After dropping some things off at the house, we went downtown to see a movie. The area was nice but crowded. Alan and I had to park our bikes in separate places because we couldn't find two spots next to each other.

As I was walking with Alan out of the movie, we saw a police officer in the middle of the road, diverting traffic.

A kid about 20 years old was on a scooter and tried to ride past the officer. Except he didn't realize there were officerS. The cops that were ahead of the first grabbed the back of the scooter and stopped it. I was expecting one of the cops to throw the kid off the bike to the ground and arrest him, but it never happened. After almost running down the first cop, and entering a closed street that was heavily populated, they just asked him to get off the scooter, spoke to him and then let him go.

This was definitely not the United States.

After seeing this, Alan and I decided that we couldn't come to Amsterdam and not at least stop by the Red Light District.

It was midnight and our curiosity was soon satiated as we quickly found ourselves walking down ally ways and street fronts lined with windows of barely clothed women dressed as all kinds of characters.

A few of whom we spoke to, asking about their lives and trying to understand what was happening around us.

$52 US Dollars and you could sleep with any woman you saw in the window.

We asked how they feel safe and the different scenarios that one might find themselves in as a sex worker. The kind lady in the latex happily informed us that because prostitution here was legal, she felt incredibly safe. All the women have a button in their rooms they can press which will contact police to come to their aid. The women were checked regularly for STD's and couldn't work without being cleared.

It all felt uncomfortable in how comfortable it felt. Back in the United States, commodification of our bodies happened on a subconscious level through apps like Tinder, and different underlying societal factors, but here, it was openly welcomed. You could buy women like you buy groceries.

Walk up and down isles until you find what flavor you like and then make your purchase.

Despite my inner discomfort, the whole thing was incredibly normal there. Prostitutes were in a window beside a restaurant where families were eating dinner. It was very safe as there were pimps and bouncers that were everywhere, constantly monitoring peoples behavior-kicking out drunks and ensuring the peace-and continuation of the customers business. A friend even told me that when he was a kid his Mom would walk with him through the Red Light District on their way home after leaving work just because she knew it was a safer area.

However, there was a strict no photos policy and documenting this area was a challenge. If caught, I would have likely been surrounded by giant dudes and had my camera taken.

This sort of enticed me as I knew that because of this there probably wouldn't be many people with photos to share of this place.

Challenge accepted.

Here are just a couple photos from the night.

The Quiet Photographs

April 14th, 2022

A Photo Project through South Georgia

A Moment of Significance.

April 6th, 2020

for the first time.

April 14^th, 2022

April 6^th, 2020