The Bomb Diffuser

A little story from earlier in the week for you all today. I hope that you find it as funny as I did.

Having finished yet another gorgeous Dog Adventure, I was dropping one of the pups back home.

I parked up in my usual place alongside the row of flats. As I was walking towards the outside door, an elderly lady was walking towards me. I smiled and said “hei” as I always do and yet got no reply. She looked slightly on edge.

After dropping the dog and walking back to my van I saw the elderly lady stood by my vehicle with her phone out.

Once again I smiled and said “hei”.

This time i got a reply (in Norwegian, translated for blog):

“Could you be more selfish and rude?”

I paused and calmly asked the lady what was wrong.

I was informed that “how dare I park there, with no respect for parking regulations and the residents. You are selfish and rude”.

A younger, and slightly more immature version of myself, might have just ignored her, jumped in the truck and driven off.

But clearly she was troubled and I wanted to change her mood and her understanding of the situation.

I very politely and calmly informed her that I was delivering a service to someone who lived in the block of flats…. and as such, much like the Postman, builders, plumbers or other service providers I was allowed to stop there to deliver or pick up for a short period of time.

She was still angry, informing me that she struggled to find parking around Oslo.

I continued to calmly explain that I had actually checked with both the dog’s owners and the Housing Association (Borettslag) of the block of flats where would be the best place for me to quickly stop my vehicle so as to not cause any, or minimal, inconvenience.

By now the elderly lady was softening, seeing I was not going to react and I wasn’t up for a fight.

I added that service providers are allowed to stop in these areas where, normal cars are not allowed to park, and that if she would like to check on Oslo Council’s website she would find this very information.

I went on to apologise that my parking had caused her to become upset, saying that this was the complete opposite of what I was trying to achieve, by stopping where I had been directed to do so.

We talked for another minute during which time she told me she didn’t even live in this area of Oslo 😂 and then she thanked me for having explained so calmly the regulations and why I had stopped there.

She then wished me a good day and left.

Never a dull moment as a dogwalker….. Another potential Bomb diffused! 💣

Doggies: Mino, Sara, Pimienta and Leopold