Why does the rest of Europe call the Netherlands the USA of Europe. It is not because people have guns, readily available. I was not able to understand why, until I had a friend visit me for a day. A fellow European exploring the city of Amsterdam. What is not to like, I thought? I warned her that the Dutch are pretty direct and if you ask a question in a store for purchasing an item that the typical response in Amsterdam towards customers is "look for yourself if you do not see it we do not have it." I even explained to her that this would not even be considered rude. Language like this is completely culturally acceptable. But despite my warnings, I found her not too cheerful at the edge of the couch, later that day.
When I asked her what was wrong I would hear things like "the Netherlands does not like" me or things like "I am not welcome in Amsterdam." I expected something major to have happened. A fight something like an accident and when I kept asking for more explanations I discovered that the reason why she was very and I must say very upset, was only a simple thing. She felt she was denied a basic human right. When you walk around as a man in this city you can pee absolutely everywhere. You can pee on almost every street corner. The city of Amsterdam loves men and makes sure they get to pee wherever and whenever they want.
For women it is a different story. Instead of creating a place where both men and women can pee, the city thought it wise to create: men can pee only places. In turkey, egypt and other countries where woman can more easily find places, I have seen free public toilets there. These designs where holes in the ground or other designs that both men and women can use. I am sure the designers in the Netherlands are perfectly capable of designing places to pee for both men and women, and if not hire them from other European countries. If they do not want to pay for it, then perhaps consider to open a competition where the reward a week visit to this city.
The more I looked into it, the more premeditative this whole peeing business started to look. I know it almost could have seemed like an accident. It could have looked like they just forgot about the female person and their basic human rights. Yet, the city has gone out of its way to ensure that the local businesses - like the stores on the Leidsestraat and all the other shopping streets - that they cannot let their customers use their restroom. And, well if they do; they could even get a fine. I went on a walk through town to ask people where I could use the restroom, and many businesses apologized that they were not allowed to have me use it.
The more I looked into it, the more the city seemed to look like a big ubiquitous bully out to make the tourists without a willy feel absolutely unwelcome. I found one pop up toilet, for woman and people on wheelchairs. Then I realized that the women are allowed to pee; the only difference is they have to pay for it. Which again does not make the city look much better. From a marketing perspective it sends out a signal. Men welcome, women we will milk you (your wallets that is). "Grab them by their pussy" is literally what the city has done, and hopeful won't continue to do…
After a day near a toilet we changed the conversation to how hard it is to get access to a gynecologist in the Netherlands. My friend was from - lets put it mildly - a more female friendly country in Europe.
