The City That Never "Sleeps"

I guess that when you regulate prostitution, you get regulations like this:

Lodewijk Asscher, who faces re-election in March, said prostitution should be banned between 4 and 8 a.m. to complement existing efforts to fight crime, exploitation and human trafficking in Amsterdam's 800-year-old red light district.

"Only the biggest creeps and boozers are walking around at those hours," he said on Dutch radio. "Women really dread working then and sometimes the most vulnerable are used."

But the local union for prostitutes said it was against Asscher's proposal because the early morning hours are among the most lucrative for many women.

"This is not a good idea, this is the time when the prostitutes can make the most money," said Metje Blaak, a spokeswoman for the Rode Draad union for prostitutes.

I hesitate to wonder how you have to earn your dues to become a member of the Prostitutes' Union.