Will that be oregano, powder... and other Amsterdam, Netherlands Warning Or Danger Tips

Will that be oregano, powder sugar or aspirin?

Amsterdam's a place where almost anything goes and it endures a lot of narcotourists. If you do come over chances are that someone on the street will try and sell you whatever mind altering substance you may be inclined to buy. Word from the wise: the stuff you buy on the street is generally nothing more than repackaged supermarket goods.

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The biggest risk to your health and bodily integrity in Amsterdam are bikes and trams.

Amsterdam trams are generally very big and yellow (OK, some are blue & white and others bedecked in ads) and should be easy to avoid. About 10 tourists a years fail this test and end up being shipped to their point of origin in a bag/box. Trams will obey traffic rules so that all you need to do to avoid ending up underneath one is obey normal traffic rules. DO NOT do like the locals and cross when you think it's safe. We've all had years of experience and schooling in Amsterdam street survival and thus qualify as professionals.

Amsterdam bikes exist in almost every colour of the rainbow and obey no single traffic regulation. The bike is Amsterdam's most efficient mode of transport and most of the people on them are in a hurry to get from A to B, myself included. This means that most of us don't bother to ring our bells before we run you over. It's not that we're hostile to tourists. We believe in natural selection and do our best to prune out those visitors to Amsterdam who fail to understand that a red tarmac path with a bycicle painted on it every 25 meters is really reserved for bycicles. So stick to the sidewalk and enjoy the town.

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