Homeless in Amsterdam?

Discussion in 'General' started by MrsEd, May 11, 2010.

  1. We know someone that just enjoys the homeless lifestyle. He is currently in Barcelona, Spain and is now heading to Amsterdam. Does anyone know how homeless are treated in Amsterdam (especially for a non Dutch citizen)? :confused: We we were there last year, I do not remember seeing any type of homeless people about.
     
  2. i know a girl who isn't a dutch citizen and she just squats places. she is homeless and doesn't really care. they aren't treated badly, no one really pays attention to them. i don't know about the police though if its a problem they may deal with it but she seems to get along just fine

    you didn't see homeless people because they don't always look homeless
     
  3. It's pretty rough. They mostly sleep on park benches or in shopping malls after dark. Not many people give them money, unless they have some kind of skill or performance (musical instruments or whatever). But homeless people aren't ridiculed or bullied, people just hardly pay attention to them.

    There are quite a lot of homeless shelters in Amsterdam though, and a bunch of Salvation Army places where you can sleep for the night. They won't let you in if you use harddrugs, dunno if that's a problem for your friend.

    That's the most I can think of, and I'm from the Netherlands.
     
  4. Have you seen the movie Hostel?
     
  5. Thank you guys for the info on it. He does have a "performance" flare which seems to make him money along the way. :wave: :smoking: I figured it might be in the parks for his best bet for sleeping.

    I have seen Hostel, tripped out movie!
     
  6. Squatting is quite common in Amsterdam...


    Squatting in Amsterdam | DutchAmsterdam.nl
     
  7. my first time in amsterdam I gave the final night in my hotel room up so I could get my deposit back and go spend it on the town. I ended up taking a nap on the grassy field right beside the van gogh museum. to be honest I actually enjoyed not having a place to sleep that night, but with that said i doubt i could do it for more than 1-2 days.

    Like herb said the homless people are hardly noticed over there...I have only been asked for change twice

    As far as if hes a performer than there is no place better. tell him to go sit outside of central station or in dam square and he came make bank...he dosn't even have to be good at whatever he does. When I was there in april there was this old guy who would just play the zilaphone(sp?) and he even made bank.
     

  8. I read an amsterdam tour guide here on grasscity the other day, some dude talked about seeing an american homeless guy in amsterdam that came up to him saying "Ey! You're my best friend, remember?" Crazy people haha
     
  9. every homeless person is your best friend haha

    they are just so interested in hearing every detail of your life, maybe you'd like to discuss it over a meal, YOUR TREAT! :D
     
  10. ^ eh, IDK, in Amsterdam I think id have to buy the dude a couple shots and a joint, just because of the special occasion of me being there=p
     
  11. i've smoked up a homeless person before haha

    he was a polish guy, my age. i just wanted to hear what all had happened to him up to this point. he was a really cool guy, said he had no interest in living a "normal" life, that he was doing fine squeezing by in life with his guitar and he wouldn't want it any other way. he also said his name was incredibly difficult to write and that he would just train hop and if he ever got caught, would gladly hand over his passport so they could get his information knowing they wouldn't write his name right.

    he said he had been caught train hopping multiple times, had his name written down multiple times and never once got charged for it. lucky duck haha
     
  12. I was coming out of a pizza place on a shitty side of town not long ago, and what appeared to be a homeless prostitute came up and tried, (in vain) to proposition me. I offered her a cigarette and gave her a slice of pizza and laughed and got in my car. I was like, oh that's nice but no. I mean no. No. No. No that's ok no thank you no. No.
     
  13. Ive actually smoked out a homeless dude too. I was in this tunnel under some railroad tracks with a friend (Tunnel connects under highway, so its a quick way to jay-walk under the highway. Anyways, this dude comes down there while we're burning, kinda eyeing us all weird. He was pretty scraggly lookin, so I was like "Hey man, you wanna couple hits?" Dude hella brightened up and was like "ah, thanks man! I gotta go to this job interview right now, but thanks, now i won't be as nervous!". dude got up and left, was pretty funny haha
     

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