Red light district
 

I'll be visiting Amsterdam next weekend and does anyone know if the ladies of the night accept credit cards? And what are there rates?

Steve, I assume by ladies of the night you mean the bag ladies you'll encounter on the street on your way back to the hotel. That is so kind of you to remember them while you're traveling. They'd be thrilled if you wanted to give them your credit card!! You just really want to make their world a better place, don't you. Wow, you really are generous Steve!

"Ladies of the night"??? What planet are you from? Obviously you are a troll. No one considering the services of a prostitute would use that term.<BR>But yes most do accept credit cards and you pay for the services you negotiate for. Nothing will happen until a price is agreed upon. It could range from 10 Euros to 1000 or even more.

xxx- you really live up to your name! now tell me, just how would you happen to be so familiar with the price range of such services?? hmmmmm?

Meridith, I think you are being a little pejorative here. After visiting Amsterdam last year and walking through the Red Light District I was incredibly intrigued by all of it. It's so openly accepted, so legal and so in your face. There were hundreds of girls and they were beautiful and I really wanted to know what made them go into that profession and what they liked and hated about it. I found this website with a discussion board that answered some of my questions. There are "trip reports" of a sort posted. <BR><BR>http://www.ignatzmice.com/Adam/framed2.htm<BR><BR>All just part of the culture of another country.

Grasshopper,<BR>Yep, I guess you're right. I'm sure the prostitution over there must certainly be more intriguing and therefore justified because, like you say, it's all part of the culture. I bet the prostitution is so much more sophisticated over there. See, that's the great thing about Europe, isn't it. It's a different culture. You just get to go ahead and fall right off that danged moral bandwagon...and it's OK...you can just call it a "cultural experience"! :)

Meridith, I didn't say I would ever use the services of a girl in the RLD (I'm a woman for pete's sake). But I have to wonder if you have ever been to Amsterdam. And I didn't say I thought the Dutch were correct in making prostitution legal. So before you accuse me of falling off any moral bandwagons, I have to ask if you've ever BEEN to Amsterdam. If you haven't, then I can understand that you don't have a clue what the RLD is like, or the "coffee shops" or the "sex museums" or the shops in the area. It's a very different world. Certainly not for someone who thinks that travel and cultural curiosity is only for things one approves of.

I've seen those 'trip reports' and 'field report' sites and it hearkens to mind the days of the slave trade, when people were evaluated as meat.

Dear Steve, You really should stay away from these places. Dont give into this temptation. Ask the Lord for strength.

Meredith asks how I am so familiar with the prices. The answer is simple. I have used their services several times. I see nothing wrong with that considering it is part of the Amsterdam culture and "controlled" indirectly by the government. I am not slamming anyone else for doing so either. I was just poking fun of the troll who obviously was trying to stir something up rather than actually use the services. If he had ever or was intererested in ever using a prostitute (yes, I know I said "using") then he wouldn't have used such archaic terminology.

Meredith! Shame on you! Get back to the beach and read your bible. Don't chat with this sinner!

Whether someone uses the services of a woman in the RDL or not, I'm actually curious why someone would want to use their credit card to charge for these services? Are you looking for extra frequent flyer miles if your credit card has that incentive, or might you want to contest the charge with your credit card company later? Are you looking for a 1-2% credit back if you use your Discover Card?<BR><BR>I'm really just curious.

Here we go again...<BR><BR>Meredith, we all see morality differently. There are people who see any kind of sex outside of marriage -- paid for or not -- as immoral. There are people who see certain sexual activities -- even between married straight people -- as immoral. There are people who see sexual relationships between people of the same sex as immoral. There are people who see toplessness on beaches as immoral. In fact, when it comes to human sexuality, there's probably not anything that someone, somewhere, doesn't find immoral.

capo are you volunteering your gf for the RL district (the one in the photo with you at the gtg)

Capo, should your corpse turn up one dark and stormy night, perhaps the defendant of your murderer will say, now, now, we all see morality differently...

But we do see morality differently when it comes to murder as well, including mass murder. <BR><BR>Many Americans, for example, feel it's OK for the state to murder someone who has committed a murder. <BR><BR>The U.S. government felt it was OK to murder thousands and thousands of Japanese civilians in order to bring a quick end to the war with Japan, thereby saving the lives of thousands of American soldiers who would've certainly died in an invasion of Japan.<BR><BR>x, my gf makes her own decisions about what to do with her life. And I think all people, men and women, should have that ability, as long as it doesn't involve doing anything to someone without their consent. <BR><BR>Unlike the U.S., the Netherlands is mature enough to realize that making so-called vices criminal offenses doesn't make them go away. It just drives them underground. In the case of prostitution in the Netherlands, a Dutch cop put it very well, "Here we protect these women. Over in your country [the U.S.] you harass them and arrest them." <BR><BR>

