From the 1960s until present time, The Netherlands have been proud of their proverbial tolerance towards unconventional living styles. Outsiders may even think that just about anything is allowed in The Netherlands, oftentimes even by law: abortion, euthanasia, gay rights, legalized drugs and the existence of a political party protecting the rights of pedophiles. The first article of the Dutch constitution prescribes that all inhabitants of The Netherlands, when faced with the same circumstances, have right to equal treatment. The same article explicitly prohibits `discrimination based on religion, convictions, political orientation, race, gender, or whatever other difference may apply`. But how tolerant are Dutch people in everyday life?

Posted by Bruno

The Netherlands is internationally known as a country where everybody cycles, whatever the weather or time of day. It doesn`t take a long time for visitors to verify this stereotype and find out that it`s almost true. There are few people in The Netherlands who never cycle and very few who are technically unable to. Still, weekday rush hours see motorways full of traffic jams, and people have a hard time emphasizing how poorly the public transportation network functions.

Posted by Bruno