Pornography in Amsterday?
Feb 25th, 2006, 02:55 AM
#23
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As a point of information most physical child porn (magazines, dvds etc) comes from Russia and it's ex copuntries (esp Ukraine). Most internet stuff comes fom there too. (I have to know this for my job).
There is no outlet for child porn in Amsterdam and if you went looking for it yopu would find yourself in extremely hot water very quickly.
There is plenty of porn on sale, and it does feature stuff that isn't freely on sale in many other countries (animals for instance). Having said that, it's not the Dutch who are buying (or visiting the prostitutes in the Red Light District)
There is no outlet for child porn in Amsterdam and if you went looking for it yopu would find yourself in extremely hot water very quickly.
There is plenty of porn on sale, and it does feature stuff that isn't freely on sale in many other countries (animals for instance). Having said that, it's not the Dutch who are buying (or visiting the prostitutes in the Red Light District)
Feb 25th, 2006, 08:28 AM
#24
We haven't heard from the OP since she started this thread; this was her one and only question posted about a trip to A'dam which seems kinda weird.
I think it was simply a knee jerk reaction to "something someone said".
I think it was simply a knee jerk reaction to "something someone said".
Feb 25th, 2006, 08:43 AM
#25
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Well, a male friend and I were looking at our map and leaned on a doorway to do so. A man opened the door and started to usher my companion inside. We didn't move and he pointed to a sign that said "boys for men" in different languages. He was disgusted that we had apparantly rang his chimes but didn't want to use his service.
(In Amsterdam)
(In Amsterdam)
Feb 25th, 2006, 12:04 PM
#28
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Hey there ! Give me a break !
I didn't reply because I have not been at my computer for a couple of days. Too bad you jump to conclusions and think of me as someTHING else.
I REALLY appreciate all of the information you have given me. I certainly don't determine my travel plans on one persons view of a place, i.e. Amsterdam/Netherlands.
I am happy to hear a bit more about the government's place in these situations of prostitution, drugs, pornography, etc. The person who had told me about the child porn has, perhaps, blinders on. Yes, I agree that it is most everywhere, and certainly in the US, too. I just was interested in knowing more about those situations in Amsterdam and the government's role. You have all helped answer my question.
I didn't reply because I have not been at my computer for a couple of days. Too bad you jump to conclusions and think of me as someTHING else.
I REALLY appreciate all of the information you have given me. I certainly don't determine my travel plans on one persons view of a place, i.e. Amsterdam/Netherlands.
I am happy to hear a bit more about the government's place in these situations of prostitution, drugs, pornography, etc. The person who had told me about the child porn has, perhaps, blinders on. Yes, I agree that it is most everywhere, and certainly in the US, too. I just was interested in knowing more about those situations in Amsterdam and the government's role. You have all helped answer my question.
Feb 27th, 2006, 07:38 AM
#29
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Sea Urchin:
Yes "boys for men" doesn't mean children for men - boys is a term for young adult gay male escorts - perhaps the original guy who told KarBiCrBr about child porn in Amsterdam made the same mistake.
Yes "boys for men" doesn't mean children for men - boys is a term for young adult gay male escorts - perhaps the original guy who told KarBiCrBr about child porn in Amsterdam made the same mistake.
Feb 27th, 2006, 07:47 AM
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The only thing that bothered me about Amsterdam was that an adult book store had nude photos in the front window. At least put them inside the store so they are away from the eyes of young ones on the street.
Feb 27th, 2006, 07:51 AM
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Yeh this last post is something Americans may find disgusting in Amsterdam - the assault of porn and sexual devices in store windows - recently i saw two Dutch teen-age boys with their school bags on the way from school, about 14, riding their bikes and they stopped at the porn window and then a few doors down at the display windows of the head shop - showcasing all kinds of cannabis smoking devices and magic mushrooms - and i thought back to my youth in my hometown and i though, wow it's a different world to grow up in here - whether that's good or bad i don't know but it obviously doesn't bother the Dutch.
