Squeezing Strangers' Bikes in Amsterdam!

Thanks to Théo for this:
/ theletterfifteen
Also, thanks to everyone who submitted videos! It was fascinating to see what people were more likely to keep or discard vs. what I would have kept.
More on how I chose this particular video below, but first:
SOME RUNNERS UP!
Most Trippy: • Hanksterdam
Squishiest: • Sqishterdam Hank
Not Starring Hank: • Video
Most Wonderful: • Our Thoughts from Hank...
Best Analog Graphics: • Video
Best Pigeon Dialogue: • The Dutch think Hank i...
Closest to Exactly What I Would Have Done: • Helping Amsterdam Pigeons
Casey Neistatiest: • #amsterdamhank Vlogbro...
---
So, in the voting, there were several videos that got more votes than this. But I picked this video for two reasons:
1. It was the one that still felt like something I might have made (even though it was better than what I would have done.) I felt like it captured the spirit of the video I intended to make.
2. Of anyone, I think this video had the highest votes to views ratio, at over 50%. So half of the people who saw the video voted for it, which is pretty dang impressive.
3. I really liked it a whole lot! There were, of course, lots of other moments in lots of other videos that were fantastic and hilarious, but I felt like this one had the highest concentration, as well as a really good story structure with multiple little arcs that all worked really well.
----
Music: "Perfect Strangers" by Hank Green. "Dark Hallway" and "Bummin on Tremelo" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).
---
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And join the community at nerdfighteria.com effyeahnerdfigh...
Help transcribe videos - nerdfighteria.info
John's twitter - / johngreen
John's tumblr - / fishingboatproceeds
Hank's twitter - / hankgreen
Hank's tumblr - / edwardspoonhands

[@TheLetterFifteen]

Thanks so much for choosing my edit, Hank! I'm very happy!!! I had so much fun with the video.

[@Ikiratuki]

Well done.

[@jopiagalis]

TheLetterFifteen I really enjoyed your video editing style! What program did you use?

[@TheLetterFifteen]

@Jo P, thank you! Final Cut Pro X.

[@Rachel6521]

Excellent! much fun to watch Vlogbrothers in a different style. Good job :)

[@JosephWillingham]

TheLetterFifteen I voted for yours first! So glad it was yours, great job! DFTBA

[@danieladelodun9547]

'My phone doesn't work, it can only call and text.'

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

+

[@Alicia-yk6ci]

Daniel Adelodun actual lol

[@alinstoi]

+

[@victordanielcatalan1808]

Daniel Adelodun + 😂😂😂

[@NinjonPie]

+

[@aintitquaint1307]

This reminds me of old school Vlogbrothers where Hank or John just had to put up a video so they did whatever came to mind first.

[@Rachel6521]

me too!

[@OAmoretNoctis1Izzy]

Ain'tItQuaint +

[@Nerdwriter1]

Now I know how Boaty McBoatface feels.

[@qwertyman1511]

Nerdwriter1 i don't get it. the edit is fine. also, i didn't know you commented with that account. see something everyday.

[@RyanRuark]

Yours may have been, uh... the most... Original? Yeah. Let's go with that.

[@bullseyejingles93]

Random note: #amsterdamhank is basically Werner Herzog's Grizzly Man in the age of KZbin... Do you think you'd ever do something on Herzog? Love'd your video btw :D

[@TheLetterFifteen]

+

[@noannellesky9360]

I really liked your edit in the beginning but then you took the distortion effect too far for (seemingly) no reason and that took me out of it.... But it was super original and well done! Hank did say he was going to pick one that was popular and was kind of like what he would have done, so this edit fit the bill better than yours... It doesn't take away from the fact that your edit was the most viewed and liked! :)

[@MattiHeartsHP]

Things I noticed in Amsterdam (I was there last weekend): Many bikes do not seem to have breaks. Many places you would not expect to have wifi do have wifi (The Anne Frank House). The packets of sugar you get with tea are huge and actually contain the correct serving to sufficiently sweeten tea. It was a wonderful, and beautiful place...although the bikes gave me mad anxiety. Also the American Bookshop is INCREDIBLE please try to visit

[@SMILEY5084]

I'm only 45 seconds in and this might be one of my new favorite vlogbrothers videos

[@Moskaluk92]

Agreed!

[@merrymerry8456]

crowd sourcing your editing. I like it.

[@ImaMesOfficial]

This was so much fun to do! Thanks hank for letting us take part. Congrats to Théo! Everyone had such a awesome take on the video that you couldn't of picked a bad one!

