Responsibilities

As an American, traveling around the country of Norway, I’ve encountered several situations that make me quite uncomfortable.  Norway can be a very dangerous place, as their roads are often just one lane, and steep drop offs are the norm.  In many places they put some kind of guardrail, but many places they don’t.  Even if there’s a guardrail, it’s only there for the confidence of the driver, as it’s obvious if it were impacted by a vehicle, it would do nothing to spare the life of anyone.

I feel so coddled as an American, because when I happen upon a road construction site for example, I expect certain things. For one, advance warning there IS road construction ahead, would be nice.  Driving 50mph around a corner, only to encounter most the road taken up by a large excavator, never really sets well with me.  There often are no flaggers stopping traffic, either.  Norwegians just assume if you see a large object in the middle of the road, you’ll stop.  And if there are cars coming directly at you in your lane, you are smart enough to figure out that you better not drive forward until they are no longer there.  What a concept. 

What I find even more amazing is that the excavator may be clearing rock from the roadside, swinging the cab to and fro, and he too, must watch what he’s doing so he doesn’t smack the side of a passing car as he does his job.  These are things I’d think would happen in third world countries, not a place as sophisticated as Norway.

But when I analyze the inherent dangers lurking throughout the land, whether it’s popular lookout peaks with no protective fencing, wet floors in grocery stores, or roads without guardrails, I have to wonder how people keep from dying each and everyday from these hazards.  Then I remember that Norwegians have been taught to take responsibility for themselves from an early age, and lawsuits are rare.

One cousin we visited had a thorny rosebush growing into their balcony.  When their 18-month-old walked outside near it, I panicked and suggested they stop her so she wouldn’t be hurt by the thorns.  I was politely told that she already had one encounter with the rosebush and she’d learned to stay away from it.  It was such a foreign concept to an American like me - not protecting the child, but letting the child learn where the dangers lie.

Since Norway provides basically free medical care, this system of taking personal responsibility for oneself actually works out quite well because if they do mess up, it may cost them their lives, but it won’t cost them much else.