Amsterdam Coffee Shops

Maybe the older I get, the less tolerant I become, but honestly, some people just never fail to amaze me!

Amsterdam conjures up many associations; pushbikes, canals, Red Light District, magic mushrooms and ‘coffee shops’.  Whilst Amsterdamers are quite liberal in their attitudes towards soft drugs and the oldest profession in the world, many visitors to this beautiful city take this as an invitation to flout the regulations, all the while causing great offence, not only to the locals, but also to their fellow visitors, those with half a clue!

Whilst smoking cannabis is acceptable in certain ‘coffee shops', in general it is not acceptable outside of these establishments.  Try telling that to the few tourists who think that translates to carte blanche and that it’s cool to walk around sucking on a joint!

Yesterday, we were absolutely amazed at the stupidity and ignorance of one of these tourists who thought it was acceptable to smoke hashish on our canal cruise, inside the enclosed cabin! When the unmistakable aroma hit the olfactory system of the cruise captain, he went on the hunt for the culprit, announcing to all passengers that if he found out who it was they would be subjected to a traditional ‘Dutch kick up the ass’ whilst unceremoniously being removed from said vessel.

Here’s a tip...if you want to partake in some recreational smoking activity, head to any one of the many ‘coffee shops’.  They are usually unmistakable – all you need do is walk past, and if you are still standing once past the doorway, you are probably guaranteed it is somewhere where you could get yourself a nice latte.