He drives on a pink mobility scooter, wears pink clothing, has pink shoes and pink glasses. Henk Mulder (70) from Meppel, better known as ‘Pink Henkie’, is a local hero because of his striking appearance.
On the terrace of Café De Zatsel, Henk drinks a beer with his comrade Rob. Passers -by chuckle when their eye falls on Henk, or call ‘Beautiful!’ “I never actually get negative reactions,” says Henk. “Once a man said:” I don’t have to drive on such a pink thing. “” Well, “I said,” you don’t have to, because he’s mine. “
The love for the color came about years ago, when Henk appeared at work in a pink blouse. “It was the 80s, so you were a gay, you were a fag, you were a poop tramper.” Henk wisely kept silent and let the comments pass by. “But at noon I went into the city and I bought four more. And then I wore such a pink blouse all week.” He sets up a triumphant grin. “And then it was over.”
“As my old -class used to say:” I’m so bothered as a bunch of onions. ” Henk likes Anders, of out of the box. “I have worked in the graphic profession for 45 years, and everyone has a tic there. My tic is pink. I just think it’s really a very beautiful color, bright pink.”
When he lost his leg because of a so-called Charcot foot, and had to be in a mobility scooter, he immediately knew that it should also be pink. At home he also has a pink kitchen. His girlfriend did not immediately agree. “But in the meantime she thinks it is also very beautiful!” Henk says laughing. “When we just got a relationship, she thought:”Oh my Godthey all look at Henk ‘. Well, that’s true. I do not look like an average Dutch person. But I always say: “If they don’t like it, they will look the other side!”
In addition to his pink attributes, Henk also attracts attention in a different way. He has a huge mustache. He left it after he and a colleague made a bet who could grow the greatest mustache. That is why he is also known in Meppel as ‘Henk Snor’. Should he not even paint it in a tan? Pink or something? “There are limits,” says Henk resolutely. “I have sometimes painted it blond. But for the time being the mustache will remain gray.”
View here how ‘pink Henkie’ are, yes, pink scooter through the city of Sjest: