Many stories circle around this district. One of them says that in the times of utmost prohibitions the ladies would write their confessions down on a piece of paper every night after their shifts ended, and slided them under the door of the church located in this very district. The priests of Oude Kerk would seal each written confession with wax and pardon their sins in the act of indulgence each morning, over and over again. The Church was against hustling, but not against the people.
And the thing it was least opposed to, was the money. Today, right next to the De Oude Kerk stands a statue of Belle , dedicated to all the ladies of the world. Hustling is a harsh word, maybe… Prostituting? Nah, hustling sounds better. That word originates from Sanskrit and is associated to Kama Sutra. It signifies uncontrollable lust. Often forbidden in the past, but never ceased to exist. It just moved to spaces within which it was less visible. It has been legalized since , but, along with the prohibition of brothels, which made the work much difficult.
Since that too has been legalized and regulated. If you ask the ladies, they will tell you that it is vastly torn away from the hands of pimps and criminals, that it is much safer, organized and healthier for them. When it comes to this profession, there is one single thing prohibited, and that is offering the services on the very street. Hence even greater popularization of the so-called Raamprostitutie, or window hustling. Not much is open around here during the day. Old Sailor is a popular place for an outset.
Across the street, one of the rare ladies engaged in day shift is strutting her breasts, cigarette in hand. She is looking for a way to have a chitchat with the passersby. While she was approaching the window, she was eating pizza and talking on the phone. Then she waved to her neighbor, some older granny. She waves back at her with a smile and a few words in Dutch.
After all, the ladies decide on their own when and how long they will work. You can approach the ladies in many ways, yet there is one that will make them go ballistic. It is not uncommon to see them yelling on the street, pouring down water on those who attempted to take a selfie right besides them, or even maybe from another side of the channel.
