A colleague recently had what I think is the most positive quintessentially Dutch experience I've heard in my time here. She was getting ready to leave for work, when she hears a loudspeaker outside, "Attentie! Attentie!" ("Attention! Attention!) and not being a Dutch speaker, she ignores the rest, but registers that something serious must be happening. A few minutes later, as she's about leave the house. the police ring her doorbell.
She opens the door, startled by the sight of two cops, who sternly ask, "Do Mary and Maria live here?" (her two roommates, and obviously not their real names). My colleague, F., says, "yes, but I live here too." I'm holding my breath at this point in the story, nervous on her behalf. Well, it turns out that F. and her roommates had all placed their paper recycling beside the neighbourhood recycling bin, because it was full; of course, they'd piled it up neatly and placed it in a cardboard box. The police, having apparently rifled through the box to locate the owners of the paper, were now tracking them down to - what, jail them? Well, at the very least given them a serious ticket.
F. was so relieved at the what she viewed as the minor nature of the offense that she tried to explain that none of the residents the household spoke Dutch and were simply trying to be good people and make sure they recycled! Apparently, after a severe talking to, and a decision to let this serious offense go - just this first time - the police left.
At the end of story, F. and I couldn't stop laughing: in other countries, the police usually have more serious things to do than chase after recycling criminals. It's very nice that that's the most important thing the cops need to occupy themselves with.
