CRIME in Noway...

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I was witness to a CRIME today...

A man was caught shop lifting...

I have seen a couple of shoplifters caught in the US...it was a TOTALLY different experience.

The Shoplifters where chased through the WAL MART parking lot... where the cops would proceed to tackle them.... & cuff them, all the while the SHOPLIFTER is SCREAMING every dirty word in the book...saying that they are innocent...trying to kick the cop etc...

Today it went down like this....

Man checks out at the register... as man tries to leave the store... an employee walks up to him & asks...

"Excuse me Sir, is that a bottle of Chanel #5 in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

"Oh this little thing? (pulling the bottle out of his sleeve) Hmmm, terrible sorry.. (in my head he had an English accent...but really he was speaking Norwegian) here you go, (smile) no hard feelings right? Ohhhh, there are hard feelings? - sure here is my ID... OH... you are going to write me a ticket? - that bites...

FREE TO GO.

OK... lets just say CRAAAAAAAAAZY.

It was the MOST CIVILIZED bust I have ever witnessed... everyone was just soooo NICE about it.

Now granted... I have no idea how much his fine for stealing a $100 bottle of perfume...
Norway likes to hit you where it hurts...in the POCKET BOOK... so I bet the fine will be pretty darn high.
(I am thinking in the US you could be locked up?)

Crime & punishment in Norway just doesn't make sense to me.

If you are caught speeding 5 miles over the speed limit, your fine can be close to $300.
Speeding way over the limit? you can be locked up! serious.... & then the cost to get your license back?- I would be walking for the rest of my adult life.

I often shake my head about the Norwegian's silly(EXPENSIVE) fines... but I have to say, I have never in my life been as law abiding as I have been since I moved to Norway... I guess I am too cheap to do something wrong...

You know what they say here...
Don't do the crime, if you can't pay the fine.

Comments

MommyLisa said…
I actually knew a guy when I was at Gymnas in Molde who got caught for a traffic offense - I forget if it was reckless or drunken, isnt' that weird - anyway he got ONE YEAR in the workhouse.

Yes, JAIL!

Then of course he went straight into his military service afterward.
December 17, 2009 at 7:40 PM
Julie H said…
Crazy!

When I was a kid I saw a woman get tackled at Kmart. It was kind of violent.

I caught a person cutting their own fabric at the fabric store I worked at once, she said she had to go to the bathroom and took off lol.

And another time this girl stole a ton of clothes that were sale at the fabric store and shoved them in a sewing basket and got caught. Eventually the cops came and took her away.
December 17, 2009 at 8:41 PM
Anonymous said…
I feel that way here in Germany. The laws are really something to get use too. There are pros and cons to every country I guess.
December 17, 2009 at 8:45 PM
Sues2u2 said…
Ooooh, I could never drive there. I would have ticket after ticket. Or be walking. I do think it's interesting how civilized it all is.

We have lots of border patrol, ice (drug enforcement)agents, etc... around here. It's crazy some of the things I here.
December 17, 2009 at 9:20 PM
Anonymous said…
I am one of those security people you see tackling shoplifters. i work security for target, and its not as violent as you think. most people dont even notice that i have pulled a shoplifter to the side and taken them to my office. a lot of times people who are with shoplifters don't even notice a member of their party isnt with them anymore. its fairly standard. you do get the more crazy cases though, where you do have to tackle people. its not all fun and games. also, 100.00 dollars wouldnt take you to jail, a felony amount is 200.00. unless of course there are other warrents or things that like that the shoplifter has.
i do like how easy and honest that shoplifter was. too bad its not more like that here!
December 17, 2009 at 9:20 PM
Keys to the Magic Travel said…
Wow. How very interesting. So...with the fines...what happens to the people that can't pay them??
December 17, 2009 at 10:26 PM
FROGGITY! said…
that is too weird! oh my gosh. wow.

yeah, i once saw a couple of women dash into a dept. store and grab everything from the front two racks and then hop into a getaway car... i mean...
December 17, 2009 at 10:53 PM
Roxane said…
wow that's so different. All those fines I would be in the poor house for sure LOL
December 17, 2009 at 11:17 PM
Jill said…
You can get away with just about anything here in India as the court system will take YEARS!! In fact, the system is such that you are let go until your court date - which for domestic abuse is about 10 years later....
December 18, 2009 at 6:04 AM
Quasi Serendipita said…
Sounds effective! Visiting from SITS :)
December 18, 2009 at 6:44 AM
Adaptable Kay said…
In the US, you hear on the news all about how people were assaulted by a belligerent shop lifter or whatnot so that story is so hard to comprehend!!