[@destehlik]

shouts out to the pigeon

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

+

[@alicattor1469]

That pigeon's colour pattern was actually super pretty

[@destehlik]

alicattor1469 like a walking piece of abstract art

[@kassidyl9100]

"(I'm just putting something here for parallelism)" I really loved this person's edit. Great choice Hank!

[@hgracez]

Holy shit this video is amazing... great boost to my semi crappy mood, thanks Hank/Editor Theo ^-^

[@pabloocariz6725]

Hi, could you do a "Venezuela Explained" video? Nothing is going to change in my country if there is no international pressure, and there will be no international pressure if people don't care, and they won't care if they aren't informed and you could inform them. I am thankful if you do, and I love your videos (both Hank's and John's) DFTBA

[@johnarbuckle2619]

Pablo Ocariz +++++++

[@maggiebookworm]

+

[@annaarmstrong4723]

Pablo Ocariz +

[@annamaria5913]

Pablo Ocariz +

[@MidtownSkyport]

+

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

Can't believe I missed this whole saga! I need to check the twitter machine more. A+ footage! And excellent video, Théo, if you see this! I think I liked the Pigeon Arc the most and you really brought it full circle.

[@rayk01]

Finished watching all videos linked in the description! All of these are so unique and awesome :D Great job, nerdfighters!!

[@Impulse_Lemon]

I cant actually watch this video because as one of the other entries I have looked over all of this footage far to much! Super fun to participate in! Thanks for the great idea and opportunity Hank! Congrats to everyone who posted in time!

[@journcy]

Watching all the different versions of this was like playing through a story game to see all the different endings. The order I watched them in was especially fortuitous because there was just enough overlap in footage to establish context, but not so much that I ever felt like I was just rewatching stuff. Altogether a great video, and also an awesome social experiment/exploration of perspective/media analysis! So good job Hank for somehow convincing everyone to get us here from "I left my laptop on the plane."

[@jostijnvanbemmelen2056]

The diaper cakes are gifts for a baby shower, it's a big thing here

[@Roserae16]

Jostijn Van Bemmelen I thought it was just a weird thing we did at baby showers in the US

[@dinosaurrawr6349]

the diaper cakes or the baby showers because I only know about the baby showers, Muisjes FTW!

[@alannar.8701]

Yeah no that's definitely a thing in the US too

[@Roserae16]

Dinosaur Rawr both

[@HoneybooMalissa]

I think it's a thing anywhere they have access to Pinterest. 😝

[@TheBookBully]

This is my favourite vlogbrothers video of 2017

[@untappedinkwell]

You should check out Théo/The Letter Fifteen!!

[@smithiebird07]

This is my favorite vlogbrothers video in a long time. Weirdness, discovery, quick edits, randomness, no script.

[@MattKaminski]

"Is it okay to touch random people's bikes?"

[@nouraboutghrit1260]

- Hank Green 2k17

[@dinosaurrawr6349]

The answer to that would for most people be an uncaring "meh, whatever floats your boat" except it would be in dutch and they would believe you were just stoned.

[@sofie4172]

Matt Kaminski as a Dutch person, if someone was feeling the tires of my bike i would think that they were going to steal it🙈 bike thievery is a real problem here haha! Also, a lot of bikes are in use, as most people have two bikes or even more! Right now i have three haha :)

[@AliceDiableaux]

Doe wat je wilt, het maakt mij niet uit

[@dinosaurrawr6349]

None in Amsterdam actually owns a bike. In the 60's the government set up a large bycicle roulet system in amsterdam where anyone without a bike could get a bike, They called it "Amsterdam centraal fietsenstalling" and it exists untill today. It has even spread to every town in the netherlands by now.

[@SEH221]

Hank, you picked a great video!! I loved watching Theo's video! I just want to thank you for the opportunity to edit your footage. I know it came out of an unfortunate event, but it was really cool to see the community come together in a unique way to help you out. Thank you so much for featuring my video as the Casey Neistatest! Using Windows Movie Maker, my tools are limited, so fast cuts is how I roll. I appreciate the opportunity to edit something and create! Thank you!

[@nathanong]

Wow. Hank is such a hard worker that he literally needs to plan a video conference just to justify some international vacation time haha

[@nostalgia1036]

If a plant is sad do other plants photosympathize with it?

[@noemi6836]

+

[@rory3155]

•Nostalgia• +

[@nostalgia1036]

You astound me with your "+".

[@annabelww8918]

+

[@Tom10442]

•Nostalgia• +

[@aronenark8184]

I should send whoever keeps stealing my bikes to Amsterdam so they can have ALL THE OLD BIKES THEY'D EVER NEED.

