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Comment by dr_dshiv | Hacker News Reader

Lol, or in any other civilized region that cares about citizen freedom. You can also drink a beer in a park, if you can believe it!

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It's a quote from the same piece of classic literature that the GP is quoting from.

They're talking about Pulp Fiction:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLIcFP0J5TY

                                     JULES
                         – Okay now, tell me about the hash 
                         bars?

                                     VINCENT
                         What so you want to know?

                                     JULES
                         Well, hash is legal there, right?

                                     VINCENT
                         Yeah, it's legal, but is ain't a 
                         hundred percent legal. I mean you 
                         can't walk into a restaurant, roll a 
                         joint, and start puffin' away. You're 
                         only supposed to smoke in your home 
                         or certain designated places.

                                     JULES
                         Those are hash bars?

                                     VINCENT
                         Yeah, it breaks down like this: it's 
                         legal to buy it, it's legal to own 
                         it and, if you're the proprietor of 
                         a hash bar, it's legal to sell it. 
                         It's legal to carry it, which doesn't 
                         really matter 'cause – get a load of 
                         this – if the cops stop you, it's 
                         illegal for this to search you. 
                         Searching you is a right that the 
                         cops in Amsterdam don't have.

"Royale with cheese" is part of the same scene.

What?

Say "what" again!

The police can fine you for drinking a beer in a park in most cities. I am not sure about Amsterdam, but you can get into problems with the police for drinking in Rotterdam, for example.

Only, I'd say, if you are causing problems. The police are incredibly tolerant. No problems, no problem.

E.g., they aren't "out to get you" like police in America.

That really depends on the particular policeman you find.

Once I was having lunch with some friends in a park and one of us was drinking a beer can. We were alone there and, certainly, not causing any problem. The police approached us and fined my friend for drinking in public (I don't remember how much it was, this was some years ago). I live in front of a park now and I've seen similar things. I've also been drinking many times in public without any problem, and I am quite sure the police noticed us.

The Netherlands is, in general, a very tolerant country, but not as much as some people think. Maybe it is compared with America (although, in my very limited experience, I've never had any problems with the American police), but the difference with most European countries is quite moot.

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