Here, it's all about the violence. I'm sure if there was violence involved, there would definitely be jail time(at least overnight). I'm not really sure because I've never been in that situation(and never plan to).

But that's very...civilized. I would be interested in hearing if there was a big fine though.
December 18, 2009 at 7:23 AM
Skogkjerring said…
Of course this system doesn't make sense- when people who actually ARE in jail can take a vacation from jail you really are left scratching your head in bewilderment to the purpose of them being in jail at all? It's weird...
Have a super Friday my friend...
December 18, 2009 at 7:47 AM
Formerly known as Frau said…
Amazing and civilized! I think I would be law abiding also. People here don't even jaywalk..not sure if it is a law they are just rule followers. Have a wonderful weekend.
December 18, 2009 at 9:35 AM
satakieli said…
In England you have to ask the shoplifter if they have taken anything but if they say no you're not allowed to do anything except make them feel very uncomfortable. Security are allowed to tackle them but not retail employees, used to drive me crazy as I worked in a shop that had no security!

Haven't seen any shoplifters here in Germany but I'd imagine that it wouldn't be much difference from in Norway!

(Stopping by from SITS)
December 18, 2009 at 9:45 AM
Rachel said…
Stopping by from SITS! Wow! That is pretty amazing that a bust would be that civilized. Note to self... abide by every law including J-walking in Norway!
December 18, 2009 at 3:08 PM
Anonymous said…
What a difference!

Stopping from SITS!
December 18, 2009 at 8:05 PM
Bibi @ Bibi's Culinary Journey said…
I grew up in Central Europe which is very similar with the fines and the rules. When I moved to Canada I was in my early 20' and talk about cultural shock.
December 18, 2009 at 9:16 PM
Bianca @southbay rants n raves said…
Hi from SITS, interesting read. I wouldn't expect anything as calm as that take place here in the states.
December 18, 2009 at 9:32 PM
Dumbwit Tellher said…
I say bravo to Norway. I am sick & really sick of people speeding where we live. Running lights, driving down the medians; all with total disregard for the law. If what I am told by our close Norwegian friends, the crime rate is low there as are traffic related deaths. Thanks for sharing this story. I would have to pick my jaw up off of the floor. Happy weekend to you!
December 18, 2009 at 10:28 PM
Bahar said…
They can shoot you here in California if you are running away! they shot a kid, stealing a packet of cigarettes from a gas station a couple of years ago. tragic, really!
December 18, 2009 at 10:55 PM
Anonymous said…
People need to take responsibility for their actions...shot for a pack of cigs...that's a bit much though.
Mary
December 19, 2009 at 3:57 AM
Emily said…
I loved Olso. Spent some time there in 2000 but expensive! Whoa! I have added you to my blogroll here: http://emilybwebb.com/mummydaddybloggers/
December 19, 2009 at 7:30 AM
Midlife Roadtripper said…
Interesting how the differences in cultures appear in amazing ways. Visit my current blog post, if you will. Myself a Swede, friends from Norway and Denmark, enbarked on a lefsa making venture. Please view our work and give your opinion as I am certain you see lefsa where you are.

A very Merry Christmas to you.
Julie
December 19, 2009 at 7:39 AM
Scary Mommy said…
That is the most bizarre thing!!
December 19, 2009 at 7:56 PM
Unknown said…
Get out. That does sound so civilized. Wow.
December 20, 2009 at 3:49 PM
Corrie Howe said…
I wonder if this would work in the U.S.

Sad to say, probably not.
December 21, 2009 at 5:31 PM
Anonymous said…
In all systems the issue is being caught, not the punishment. Sure the fines are high and act as a deterrent, but people still speed here in Norway, guys doing 150kmh plus in 80 zones – råkjøring. Jail may seem “easier” but it’s designed for rehabilitation more than retribution, a lesson that America could learn from judging by the lock up rate and the failure to contain crime.
It isn’t all rosy though, there seems to be a group of young men that are willing to break the rules. Random violence, driven by drug and alcohol misuse is on the rise, possibly driven by an increase in use of steroids and cocaine (research on mixing cocaine and alcohol shows it forms a third drug in the body which contributes to violent behaviour). Still at leat the police are back to working overtime.
God jul
December 23, 2009 at 10:52 AM
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