Hooks in Amsterdam

Here's the street where my brother and his family live in Amsterdam, as seen from the front bedroom window:

When they bought the flat nearly twenty years ago it was in quite a poor area of the city but has now become much gentrified.

But one thing has stayed the same and if you look on the left of the photo (click to enlarge if you wish) you will see them.

Hooks. High up. Big ones.

Here's a close-up.

The thing is, if you live in one of these tall old houses, which have twisty, narrow stairs, and you buy, say, a new fridge - - well, often it won't go up the stairs.

So you hire a block and tackle, take the window out and haul it up using the hook.

But what if it all goes wrong and your fridge crashes down on somebody's head? Don't you need massive insurance in case?

Apparently not. Apparently they don't bother with such things. They just do it, as they've always done it.

Now then, I'm not scared of heights - actually you may be able to tell that from how I leaned out to take the photo - but I don't like edges of things where I might fall. So I don't like the idea of removing the windows so high up.

That's the first thing. The second thing is the hooks.

I don't know why, but I just hate them. Why? It's hard to explain - - something to do with my eyes. They make me want to shut my eyes, and cover them until the nasty hooks have gone away. Anyone else? Anyone able to explain?

Anyway, just to let you know, that if you live in the top flat in Amsterdam, and you buy a grand piano, and you need to haul it up - - well, please don't ask me to help, okay?

To anyone who misread my title, and who came here hoping for something juicy about the Red Light District, I apologise, and you can just take your filthy thoughts elsewhere. We did happen to have a good look round the Red Light District, mind, but it doesn't count, because we are pure of mind. Or I am, anyway.