Leslie, welcome to the Fodors Website. Obviously you have never been here, and apparently never traveled before, or you would know that using a credit card is the best way to charge or pay for anything in Europe. You get the best exchange rate. If you'd use the charge card for other purposes, why wouldn't you use it for prostitution as well? Why would you want to exchange cash and lose money in the transaction. Are you just trying to be overly moralistic here, or are you really that stupid?

ok capo tell her the offer is $10 and you and her can discuss your commission

$10? If you were to add several zeros (and you don't count) to that, we can talk. ;)

xxx. Leslie is a Fodor's regular. And she travels quite frequently. Shows what you know, buster.

capo do you have any underage children for this project since " I think all people, men and women, should have that ability, as long as it doesn't involve doing anything to someone without their consent" what positions?

Just because one is a Fodor's "regular" doesn't mean they know anything about anything. There, goes to show what you assume!

Perhaps we have a different view on sexuality and each individuals choices while being in a relationship.<BR><BR>Relationship does not constitute ownership. Neither person in a relationship has the power, or license, to permit or prohibit another person from doing anything. The two people in any relationship define their own parameters as to what "they" deem appropriate. It is not up for the judgment of others if all parties consent, and all parties are adults.<BR><BR>Finally, regarding morality, there is a very obvious line when it comes to children. Whether or not you were joking, I could not tell. I am very hopeful you were.

Yes, but I know Leslie and presume to know what she knows better than you can.

I did? Wow! What a night!<BR><BR>Better get ready, got some work to do.<BR><BR>:) &lt;====== you all do know what those mean, right?

I am definitely a regular, but my question was why one would want to pay a prostitute with a credit card. Maybe someone should reread my post. I could only conclude and will repeat that one would want to do that for two reasons: you can get frequent flyer miles by paying a prostitute with it, if you have a credit card that gives your frequent flyer miles for purchases, or else you want the services of a prostitute, but really don't want to pay them so you contest the charge on your credit card. Seems to me a credit card company representative might conclude that the card holder's card was used illegally, and therefore the sex charges would ultimately be free. <BR><BR>I have since come up with another reasonswhy it would possibly be a good reason to use a credit card for this type of transaction: while the man is in the throws of pleasure, possibly someone will come in the room and grab his wallet, and he could at least hold onto the credit card. Also, can you ask for a refund if the services are not to your satisfaction? Maybe you can with a credit card, but not with cash.<BR><BR>So, again my question is why would you use a credit card for this type of transaction? Maybe you only pay cash so there isn't a paper trail if you have a wife that can see the credit card statements.<BR><BR>My question was not whether people use credit cards and debit cards in Europe, as I use mine all the time.

Ooh, I just came up with another good reason to use a credit card for this type of transaction. The gentleman is on a business trip, and entertainment is reimbursed by his company but he needs a receipt. Maybe he wouldn't get a receipt for a cash transaction, but he could use his credit card statement as the receipt for a credit transaction. For IRS audit purposes companies ask their employees to supply receipts for reimbursable transactions over $25.

And to whomever wrote to me thinking I was naive and not knowing that you get a better rate with debit and credit cards, I was using the premise that this gentleman would have gotten a cash withdrawal using his debit card and then could pay with the Dutch Guilder.

Geez louise. I leave you people for a few hours and come back to these rantings and ravings:) In response to you, Grasshopper, I most certainly did not assume that you used these services, nor did I assume that you were a man. So please do not assume that I haven't been to Amsterdam (even though you're right, I haven't:) But I don't think that getting a feel for a culture requires Steve or you or me to go investigate the whys and wherefores of prostitution just because it's in a different country. <BR>(Leslie! your post about frequent flyer miles was a trip.)<BR><BR>But as for you Capo, what is with that "Here we go again?" I don't need you to talk at me about the legitimacy of my definition of morality.<BR>Steve, listen.... why do you feel that paying for these services is so necessary after all?? For Christ's sakes (sorry Clayton) you're on this gorgeous, sensuous, romantic continent where anything is possible! Why pay for romance when it's all around you?

All you conservatives seem to assume that there is no prostitution in America. Let me tell you: there is just as much prostitution in America as in Amsterdam. The difference is that in Amsterdam it is legal, controlled, generally safe, and the women who choose this profession are protected. (and they pay taxes!) In America, prostitution is underground, the women have no rights, they are harassed and nobody will protect them. Now you choose which system is better.

are u stupid or naive? or think slavery is sexy? why dont you tell your daughter (or did your wife) to finance her college education that way?

T, you sound bitter...makes me wonder how much you charge....