I will stay inside…

Sharing this to warn others in the area.

This happened today on a residential street near Gelderlandplein in Buitenveldert. I was on foot, a minivan pulled up beside with 2 middle-aged men in the front and a younger guy in the back.

They started with, “Do you speak Dutch?” I said no but that I spoke English. They claimed they were “tourists” from Turkistan and pointed at their fuel gauge saying they needed help. Before I answered, they tried handing me a gold-plated chain/bracelet saying “for you, for helping.” I declined and walked away. During the whole interaction there was another car parked nearby with the engine running (with another middle-aged man) which drove off just after they left.

This is a common scam where they offer fake gold jewelry in exchange for gas-money. The jewelry is worthless, and in some cases they try to pressure you or “help” you reach your wallet. The tone changes from seeking sympathy to asserting some obligation/aggression (“you promised”). With 4 men …

I live in Amsterdam West and I’ve noticed that the two apartments below me have been empty for a while. I spoke to the lady directly below me when she was moving out right before March as we had some interaction in the past. I noticed the other balcony below got emptied out around that time as well and I have not seen any activity in there since March. I don’t want to bring the wrath of either landlord down upon me but we are in the middle of a housing crisis. I’ve also spotted across the way from my balcony 7 other vacant apartment that’s haven’t had any activity in them since the Summer. Would anything good come from reporting it or just let be? (I am going to assume the two downvotes are from landlords lol)

So I’ve been noticing this creeping “Americanized” tipping culture here, and honestly… it’s starting to irritate me.

Whenever I pay by card now, I’m suddenly presented with these preset tipping buttons, 0% 5%, 10%, 15%, whatever. If I want to tip, I can decide myself and say the amount out loud. I don’t need a touchscreen guilt-tripping me. It feels like this subtle capitalism-pressure that doesn’t fit Dutch culture at all.

Another thing: I genuinely don’t know where these pin tips go. When I worked in a bar years ago, cash tips were just split evenly. Simple. Fair. But the pin tips? I literally never saw a cent. My instinct is that they go straight to the already well-earning owner rather than the staff.

And tipping for small things , like just grabbing a quick coffee, also feels like a new trend. When did that become a thing? Are we seriously drifting toward US norms?

For the record: in proper restaurants with good service I always tip. No issue with that. A nice bar experience …

Hi, my partner once biked through this intersection (red arrow) and was surprised the (blue) car behind him honked at him when he didn’t give him the right of way. He says he as a cyclist had the right of way. I say he didn’t. Who is right? I feel like it’s very obvious but he doesn’t want to admit it.

I am English and have a Dutch partner and a 7 month old baby.

I hadn’t encountered this before in England (aside from in the bathroom after taking a shower), but every day my partner throws all the windows open “to air the house”. This decreases the temperature to about 13-15C, and even after a full day with a single electric heater on, the house won’t get above 18c. He is most insistent that this is the only healthy way in a damp climate like NL.

He also gets very difficult when turning on the CV kettel. Is it normal here just to be colder than in other European countries? We luckily have a relatively well insulated house, and no issues with black mold etc (perhaps because of this ritual).

I think it’s normal in England to just set the cv to 20c and leave it there, and only actively ventilate the bathroom.

There’s some random lady by the toilet entry coughing her lungs out, charging people 0,50€ to go pee. It looks like she’s just put her own “shop” up, dragged a chair and banks it all, putting all the coins to her purse.

Still there’s a McDonalds legit sign next to her that says 0,50€ fee to go to the toilet.

What’s up Netherlands?

Edit: in Den Haag city center. She was wearing “gold” rings, “diamond” necklace, wiggling her purse and scolding teenagers who tried to go past. It was absurd and funny, she seemed so out of place but had a weird pee-authority.

I am a non-dutch parent raising a child in the Netherlands who religiously follows the Sinterklaasjournaal. This year, kids could “order” noodpakkets from Hoofdpiet, which my kid gleefully ordered the extra grote one. And last night, bane of my existence, Hoofdpiet announced (?) that they would be delivered tonight? So what, am I supposed to supply this new noodpakket of emergency supplies? They didn’t warn us to have puzzle pieces at the ready thanks to that storyline, and now I’ve got 12 hours to pull together an emergency preparedness kit for my kid??

Can someone please just tell me what to do?