Utrecht: drogas y bicis.
Una muchacha americana de visita en Holanda cuanta una deliciosa anécdota sobre qué tipo de cosas son importantes y no lo son en ambos países, y cómo la policía holandesa, famosamente tolerante con el consumo de drogas, puede en cambio empurarte en serio si te pilla con una bici sin las luces reglamentarias:
(…) AnneMarie went on to say that the police in the U.S. would bust people for having just one ounce of heroin, etc. It was kind of funny to see a totally different take on drugs.
Ironically, after hearing all about how free the Dutch were, the Dutch gave me a warning just as we were about to ride home. Karin told me to look out for cops, because I didn’t have a headlight, or circular reflectors on my tires–both required by Dutch law. (I did have a tail light, which is also required by Dutch law). I thought they were kidding. I couldn’t believe that in a country where it’s legal to do most drugs, I might be fined for not having the right reflectors on my bike. But the Dutch were serious. So I laid low. And I didn’t get busted.