18 Dec 2016

My favourite stall in the market down by the habour was “Reindeer, mink, and fox, and knives”. Which is a reminder that this is a hunting nation (I’ll look up the details later), and they do have the most guns per capita too (another fact that needs revisiting). And there are knives, lots of knives in the market stalls. None of these knives have been sold in my many trips around town. The reason in my option is that you can’t get them past security, and there’s probably some a law in your own county about carrying knives. My other guess is the knife ownership is very high in Finland, which is another fact that needs checking.

This isn’t the danger I’m thinking of. Neither is it ski jumping, or the cold. No, its a dangerous step in a very nice bar/restaurant. I enjoyed drinking the Karuh 6% dark beer there a couple of days ago. This step caused me to trip on my way to my table (twice). But silly old me!

On the Wednesday it was full when I walked past. They could have squeezed me in, but I’d rather sit alone in a half empty place than a full one. So roll forward to Thursday evening with a half empty bar/restaurant in a table in the bar area. Add some more Karuh, and a very nice piece of beef with vegetables. A group of three couples sit on the table next to me. These look very nice people in their mid-thirties to mid-forties (sorry ladies if I’ve added years on!) planning to have a relaxing evening. Then smash! One of the ladies returns from the bar, with a bottle of lager in one hand, and a bottle of beer in the other. And I’m watching this happy lady with the drinks trip and fall like a three year-old with an ice-cream in each hand.

In a situation where you see someone trip and fall, all you can do is observe. Reaction time and distance make anything else impossible. My only feeling was that she fell really well, tried to save the drinks, and saved herself. Beer and glass is soon cleaned up, and I can’t imagine there wasn’t more of a fuss. I was so impressed with the brushing down and carrying on with the evening. That is, until they saw another woman, trip and stumble on the step!

I don’t know what was said, but they were furious in a Finish way, and they left straight away. And then nothing was done.

So, it’s not the guns, the knives, or the cold that’s dangerous here. It’s changing the aesthetic of a very nice looking eatery. And I hope they sort this out before they get sued.

Danger isn’t always where you expect to find it.