Bicycles are a popular method of transportation in Amsterdam, but when you combine inebriated tourists and wheels, things can get a little rowdy. Beer bikes — carts where tourists pedal in unison while drinking beer and exploring the city — have become popular in the U.S. and abroad. However, they may not be welcome in the Dutch capital for much longer.
According to the BBC, a court ruling in Amsterdam allows city officials to prohibit beer bikes in the center of the city because they have become an annoyance to the city’s residents. In fact, 6,000 residents signed a petition to outlaw beer bikes referring to them as a “terrible phenomenon,” the BBC reports.
Amsterdam has long been a city with a tolerant attitude toward alcohol, drugs, and prostitution. Despite a liberal stance toward these vices, Amsterdam is a clean, progressive, and low-crime city. However, the normally tranquil capital has been hit by a barrage of drunken tourists on wheels, disrupting the normal daily life of the city’s residents. It seems as though many tourists misinterpret the Dutch’s lax attitude as carte blanche to behave however they want, even if that means being sloppy drunk in public on wheels while other cyclists try to avoid them.
As a rule of thumb, when visiting another country you should be respectful, it goes a long way.
