Reduced fine in Norway for 'being Swedish'
A Swedish man received a 8,800 kronor ($1,270) fine while driving in Norway in March 2011, but was surprised to find the compassionate Norwegian police had cut it in half considering Swedes earn less money than their Norwegian neighbors.
Ulf Anders Andersson, 61, was driving a trailer for his Norwegian employer when he was pulled over by police.
They concluded the vehicle was a traffic hazard due to its shoddy brakes, and issued a 8,800 kronor fine on the spot, the Aftonbladet newspaper reported citing Norwegian paper Verdens Gang, VG.
However, Andersson then received a surprising letter saying the Norwegian police had taken the fact that he was Swedish into consideration, and therefore cut the fine in half "with regards of your income level," it read.
"I thank them for the rebate, but I find it very strange. I actually make more than my Norwegian colleagues since the Swedish krona is weak and I live in Sweden," he told VG.
"They should be able to figure that out."
The Norwegian paper also spoke to Swedish football professional Daniel Nannskog to get a comment regarding the pitying of the "poor Swedes."
"That the Norwegians have oil and this and that and that the Swedes are the Polish of the Nordic is just for laughs, but a gap between us can't develop for real," he said.
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Ulf Anders Andersson, 61, was driving a trailer for his Norwegian employer when he was pulled over by police.
They concluded the vehicle was a traffic hazard due to its shoddy brakes, and issued a 8,800 kronor fine on the spot, the Aftonbladet newspaper reported citing Norwegian paper Verdens Gang, VG.
However, Andersson then received a surprising letter saying the Norwegian police had taken the fact that he was Swedish into consideration, and therefore cut the fine in half "with regards of your income level," it read.
"I thank them for the rebate, but I find it very strange. I actually make more than my Norwegian colleagues since the Swedish krona is weak and I live in Sweden," he told VG.
"They should be able to figure that out."
The Norwegian paper also spoke to Swedish football professional Daniel Nannskog to get a comment regarding the pitying of the "poor Swedes."
"That the Norwegians have oil and this and that and that the Swedes are the Polish of the Nordic is just for laughs, but a gap between us can't develop for real," he said.
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