Amsterdam and RLD

[Iwanttobeanachoman]

Me and LT partner are talking of a holiday to Amsterdam. He said he wants to see RLD out of curiousity. I feel really put off him now because I've talked before about trafficking and sex slavery and in the past even mentioned places with legalised prostitution still involves exploiting women and girls.

I responded unless he could guarantee this wasn't the case then it wouldn't be happening and said he couldn't guarantee thid and I showed him articles about trafficking including a story from a young women who escaped trafficking from this area and what she endured. He said afterwards he gets t and he wouldn't now I've explained it but trafficking is well known. So is what some of these women endure. He wasn't asking to engage in the service but even just going for a look out of curiosity as he said has really made me see him differently because how can you see it as a tourist thing?

I don't know what to do. I've always been vocal that any man who engages in paying for this even if its just pics or a dance its a deal breaker because they can never guarantee the women aren't forced and to be willing to risk inflict that on someone is a huge deal breaker.

AIBU?

I mean the RLD is huge and full of bars, cafes and restaurants so pretty hard to avoid! I do also think there is some natural curiosity around it - I understand your points on trafficking and exploitation, I think you can take those points on board and be aware of the things going on behind the scenes in these places but also want to see that part of the city and be aware of what's going on in the world.

It's different to actually engaging in it + paying for dances as you've mentioned in your last paragraph imo.

I think unless you are going to Amsterdam with small kids, avoiding the RLD is a bit of a challenge, it's just sort of there. It's not like a seedy back alley you have to skulk through.

I’ve walked past this before and I didn’t like it. It’s not exactly how you think it’s going to be either. The bit I went to was near a church and a kindergarten in central Amsterdam, (obviously they were closed as it was nighttime) and a bar was open nearby. There are a few windows with ladies in them, you can see a door behind them with a bed in it. I didn’t stay to look or watch we just walked past. There are plenty of sex shops that are more ‘fun’ to look round I just found it seedy and sad round the windows but there isn’t anything to really ‘see’ just some ladies in underwear and a load of tourists gathered around looking at them. Overall it’s not anything that’s a ‘thing’ so I am not sure why anyone goes to look. I didn’t internally go to that spot to look, we were just generally exploring around central areas not using a map

There are also placed advertising peep shows and stuff but that’s all indoors.

Amsterdam is lovely during the day, so much to do, i loved the art in the museums. I didn’t mind the evening, nice to see the canals at night and go to some bars but you don’t have to engage with any RLD and can just walk past. I do agree about trafficking - you just never know if someone is being forced to work. I suppose I wonder why anyone wants to look - it’s not like you can see live sex on the streets, seems pointless to me, not entertainment.

You can’t really avoid it I think, if you visit Amsterdam. Obviously actively taking part is a different story, but it’s such a popular part of Amsterdam’s nightlife that I wouldn’t be too concerned about someone’s values and ethics if they express an interest in walking through it. It seems that your partner is on the same page regarding trafficking and exploitation issues and didn’t want to take advantage of the ‘services’ on offer.

@Iwanttobeanachoman the sex shops are literally everywhere, every 2nd shop along you cannot avoid them🤣 but they are just shops there aren’t sex workers in them.

Maybe a trip to Amsterdam isn't for you? You are going to find it very hard to avoid these areas when walking the city

It is a weird area insofar as some stunning historic houses rubbing shoulders with sex shops and the infamous windows. As others have alluded to it is also home to some decent bars and restaurants and not all people are pissed up stag dos from the UK.

I loved Amsterdam and I found it really interesting. But as others have said, there isn't like one Red Light District inside a barbed wire fence. It's throughout a good part of the city centre. If you would find it uncomfortable or objectionable, then I would look elsewhere for a holiday.

I literally stumbled into the RLD by accident when suddenly half the shops windows had dildos in them 😂In terms of sex workers there, I saw a maximum of like 4 in windows. It really isn’t what you think it is. Plenty of lovely cafes and bars. It looks pretty much exactly like other areas of Amsterdam and is very much a tourist spot. I don’t see and issue with walking through it?

No it isn’t. It’s full of culture and interesting things to see and do. Having never smoked weed or been to a sex worker it’s still one of my favourite places to go! It’s so relaxed and laid back, the street markets and food halls sell great food, there is so much art and even at night it doesn’t feel ‘rough’ imo

It’s hard to go to Amsterdam and avoid these places, you can’t really. There is a lot of drugs etc, as in when I was there I could smell the stuff on the street. Now, RLD is simply that, a district, but it’s on the central street also. Unless things have changed since my trip there 10 years ago. If you wouldn’t be comfortable maybe pick another city.

I went to Amsterdam and wanted to see out of curiosity too, I think it's pretty natural to be curious.

Live in Amsterdam. Of course you can avoid it. It’s in a few side streets and along one canal. We never go although the Nieumarkt just around the corner is a great square with open air cafes etc.

There are occasional sex shops in other areas but easy to miss.

I’ve really changed how I feel about this over the years. 40 years it was a sailor’s hangout - it’s near the harbour - mostly Dutch girls with a sense of community. It was policed, the girls had regular health checks and knew each other and provided a service. Now it’s run by violent pimps, the girls are trafficked in and mostly totally stoned. It’s horrible and I avoid it.

The mayor of Amsterdam is trying to tackle it and taking it out of the city and moving it to a Sex City. Long overdue because it’s now a haven for criminality and abuse. If you go, go to have the conversation about what’s wrong.

There is so much more to this historic and beautiful city.

I was just there last week and like others have said, it does stink of weed (yuk) but there's so much more to this lovely city than scantily clad women in windows. To be honest, there seemed to be fewer of them than there were the last few times I went, and I think the Amsterdam authorities are deliberately trying to move the city away from its previous reputation.

Sorry crossed post with @theresnolimits but interesting that my impressions as a tourist are the same as the knowledge of someone who actually lives there!

avoiding the RLD is a bit of a challenge, it's just sort of there.

I lived in Amsterdam for two years and I didn’t even know where it was until someone pointed it out to me and I commuted through Amsterdam CS to get to work. Your LT partner doesn’t appear to particularly bright, bored women standing in front of windows while queues of men take turns in sticking their dicks into orifices for hire, urgh. You never educated him about trafficking because most men don’t care, he certainly doesn’t. His curiosity and amusement is where his priority lies, he’ll just keep it to himself now.