it safely at a hotel. Thieves know about money belts. When venturing into dodgy areas keep a small sum of "mugging money" in a pocket so if you are mugged you have something to hand over. Losing a small sum is far better than risking some smack head stabbing you.
Don't buy drugs from street dealers. They will rip you off. If a dealer or beggar approaches you keep walking. Just shake your head and avoid eye contact. Do not stop and get into a conversation. 99% of the time they will then just look for someone else to hassle. Occasionally I have had persistent ones that walk along with you and keep hassling you. Simply go into the nearest shop. Do not use violence unless they do. This is their stomping ground and you don't know what they may be carrying or who owes them a favour.
3. Money
To get the best rate you need to shop around. I live in England and often see the best rates in those "Money Shop" cheques cashed type places. I make a note of the rate and then go to Thompson Travel or First Choice travel agents. I then ask the Bureau de Change person if they can beat the rate and virtually every time they do.
You may find a better rate in Amsterdam but that's a gamble you take. Watch out for heavy commissions though.
Don't rely on cards. Back them up with a decent amount of cash. I know people who have had holidays ruined when an ATM machine has eaten their card or the credit company has stopped it for some reason. My banker friend tells me it happens an awful lot.
4. Photography
Don't photo the window girls. There are countless warning signs and you risk being attacked by the girls or their pimps (Yes it does happen, frequently). A lot of people don't realise how nasty it can turn if you get caught. This is because all of the girls will have people they don't want knowing about their job. Perhaps a grandmother, bank manager, doctor etc. Many come from countries where such a profession is frowned upon and if their own local communities found out they could be kicked out or face physical harm. The police are aware of this and if you get your camera smashed they won't be interested. By photographing them you may be breaching the peace. Plus the girls are technically in a private work space (the kamers) and under Dutch law you must ask their permission. So is it really worth getting beaten up, thrown in a canal or sued?
I have shown on this site that it is possible to safely photo the areas by choosing times when girls are not working or simply not pointing a camera directly at the girls.
6. Alcohol
It is illegal to drink alcohol in the street apart from on Queen's Day.
7. Why are the Dutch authorities trying to stop everyone's fun?
I see this kind of question all over the internet. Few people understand why the red light district is being reduced in size or why foreign tourists will soon be banned from coffee shops. The reasons have been given in various locations on this site but I will expand on them here.
Holland including Amsterdam in particular is well known for it's liberal attitude towards prostitution and drugs. That doesn't mean they approve of such activities. In fact both are seen as social problems. Their solution is to accept they exist but make sure they are done in a safe and controllable environment.
Lets start with drugs. If a Dutch man is going to buy drugs it is better that he does it in a coffee shop than from some dodgy backstreet dealer. The problem with this approach though is that it opens a flood gate of foreign tourists coming to Holland just (or mainly) to smoke weed. This was never intended so naturally it would eventually get stopped. It's nothing to do with freedom or fairness, it's to do with how Holland deals with it's own drugs problem. Extending this tolerance to foreign tourists only escalates what they are trying to deal with. So after many years they are introducing new laws to discourage drugs tourism. The Weed Pass will come into affect in all parts of Holland in January 2013. This will mean that only Dutch citizens will legally be allowed to buy drugs in Holland (remember plans constantly change though).
Now prostitution. This is a slightly different situation to drugs but the feeling is that it has grown out of control. A few windows are fine but huge areas filled with sex shops, adult shows and hundreds of windows is considered too extreme and bad for Amsterdam's reputation (no one can deny what Amsterdam's world wide reputation is). Combine this with unknown amounts of human trafficking, forced prostitution and suspected criminal involvement of some owners and once again you end up with an inevitable clamp down / reduction /clean-up.
Since Amsterdam is so well known for sex and drugs it does of course attract groups of young rowdy men getting drunk, throwing up and urinating in door ways which again contributes to an overwhelming desire for the Dutch authorities to say enough's enough.
So yes the crackdowns will cut tourism but to be honest they don't want those kind of tourists. They want the ones who will appreciate Amsterdam for it's culture, museums, art, canal views etc etc.
Please understand that I (like most of you I guess) do not want or support these changes but I can understand the reasoning behind them. My prediction is that the changes will come but in a watered down form. The red light district will still be great and coffee shops will sell drugs under the table while the police turn a blind eye.
To be continued
