Published: 25 Jan 11 14:40 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/31634/20110125/
A man who defecated on the floor of a shop in eastern Sweden has been sentenced to prison.
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Hej panta mera!
This is not normal behaviour -- even the switching of lawyers, and storming out of the courtroom isn't normal. I wouldn't have put him in prison until he'd had a medical checkup.
Quote
The Right of Public Access (Allemansrätten) is unique and the most important base for recreation in Sweden, providing the possibility for each and everyone to visit somebody else's land, to take a bath in and to travel by boat on somebody else's waters, and to pick the wild flowers, mushrooms, berries.
So he had a right to take a bath in the shop but not do a number 2.
made a fine pong.
I can't even count the times I've had armfuls of merchandise and either my 10 year old starts doing the "potty dance" or my infant has a nice ripe one in her diaper, only to be told by some snooty clerk that we'll have to stop shopping and leave the store (and usually take quite a hike) to pay and use some dirty facilities elsewhere. So I have to put everything back on the rack and leave the premises, use the restroom, come back, find everything I put up, and then finish shopping and check out.
I no longer support these businesses that refuse to provide a toilet, even when I offer to pay. They don't mind me spending thousands in their store, but if nature calls I'm suddenly unfit to use their restroom? Talk about the bare minimum of customer service!
Anyhow, as an expat I can put up with a lot of changes. I understand that a lot of things in Sweden differ from my home country.
I can deal with complete lack of customer service.
I understand I have a better chance of winning the lotto over the saleslady cracking a friendly smile.
I concede that because I have a baby stroller, I will be forced to stand in human excrement and urine as I use the elevator to change floors.
I fully accept paying designer prices for clothes that fall apart after one wash.
I have surrendered to the fact that I will never find a fluffy towel or a sheet with a thread count above "burlap grade" here.
But this toilet gestapo behaviour??? PFFFT. I only *wish* I had the stones to do what this man did. More people should leave a nice warm loaf of rye on the floors of these establishments.
Bravo, poop man....bravo.
Hope they are also named and shamed.
You really did say what I think! God forbid that any public place have an actual toilet for people to use...let alone one that doesn't cost like 10sek or whatever. I'm also confused why there is a total absence of water fountains. Sweden has loads of water...is it really too much of a luxury to have a public water fountain in the mall or some other such place?
Too bad they didn't get this guy on video...that would be youtube gold.
My local Jysk had no problem letting my kompis use there staff toilet to fix up her kid, when we were there a few months back doing some shopping. Then again they do praktik local disabled people so the local staff are probably more sensible than elsewhere.
I think it is down to the attitude of the manager and staff, more than anything.
Mojo: Hahahaha! We think alike, I also was hoping to see a security camera clip of this to pop up on youtube...that would have been amazing! I love this story, reminds me of a Swedish real-life version of the movie "Falling Down". I can totally relate!
Having gone to all that trouble I would have been tempted to go into the warehouse to look for and wheel out the item myself, quoting the phone calls and hire arrangements I had made. Or at any rate get them to agree (in writing) to deliver the next day.
And they say Ikea has a poor reputation ...
On a few occasions I have found that an attitude of, "oh right, you can't / won't do that, OK, I'm prepared to put myself out, just show me where it is, I'll do the rest ..." has been fruitful.
Turned up in the head office reception of a UK mortgage firm once, stayed from 8.30 am till closing time but got them to sort out the admin, after a week's wasted phone calls had no effect !
PS every chain of UK supermarkets has loos and baby changing rooms ! (ok maybe not Lidl)
As for prison, they don't do "take the prisoner down" here. He wont actually be in prison yet. They book him in when they have the room. Then they ask him if those dates are okay. I know one guy who was allowed to spread a sentence over his annual holiday for three years so his employer and friends would not find out.
In other countries he would have been named locally of course, but this is Sweden.
You should contact Jysk headquearters directly and inform them what happened to you. They are at http://www.jysk.com/frontpage/contact-jysk.htm
8 months? How silly...
The headline here is really misleading as there is no charge here that is clearly related to the pile he left on the floor. Unless pooping infront of someone is assault or molestation.
ps and the people they would like to keep out probably have 5 kronor anyway!
Seems a majority of readers/posters have no clue to why this guy got a prison sentence.
"The man was charged with shoplifting, assault, molestation, as well as interference in a judicial matter for threatening the cashier on two other occasions."
"Following the hearing, the court found the man guilty of several crimes, save for the shoplifting charge, and sentenced him to eight months in prison and pay compensation to the store.
Since the man was on parole from a previous conviction at the time of the public defecation, he must now also serve two additional months in prison."
He didn't get a prison sentence for taking a dump in a store! Read again and get it right this time.
Also, the man had obviously been to the store before and had threatened staff. On two previous occations to be exact.
It can't be that people go around and protest the lack of toilets by pooping on the floor. The staff has nothing to do with what facilities are present and who gets to use them. If you don't like the lack of restrooms you have choices.
1. Don't shop there.
2. Complain to the owners
3. Poop before you leave home
4. All of the above.
As for restrooms: a lot of stores have them and only very few charge you. Water fountains are also present in most grocery stores. Just because some of you prefer to shop at NK, doesn't mean that the rest of us do. Coop, Ica, Hemköp, Willys and many more have public restroom free of use.
Seems a majority of readers/posters have no clue to why this guy got a prison sentence.
"The man was charged with shoplifting, assault, molestation, as well as interference in a judicial matter for threatening the cashier on two other occasions."
"Following the hearing, the court found the man guilty of several crimes, save for the shoplifting charge, and sentenced him to eight months in prison and pay compensation to the store.
Since the man was on parole from a previous conviction at the time of the public defecation, he must now also serve two additional months in prison."
He didn't get a prison sentence for taking a dump in a store! Read again and get it right this time.
Also, the man had obviously been to the store before and had threatened staff. On two previous occations to be exact.
It can't be that people go around and protest the lack of toilets by pooping on the floor. The staff has nothing to do with what facilities are present and who gets to use them. If you don't like the lack of restrooms you have choices.
1. Don't shop there.
2. Complain to the owners
3. Poop before you leave home
4. All of the above.
Cont.