Feb 27th, 2006, 08:24 AM
#32
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I'm posting below my trip report from Amsterdam last June. We are a family of four and we fell in love with that city. It is easy to avoid the Red Light district, as we did. Amsterdam was an unexpected delight! Don't skip it.
Amsterdam: Five nights’ stay, first visit for all of us.
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Amsterdam! You always hear of the Red Light district and the coffee shops and the laissez-faire attitude, but you don’t hear how open and friendly the people are, how lovely the canals and side streets, how wonderfully trendy the restaurants and cafes, how people are out strolling at all hours of the night and you feel safe everywhere. I think I’d expected it to be quaint and charming (which it is), but in a dark wood-paneled cliché way, not in the young and contemporary way it is.
The standard reply we were given in Amsterdam, when we asked for anything, was always “Of course!” How refreshing.
We stayed in a fabulous location, at The Hotel Residence le Coin, which was directly across a small street from the Hotel de l’Europe, down the street from the Hotel Doelan, on Nieuwe Doelenstraat (sp?). A great neighborhood in the heart of old Amsterdam.
The hotel has a lift and A/C, also free use of the hotel’s washing machine and clothes dryer in the basement (which was welcome as we’d been traveling over a week when we arrived there). Each room has a little kitchenette, a nice-sized bath, large rooms with wooden floors and a sitting area. It’s fairly new, so everything sparkles. Very friendly front desk, too.
Two cafes on the same block as the hotel were wonderful: Café Katoen for a university atmosphere, and Café de Jaren, for great table seating on the canal.
Amazing dinners at two restaurants in particular:
“Stout!”, at Haarlemmerstraat 73 (www.restaurantstout.nl). Fabulous ‘foamy asparagus’ soup with shrimp, chateaubriande, fresh fish, dessert course, wine list. Very trendy lighting. Great service. We’d gone to the neighborhood in search of a restaurant called “Lof” which we’d seen written up. We didn’t like its atmosphere, but were lucky that Stout! was just across the street.
Also at “Restaurant Dining Eleven” we had a great dinner. It’s at Reestraat 11. Also trendy and contempory, well-presented and beautifully-served meal.
Another nice dinner at “frenzi”, at Swanenburgwal 232. Very simple and contemporary. We arrived shortly after 10:00p.m., when most restaurants close in Amsterdam, and persuaded the owner to sell us any left-overs they had in the kitchen! They put together a nice Caesar salad with cooked-in-the-shell shrimp and mango. Very nice.
Also a good brunch at a place across the street from frenzi—called “Puccini”. Creative salads and sandwiches. Very nice also.
We took a canal cruise one evening. Toured the Anne Frank Huis and the Van Gogh Museum. Visited the Nieuwe Kerk (sp?) Our teens went to a concert at the Paradiso and loved it.
One afternoon we did the 2:30 “Best of Holland” excursion to Volendam and Marken, with a stop to see wooden clogs made, Gouda cheese created, and to visit windmills. It was by bus, with a boat from Volendam to Marken. A lot of fun. Even our two teens liked it.
Our teens also liked shopping at one street in particular, between our hotel and the museum district. Also a Zara shop there, and many others like it. They thought the selection and prices were better in Amsterdam than what they’d seen in London and Paris even.
A detail about Amsterdam if you go there-- carry enough Euros in cash, because many places won't accept a credit card for a 'small' purchase (i.e. under 25 EU).
The only unpleasantness we encountered in Amsterdam related to cab rides and inconsistent pricing. Especially when our two teens were grossly overcharged cabbing to the hotel from the concert. They were well aware of the route, having walked it already twice, but we'd wanted them to cab home late at night. They knew the cabbie took a very round-about way back in order to over-charge. Also, when we arrived at the taxi sand at Central Station, I was literally swarmed by rather aggressive cabbies and felt uncomfortably jostled by them all.
Amsterdam: Five nights’ stay, first visit for all of us.