[@dinosaurrawr6349]

None in Amsterdam actually own a bike. In the 60's the government set up a large bycicle roulet system in amsterdam where anyone without a bike could get a bike, They called it "Amsterdam centraal fietsenstalling" and it exists untill today.

[@aronenark8184]

Whoa; you're from the city where my bikes keep getting stolen! And it seems you like to cycle... wait, did you steal my bike?!

[@wiet111]

Don't worry. Plenty of bikes are stolen in Amsterdam too. I'd say that at least like 25% of bikes in Amsterdam probably have locks that are more expensive than the bikes themselves ;p

[@dinosaurrawr6349]

probably more due to the low price of a bike and the high price of a lock

[@basilharrison3071]

I want more vids like this! Go around with a cam in a place and say things!! Especially interesting places like big historic cities, small historic cities, nat'l parks. This vid is great!

[@shellithehippy]

This was by far my favorite vlogbrothers video in a very long time! This should be a regular thing, it's great!

[@sarahzwick2155]

Hi Hank! I was in Amsterdam last weekend with my friends from my study abroad program in Paris. When we went to the Anne Frank House I saw John speaking in the short film at the end of the tour--safe to say I was in tears by the end of the clip. Thanks for all you do and DFTBA!!!!!!!!

[@arillusine]

Great editing! So glad the community got together to make this happen, and I hope Hank gets his laptop back!

[@emilyboj]

Hank I am so glad that you left your plane on the computer. It must suck for you, but watching all these edits has been really great!

[@pullingakatherine]

THIS VIDEO WAS SO FAB, GREAT JOB TO +TheLetterFifteen. I loved the check lists and the story arcs and the use of colouring for Hanks different shades!! 1000% making notes for my own videos. xD Also thanks Hank for putting my version up for vote??? I didn't even expect it to go that far??? I'm still kind of in shock?? And if you haven't check out Our Thoughts from Hank's Places, you should. I watched a good chuck of it unfold (and edited parts of it!), and it still blew my mind 💚

[@TheLetterFifteen]

Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked it. :) And I loved the Tuataria video!

[@violetmoon1587]

That title is right up there with the weirdest things I've seen throughout my life. And I've seen some crazy things. Thanks Hank!!

[@violetmoon1587]

Also that was a Coot. Not a Moorhen, easy mistake to make.

[@happypirate1000]

THIS IS SO MUCH FUN! I love all the different versions and I love that this became a Nerdfighter project!!

[@SomeoneBeginingWithI]

Hank, I regret to inform you that that was not a moorhen. It was a coot. Moorhens have red and yellow beaks and are smaller than coots, which have white or bluish beaks depending on their sex and the time of year. I did not learn the difference until I moved to a university which has a massive lake in the middle of campus and waterfowl /everywhere/.

[@JD-tm6mx]

Certain parts of the US refer to them as "moorhens", even though that isn't the correct nomenclature. But you're right, it's definitely a Eurasian coot.

[@SimplyEyeCatching]

I was....I was looking for someone to point this out. Why? I don't know. #birdnerd....

[@okapi8733]

Also scrolling down the comments hunting for the other pedants. Hello fellow pedants XD

[@Daph909]

I always love seeing you and John's takes on being in Amsterdam. I'm Dutch and not a big fan of our capital city, but you guys make it look like fun :') Also love the solution for your editing, well done @TheLetterFifteen !

[@emilyroberts108]

Didn't watch this video until today (4 days late) because based on the title I didn't think I was going to like it. I was wrong. This video made me smile super hard.

[@esmee2689]

Love seeing you in Amsterdam Hank, and your Dutch pronunciations are great ;) and trust me, most of those bikes are in use!! We have on averave 1.3 bikes per person in the country :) and especially in cities where biking is often the fastest mode of transport.

[@ThatWouldBeCareless]

This is awesome

[@marksmod]

Chocomel = life sustenance

[@TheMuse260]

M. Otto Is it a dutch popular culture thing?

[@megandevries6607]

It is just a bad version of chocolate milk that you can heat up for an average cup of hot chocolate like substance

[@ronanmcintyre]

Megan De Vries Heating it up gives you a meh hot chocolate, I agree, but it's a pretty good chocolate milk when it's cold (but still not as good as Tony's of course)

[@marksmod]

I think it is similar to a brand name soda drink in the States. I live in Germany, its also sold here in super-markets, albeit somewhat pricey (1.50 Eur), but yea, in the Netherlands its everywhere. I've tasted the 3gallon jugs of Chocolate Milk you can buy in American super markets, which I must admit I also quite enjoyed, though qualitatively Chocomel wins by at least two magnitudes of yummy. To space...

