EyeAmsterdam.com: Eye (on) Amsterdam

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Nice bike. Gorgeous woman. Summer in Amsterdam…

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The concept: put a bunch of partying folks on a pedal-powered bar, which serves them beer while they bike their way through town.

What could possibly go wrong?

Note the reaction of the girl to the nearly naked guy on the beer bike — and her friend’s reaction to her.

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These sturdy bikes are not just used to transport people, but also to advertise a company.

Bikes can be parked just about anywhere — including in spots where it would be impossible (or, due to the cost, too expensive) to place a billboard or other form of advertisement.

Most Amsterdammers know of one or more bikes that haven’t been moved in years — silently advertising a nearby store, restaurant, bike shop or other service.

The sturdy examples in the picture advertise the Undutchables temp agency for foreign professionals in Amsterdam.

By all accounts it’s a good firm to work for, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that the name of the firm was taken from the title of a hilarious, satirical book about the Dutch

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It is said that the 750.000+ citizens of Amsterdam together own some 600.000 bikes. You only have to take one look at Amsterdam’s streets to figure that’s about right.

The city, first settled in the 12th century, wasn’t really made with cars in mind. And even with Amsterdam’s excellent, finely-mazed public transport system, getting from a to b by bike tends to be just as fast — if not faster.

In recent years, custom bikes have really taken off. They come in all shapes and sizes, and are built for different purposes. The bike in this photo, for instance, is designed to carry one adult and three children. Perfect for those trips to and from school.

Other custom bikes have a storage ‘trunk’ large enough to carry several days worth of groceries, while yet other bikes can move small loads of, say, household goods.

Amsterdam, the city of bikes is best seen either on foot or by bike.

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This is soooo Dutch, or at least typical for Amsterdam: a bike (shopping basket filled with plastic tulips) parked right in front of a sign that says not to park bikes there.

Then again… given the color-coordination going on here I wonder whether the bike was placed there by the folks who run the store. After all, all is fair in love and advertising, right?

Episode is a second-hand clothes store — this one in the Berenstraat in Amsterdam.

Buyer Beware

Episode’s website says the Episode stores are run by GAIA. GAIA in turn is connected to Tvind — a company warned against by cult watchers such as Tvind Alert:

HAVE YOU JUST DROPPED CLOTHES INTO A ‘HUMANA’ CHARITY BIN?

Or one operated by Planet Aid, Gaia, UFF, DAPP, Green World Recycling (or any of the enterprises listed below?)

You assumed you were giving to a good cause? You may be surprised to find out where your donation has really gone. It could be supporting a cult!

Your clothes are now the property of The Teachers Group. This is not a normal charity. It is not recognised as one anywhere in the world. One of its most senior leaders has just been sent to prison for fraud (January 2009).
- Source: The Used Clothes Scam, Tvind Alert

See also The Green Bins of GAIA and more about Tvind.

Cool bike, though.

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In Amsterdam bike theft is rampant. Locking your bike tends to help as it slows down the thief. If your bike carries more locks, or stronger-looking ones, than another one close by other gets taken instead.
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