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Amsterdam! You always hear of the Red Light district and the coffee shops and the laissez-faire attitude, but you don’t hear how open and friendly the people are, how lovely the canals and side streets, how wonderfully trendy the restaurants and cafes, how people are out strolling at all hours of the night and you feel safe everywhere. I think I’d expected it to be quaint and charming (which it is), but in a dark wood-paneled cliché way, not in the young and contemporary way it is.
The standard reply we were given in Amsterdam, when we asked for anything, was always “Of course!” How refreshing.
We stayed in a fabulous location, at The Hotel Residence le Coin, which was directly across a small street from the Hotel de l’Europe, down the street from the Hotel Doelan, on Nieuwe Doelenstraat (sp?). A great neighborhood in the heart of old Amsterdam.
The hotel has a lift and A/C, also free use of the hotel’s washing machine and clothes dryer in the basement (which was welcome as we’d been traveling over a week when we arrived there). Each room has a little kitchenette, a nice-sized bath, large rooms with wooden floors and a sitting area. It’s fairly new, so everything sparkles. Very friendly front desk, too.
Two cafes on the same block as the hotel were wonderful: Café Katoen for a university atmosphere, and Café de Jaren, for great table seating on the canal.
Amazing dinners at two restaurants in particular:
“Stout!”, at Haarlemmerstraat 73 (www.restaurantstout.nl). Fabulous ‘foamy asparagus’ soup with shrimp, chateaubriande, fresh fish, dessert course, wine list. Very trendy lighting. Great service. We’d gone to the neighborhood in search of a restaurant called “Lof” which we’d seen written up. We didn’t like its atmosphere, but were lucky that Stout! was just across the street.
Also at “Restaurant Dining Eleven” we had a great dinner. It’s at Reestraat 11. Also trendy and contempory, well-presented and beautifully-served meal.
Another nice dinner at “frenzi”, at Swanenburgwal 232. Very simple and contemporary. We arrived shortly after 10:00p.m., when most restaurants close in Amsterdam, and persuaded the owner to sell us any left-overs they had in the kitchen! They put together a nice Caesar salad with cooked-in-the-shell shrimp and mango. Very nice.
Also a good brunch at a place across the street from frenzi—called “Puccini”. Creative salads and sandwiches. Very nice also.
We took a canal cruise one evening. Toured the Anne Frank Huis and the Van Gogh Museum. Visited the Nieuwe Kerk (sp?) Our teens went to a concert at the Paradiso and loved it.
One afternoon we did the 2:30 “Best of Holland” excursion to Volendam and Marken, with a stop to see wooden clogs made, Gouda cheese created, and to visit windmills. It was by bus, with a boat from Volendam to Marken. A lot of fun. Even our two teens liked it.
Our teens also liked shopping at one street in particular, between our hotel and the museum district. Also a Zara shop there, and many others like it. They thought the selection and prices were better in Amsterdam than what they’d seen in London and Paris even.
A detail about Amsterdam if you go there-- carry enough Euros in cash, because many places won't accept a credit card for a 'small' purchase (i.e. under 25 EU).
The only unpleasantness we encountered in Amsterdam related to cab rides and inconsistent pricing. Especially when our two teens were grossly overcharged cabbing to the hotel from the concert. They were well aware of the route, having walked it already twice, but we'd wanted them to cab home late at night. They knew the cabbie took a very round-about way back in order to over-charge. Also, when we arrived at the taxi sand at Central Station, I was literally swarmed by rather aggressive cabbies and felt uncomfortably jostled by them all.
Feb 27th, 2006, 08:26 AM
#33
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a quick google search...
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/1999/349.htm
The maximum penalty for child pornography was raised in 1996 from 3 months' to 4 years' imprisonment, 6 years in the event of financial gain, and the maximum fine was more than tripled. New legislation allows for provisional arrest, house searches, and criminal financial investigations. Moreover the authorities no longer must prove that a person possesses child pornography for the purpose of distribution or public display. The Supreme Court ruled that the mere possession of child pornography is sufficient cause for prosecution. For the first time, in 1998 a suspect was convicted and sentenced solely on this ground.