[@SebastiaanMollema]

Haha this is funny hank! A Chocomel is a real treat by the way! Good luck with VidCon!

[@ThisIsReMarkable]

Haaaank, this was really fun. Thanks for trusting in Nerdfighteria and sorry we made so many. xD

[@RebeccaNoyes]

how fucking cool is it that we live in a world in which Hank can not only rally strangers on the internet to edit his vlog, but that he is also featuring runners-up, highlighting a KZbinr with obvious swag @TheLetterFifteen, and that everyone did it around the world from their computers

[@equilikua]

Chocomeeeel!! Ik heb andere half jaar in Nederland gewond (nu niet meer, helaas), en Ik mis het heel veel!! Groetjes aan ale Nederlanders, jullie zijn de beste (mijn Nederlands is heel roestig nu hehe, sorry) xo

[@glowmilk7948]

equilikua dit is de liefste reactie op deze video!

[@floralspectre]

equilikua awh groetjes terug persoon die ik niet ken ☺✨

[@Fluxquark]

Wow jouw Nederlands is heel goed voor iemand die maar anderhalf jaar in Nederland heeft gewoond. Groetjes terug!

[@rcusick2465]

OMG, viewers should ALWAYS edit your videos! This was hilarious. Especially the pigeon.

[@shaunaaaah]

I just got accepted to do my masters at the University of Amsterdam and seeing so much Amsterdam on my feeds is making me super happy.

[@TheApopolypse1]

omg this is such a cool and trustworthy idea like if youtubers just did this all the time, it would be a mess but its really lucky and great you have an amazing audience that are able to be very responsible, loyal and trusting to do this for you! also great content either way, wish i was there

[@ArnovanZelst]

In the Netherlands, people also sometimes get too drunk and forget where they parked their bikes. Source: I'm Dutch

[@szeth14]

Diaper Cakes! My wife and I make them complete with bows, ribbons and confetti - typically used as gifts/decoration at baby showers

[@sellmoon]

YES! I was just going to comment that! They are very popular in Europe but maybe not a thing in the USA (?)

[@rjmayo]

I'm a little bummed the Tuataria video did' get chosen, but this is still super awesome! And at least we got a shoutout in the description as "most wonderful". Congratulations Théo!

[@RyanRuark]

This project was a lot of fun!! Congrats to everyone that got featured!

[@kailwright537]

I really, really, really enjoyed watching all these versions. Just so fun :)

[@skyewalker2588]

This is such a fun edit. Amsterdam looks like a lot of fun :)

[@TravenTalks]

That moment when Hank thinks you have the best pigeon dialogue xD

[@JoyfulMenace]

this was so fun! love the edit and Hank being silly and lost is so entertaining

[@noannellesky9360]

I'm so happy Hankpicked my favourite of the edits! 😄 Also: Amsterdam ❤

[@Femox360]

perfect 4 minutes videos = incredibly satisfactory

[@jaypatel5985]

That pigeon is like "I'm fucking Independent. I don't need your Tortilla"

[@dishwashee]

it's so fun seeing people be amazed by large quantities of bikes. you should see the train station in my city (in sweden). tons of people commute and there are thousands of bikes. everywhere. I don't understand how people find their bikes after parking them.

[@nerdytshirts8188]

I watched all of the editing options. This one was the best choice, although all of them had their merits.

[@Rodman200818]

Chocomel is the best fucking drink ever. So many childhood memories haha. Honorable mention: Fristi.

[@maartenpeet838]

+

[@xJonnaax]

VidCon Europe was zo awesome. Thanks for coming to Amsterdam!!!

[@sjwimmel]

Welcome to our country, Hank! I hope you feel welcome. Next time, feel free to call, I'd gladly show you around in Amsterdam or Utrecht or Eindhoven. Also: Verwijdering means _removal_ , Chocomel means _chocolate milk_ and that guy probably actually spoke English, most people do around here. Have a great time in Amsterdam!

[@Dreamfounder]

This impromptu project was beautiful. Very Nerdfighterlike.

[@gleep1984]

This was a good choice. It's representative of the majority of the edits and also one of the better versions of this style that I personally saw. But, not gonna lie, I'm a bit sad that the Nerdwriter video was not the winner.

[@Charlie-xe5tv]

(1) "Just start walking" is absolutely the correct way to explore a new city (2) OFFLINE GOOGLE MAPS HOW DO PEOPLE STILL NOT KNOW ABOUT OFFLINE GOOGLE MAPS???

