No To Closures
As a tour guide, when I mention the name Halsema to my group. 99 times out of 100, I can assure you that there is at least one random person from the street that will shout “FUCK HALSEMA”. I always kind of chuckle to myself when it does happen, especially seeing the tourists’ faces shocked at how open we are willing to voice our opinion.
But as a tour guide, specifically for the old city center, I depend on the Red Light District for business. This is why I also nod with agreement when people are shouting their crude expressions against Halsema. For any of you guys that have been living under a rock, here is some context.
The Red Light District is potentially going to be moving away from the city centre, and will be placed either in Noord or Zuid. They will be making something called an erotic centre, which is quite similar in style as in Cologne. Some of the sex workers actually favour this as instead of being zoo animals, they will get a higher rate of real customers. But I see this as a potential demise of the old Amsterdam that we have learned to love and care for.
The Red Light District, although trashy and overcrowded, is symbolic to the tolerable Dutch society that we enjoy. By getting rid of it you may just not only lose a part of history, but you will lose the essence and vibe that only Amsterdam can offer. It is one of the few places in the world where you could meet anyone from anywhere. While on my tours I have met celebrities and musicians, professional poker players, but also construction workers from Australia and teachers from New York. All of them come into the city with their curious minds and eyes waiting to get educated on how we can run a sex industry properly. The weird thing is that anywhere else in the world, if you see suggestively dressed ladies standing on the street, you know you’re probably in the wrong fucking neighbourhood. That’s what makes the Red Light District unique. It’s got an open door policy for anyone, and most of all, it is safe.
People think this area is sketchy like walking through the Bronx at 1 in the morning. But as a professional troublemaker, to this day I am still waiting for trouble to come. Sure, there are drug dealers on every corner. But wouldn’t you argue that by making an enclosed erotic centre, instead of having standing drug dealers you’ll create drug dens. Sure, there are highly intoxicated people there that can go Sicko Mode out of nowhere. That’s what the police are for.
That brings me to the next point, as a tour guide of the Red Light District a part of my job is to evade police. Giving tours is illegal through the district, but over the past year I have barely needed to evade the police. Maybe , just maybe, if there were more cops there would be less tour guides around the district. Maybe, just maybe, if there were more cops all the intoxicated fucks dragging themselves around the neighbourhood will be on a better behaviour. Maybe, just maybe, if there were more cops we wouldn’t have such a big drug dealing problem there.
So this brings me to my last point, no to earlier closing times, no to the erotic center, and most important of all. FUCK HALSEMA!