The discovery of a major child pornography case in July resulted in stricter enforcement of antichild abuse legislation and the allocation of additional resources to enforcement efforts. It also underscored the absence of appropriate legislation to fight the dissemination of child pornography over the Internet. The Government believes that international cooperation is required to deal effectively with the latter problem but nevertheless began a national offensive against child pornography on the Internet. The police now are monitoring the Internet in a large, year-long pilot project, and four suspected pornographers were arrested in late 1998.
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/1999/349.htm
The maximum penalty for child pornography was raised in 1996 from 3 months' to 4 years' imprisonment, 6 years in the event of financial gain, and the maximum fine was more than tripled. New legislation allows for provisional arrest, house searches, and criminal financial investigations. Moreover the authorities no longer must prove that a person possesses child pornography for the purpose of distribution or public display. The Supreme Court ruled that the mere possession of child pornography is sufficient cause for prosecution. For the first time, in 1998 a suspect was convicted and sentenced solely on this ground.
The discovery of a major child pornography case in July resulted in stricter enforcement of antichild abuse legislation and the allocation of additional resources to enforcement efforts. It also underscored the absence of appropriate legislation to fight the dissemination of child pornography over the Internet. The Government believes that international cooperation is required to deal effectively with the latter problem but nevertheless began a national offensive against child pornography on the Internet. The police now are monitoring the Internet in a large, year-long pilot project, and four suspected pornographers were arrested in late 1998.
Feb 27th, 2006, 07:18 PM
#34
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Londonlad,
Thanks so much for your information. I appreciate your research/knowledge, whatever. I'll follow up on that website. I'm really pleased to hear the government is so proactive now. I'm now loaded with information to take back to the "Amsterdam critic."
Thanks so much for your information. I appreciate your research/knowledge, whatever. I'll follow up on that website. I'm really pleased to hear the government is so proactive now. I'm now loaded with information to take back to the "Amsterdam critic."
Feb 27th, 2006, 07:22 PM
#35
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Thanks, too, MaureenB.
Your suggestions will be very helpful. Your entire report is very interesting. It is really such a good opportunity to read thoughts and ideas of people who have been there. Guide books are great for many things, but personal input can't be beat. Thanks all !
Your suggestions will be very helpful. Your entire report is very interesting. It is really such a good opportunity to read thoughts and ideas of people who have been there. Guide books are great for many things, but personal input can't be beat. Thanks all !
Feb 28th, 2006, 08:44 AM
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"Author: Robespierre
Date: 02/25/2006, 12:44 pm
I can't think of a better way to find out where to get anything overseas than to ask on a travel forum about how to avoid it."
Do not worrying, my friend. This Robespierre cannot think means nothing to rest of us. He has displayed once again his shortcomings in thoughts. Small minded person shouldn't issue insults on the web. It only returns to you 1,000 time.
Do seek truth in all your travels and you will never receive judgements, insults, nor bad advices on the web.
AR
Date: 02/25/2006, 12:44 pm
I can't think of a better way to find out where to get anything overseas than to ask on a travel forum about how to avoid it."
Do not worrying, my friend. This Robespierre cannot think means nothing to rest of us. He has displayed once again his shortcomings in thoughts. Small minded person shouldn't issue insults on the web. It only returns to you 1,000 time.
Do seek truth in all your travels and you will never receive judgements, insults, nor bad advices on the web.
AR
Feb 28th, 2006, 08:51 AM
#37
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All i know is that Robespierre is one of the best informed of many well informed contributors to this forum and i value his thoughts and help he has given to many many others. I actually find your reasoning a bit hazy and see little positive in it!
Feb 28th, 2006, 03:43 PM
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It's just that on an internet forum, where one doesn't see another face to face, to witness expressions and body language, it is sometimes difficult to discern between sick-o's and stand up (sit down) comedians. Therefore, when someone is asking for information and suggestions, it's only courteous to be helpful. This can be done with an appropriate sense of humor.