[@Fiercesoulking]

I don't know Amsterdam but I think in cities which have big universities it is kinda normal to see so many bicycle and a lot who left behind for years or decades.

[@AnnaGlin]

that was great, haven't laughed that much at a vlogbrothers video in quite some time :D great edit! fresh and different

[@mfk5533]

To modify John's jingle: 'The people in the Netherlands think that I'm crazy' *dances*

[@Monochromatification]

I was keeping it together until Hank told the pigeon "You can feed your whole family for a month"

[@evantsb]

Awesome job! This project was so fun to be involved in

[@Asael42]

As a native Amsterdammer it's so much fun to watch Hank be amazed/interested by all the stuff that's normal to me :)

[@abbyjoy6521]

I laughed so hard at the tortilla/pigeon parts.

[@cupcakewithouttheicing]

Ah, man, didn't see this one out of the ones I saw. It's great, though! Even though I didn't edit one myself (it's a skill I do not possess) this was a really fun community event. We should do it again someday.

[@allipab]

"I'm just putting something here for parallelism"

[@sjwimmel]

Well, that was cool! Also a little chaotic, which is what Amsterdam feels like, even for a Dutch person like me, so perfect!

[@Neha71580]

I always knew that Hank would be the type of person to talk to the pigeon about bread that he found on the street instead of, you know, throw it to the pigeon

[@kkacilane]

Ok this video is so funny because it's literally like we're just hearing your internal monologue and it's hilarious

[@xo_vivid6448]

I love the random person saying bye at the end. Beautiful. xD

[@Moviegon]

Just here to say that I really miss this old style of Vlogbrothers video and it was nice to see something in that style of that shaky-cam, fast-talking Hank going on about nothing in particular again

[@tylersmith5124]

(I'm here early quick say something funny, and clever, and thought provoking) "zucchini"(nailed it)

[@allisonholley2751]

My brother did an edit and even though his wasn't selected, he had a lot of fun with it. Glad you were able to find a way to avoid punishment and use the resources of Nerdfighteria along the way!

[@Prmck]

With all due respect Hank, that's not a Moorhen, but a Coot. Have fun in Europe!

[@sannedelange3158]

dear Hank, most bikes in amsterdam look old because they are, though they are still used. the reason for people using old bikes instead of fancy new ones has a couple reasons: 1 old bikes are less expensive. 2 old bikes don't get stolen as often as new bikes. 3 (drunk, stoned) people tend to do weird things with bikes, like bend them around lampposts or throw them in canals. I hope this was helpful, and that you have am awesome time in Amsterdam.

[@SkittyBlackfire]

+

[@ConstantinArg]

Never seen anyone do an editing thing like that, but it's a pretty cool idea (as long as you have the right community for it) :D

[@jengreenwich6148]

The way Hank says "whole" just makes me happy.

[@imaginarychicken5262]

AN WHOLE TORTILLA!! My favorite part for sure hahaha Good job, editor :)

[@julia4674]

This is one of my favorite vlogbrothers videos ever

[@Chlott85]

If you park a bike in Amsterdam for more than a week, it just magically disappears.

[@Ariel-ps8je]

Theooooooo!!!!! good editing. you did good.

[@TheLetterFifteen]

Hi!!! Thank you!

[@thebugbear]

After watching at least 10 videos of the same trip, I have a new appreciation for the wonderful things Nedrfighteria can do. And I can also very reliably quote Hank. P.S. some of the links go to a specific time in the videos, not the start.

[@nerdlife6676]

I may not know who you are, but don't forget that you are amazing and deserve to be loved!

[@atomicmrpelly]

This is a really excellent video - you should do fan edits more often!

[@Ramzuiv]

"It might be the river Amstel"... I haven't lol'ed so hard in such a long time

[@gasboy122]

This is one of my favorite vlogbrothers videos now

[@lilykep]

The diaper cake is a baby shower cake not a wedding cake. It's not eaten obviously, but it makes cute decoration and gives the couple more diapers.

[@elmssarah]

This was really fun. Thanks for taking us along.

[@ashleycaveda]

"The pigeon didn't listen to me..."

[@Melinea13]

I love the guy who says bye to Hank at the end of the video

[@devanshigupta4208]

The "Hi" at the end tho!! WAS it a nerdfighter?!? or Was it a stranger who thought that Hank is really cool?!?!??!?!?!

[@kiwithekiki234]

the people in the Amsterdam think that im crazy, the people in the Amsterdam think that im crazy

[@Shenanigames101]

I like this idea of guest editors! Maybe it should be a thing? I hope Hank gets his computer back!