Oh Belgium My Belgium!

The question again is "WHY?".

This time the props goes to the police and law enforcement people in Belgium. Violence is not the answer and we should always try to avoid it to the last point, while if you are faced with it particularly if that enganges the safety of others, it is justified to step in.

And in this case, it is justified to "neutralise" the cause of violence and danger.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30840160

On the page you have access to two videos, one with footage of the action.

To soften things for the weekend, let's see another video of Belgium wisdom and skills. This guy is an exception, as in average we basketball players are smarter than average ;o)

Have a great weekend!

Firemen are your friends - just like police!

We had a little incident today, but it was managed by positive approach by involved parties and support by ...firemen!

In the morning our daughter cycled about 6 km to a track & field stadium where she had her physical education in the morning. While she after the class was about to take off to the school, she broke the key in the lock.

Bike to the storage room, lady to borrow bus ticket from a friend (yes she had money but was too puzzled in the heat of the moment) and quickly to the scool. And of course call Mom in tears.

I decided to minimize the damage and headed to the stadium, got the bike from the storage and loaded it in our people mover. Options were to keep it in and take a saw tocut it open - or head to a local fire station to ask for help.

In I go and after explaining the story we both were wondering how could I prove that I have not stolen the bike. This fireman decides to call his supervisor and after hearing my story we head towards the bike in my car. The fireman takes out from their truck a 1 meter long power tool and asks
"was the key for the bike like this..."?

Few seconds later the lock is open, I get a new lock from my wife's bike and drop the bike to the school so the after school activities go smoothly.

What was needed to solve the incident smoothly?

Flexible moment at work to step out for a moment, mother with an extra bike lock, large people-mover and skilled, friendly firemen!

Kiitos Niittykummun palolaitokselle!!!

We have had a saying in Finland that "the police is your friend", "poliisi on ystävä". We even have a junk food chain that sells a burger called "Police Special" and hence they have a banderoll with the saying - next door from the fire station. I think I will set up on the fire station wall a banderoll "Firemen are you friends - and they can break anything"!

PS Lonkero on fantastinen janojuoma. Harmi että löysin Brysselistä kohtuuhintaisen ostopaikan vasta loppuhetkillä...

Positive about Brussels Police

As said, I have had a positive experience with the Belgium Police – believe it or not! Well, at the end I was treated with a mixed approach but I got away without a ticket...

This is briefly what happened;

One Saturday morning I left the house with a tight schedule to go to K´s football game. This time we needed to pick up N and another player from a house nearby. Since I was driving the car without hands-free I needed to talk and drive. And since N didn´t answer I had to try again in the traffic lights.

I am the third car in the line and when green light comes, the first car is asleep. Of course I honk, noticing that the driver of second car pays high interest to me. First car takes off but the second car, a Skoda Octavia, still stays foot. I raise my hand the French style (I don´t use finger) and they move slightly so I can take my turn to the next traffic lights in 10 meters.

Next thing I see this Skoda turn after me and a man rushes to my car and pulls out some sort of a badge with a text “POLICE”... I am of course polite and with an apology explain that I am in a bit hurry to do volunteer coaching – and luckily I had my whistle hanging on my neck. At this point also the bad cop has reached the scene and starts to talk about 100 Euro ticket for talking on mobile while driving. Luckily the first guy was in control and just gave me a verbal warning – and no ticket!

Dear Brussels Police...

...please be reasonable!


Few days ago a friend of ours got a ticket from a local traffic police. Normally you get them due to speeding, just like the ones I have received. Each and every of the ones I have got have come via mail since these guys rely too much on tech :o(
However, the friend of ours who happen to be one of the very many non-Belgians living here are Canadians. Yep, parts of Canada is French speaking but since these people are not, they are at the same “I-Don´t- Parle-Vous” level as myself when it comes to proper discussions in French.

The Lady of the family was driving around their home area, a suburb of Brussels, and she was stopped by a police control. Since these guys happen to live in Flemish speaking area, the police patrol that stopped them gave the “speech” according to their Flemish guide book – in Flemish!
(For info to the ones wondering what is Flemish: it´s basically the same as Dutch language, no matter what Belgium´s or Dutch say. Belgium has got 3 official languages: French, Flemish and German.)
Even though the police clearly understood who/what their customer was ( a non Flemish or French speaking expat), they continued to manage the situation in Flemish.
Was this due to lack of English speaking skills then?
Well, the Jury is out for that one;
The lovely police officer spoke only Flemish until at the end he said with a perfect English: “You will get a ticket!” .

In a country with millions of non-origin-Belgians (including the people from Morocco, Congo, Turkey and what-ever-country-where-you-come-from-to-find-success-or-abuse-social-welfare), one could imagine to get more services also in English. That is not the case in public or private sector – including shops…


HOLD YOUR BREATH: I Have got a positive experience with a Belgium Police to come :o)