Scandinavian People are Just Plain Nice

Only Photo I had of a Swede lol

Every time I need help, suggestions, or advice, I have found that the nicest people to offer me that are from the Scandinavian countries.  Before I start though, let me give you an example of what might happen in the U.S. or France or many other countries.

I go to the subway station in Boston looking to get a ticket to somewhere, but I’m not entirely sure where the place is or even if that location is open today.  I manage to acquire the ticket from a burly looking grumpy-face type cat creature of a woman that has probably been living in an all-you-can-eat buffet.  Getting her to print out a ticket to the correct zone was a challenge in and of itself but, when I go to ask a question about the destination, her reply is “NEXT!”

As soon as the transaction has been completed, I simply do not exist to this person.  What a piece of shit human being.  Now, let’s play this same scenario in Stockholm, Sweden (both scenarios are true and did happen to me).

I go to the ticket counter, point on the map where I want to go and a ticket has immediately been printed and she is waiting to hand it to me with a smile on her face.  Before I pay for the ticket I ask her about the museum that I want to visit, where exactly it is on the map and if it is even open.  Without hesitation, she points to the correct location on the map and then uses her own phone to go to the museum website and look up the closing time for me.  Then, she says that it closes really soon and that there is no point for me to try and go there today since I probably wouldn’t be able to get into the museum.

I didn’t expect this at all and would never have asked her to actually go to the trouble of checking the museum’s website for me.  In fact, when I thanked her for going to the trouble of doing this, she smiled and said that it was no trouble at all.

This happened to me multiple times in Sweden and Finland.  People at customer service desks, kiosks, and everywhere really, went out of their way to look up information for me that did not at all relate to their job; and they did this to help a total stranger, me (and I wasn’t even flirting when they did it lol).  I didn’t make it to Norway yet so I can’t speak for that country, but I imagine that it is not much different there.

In conclusion, why do people from so many other countries have to be such assholes?  I hope to be back in Scandinavia before too long. 🙂

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