The customer comes to my register, places her purchases on the lane, and shows me a plastic case of cherry tomatoes.

Customer: “I just noticed one of these tomatoes has gone bad. Could I get a discount?”

Me: “Unless that’s the only case of tomatoes left, I’m sorry, but I can’t. Would you like to go get a new case?”

Customer: “Oh, no, I’m in too much hurry! Are you sure you can’t do anything?”

Me: “I’m sorry. I’m not even authorized to give discounts. I’d have to phone someone who’d just tell you to get a new box.”

Customer: “That won’t do. I don’t want them, then. I just don’t have time.”

The customer didn’t buy the cherry tomatoes. I rang her through extra fast, seeing as she seemed to be very busy. After the customer paid, I noticed her staying around for at least fifteen minutes, happily chatting with someone, before leaving.

(The little sister mentioned in this story isn’t actually our sister, but my brother’s friend, who has been basically adopted by my family since we’ve known her for most of our lives and my mother has treated her like her own for a long time. My youngest brother lives in England and my older sister in California. My second brother is also considering moving. Our family is from Finland.)

Little Sister: “I thought of applying to [French University] after I finish my current degree.”

Little Brother: “I thought you wanted to get into [University near her].”

Little Sister: “Yeah, I did, but Dad will have peacekeeping responsibilities for at least eight years, you don’t live here, [Sister] doesn’t live here, [Older Brother] doesn’t want to live here… I have no family members here and it just feels wrong.”

(Yup, that’s how she said it.)

Me: “Okay, don’t get me wrong; I support your decision, no matter what it is. But could you, my dearest siblings, please stop solving all of your problems with moving out of the country?”

Little Sister: “Okay, first of all, adopted, so I don’t count, and therefore, I do whatever I want. Au revoir, motherf*****s.”

I am working at the main railway station in Helsinki during New Year’s night when I spot two teenagers lighting up firecrackers and throwing them onto the street where people are walking. I approach them and sternly tell them to stop as they could hurt someone.

While I approach, they are still lighting one up. They throw it without looking, and where else would it land but next to a police car that has just arrived on patrol?

I leave the kids to discuss their actions with the police.

(It is around 2010 or so. I need a new battery for my phone and there’s a telecom shop of one of the Finnish carriers near where I live, so I go there.)

Me: *showing my phone* “Can I have a new battery for this?”

Salesman: “Yes, sure, but can I ask what operator you use?”

Me: “Certainly, I have a contract with [Competitor].”

Salesman: “How much do you pay in a month? I’m sure that I can go lower than that.”

Me: “Don’t remember. It’s been a while since I got a bill. But I don’t want to change operators now; I only want the battery.”

Salesman: “Certainly.”

(He fetches the battery and I pay it. About a month later, my mother’s phone needs a new battery and I finally get a phone bill. The company I use never sends bills out until the amount is over €20. My bill is something like €24. I go to the same store and wait until the same salesman is free and go to him.)

Me: “Hello. This is my mum’s phone and it needs a new battery. Do you have them?”

Salesman: “Certainly, wait and I’ll get one.” *fetches the battery*

Me: “By the way, last time I was here you told me that if I knew how much I pay for my current operator you can sell me a cheaper connection. So, here’s my last bill.”

(I hand over the bill and he looks at it.)

Salesman: “€24, of course, I can sell you cheaper than this.”

Me: “Please check the period this bill covers.”

Salesman: *gives the bill back to me* “Three months? I cannot go under that!”

(I’m going to the grocery store close to where I work to get some lunch. As I enter, I see a guy in his twenties about to walk out, without paying, with a whole load of beer in his arms. The cashier is coming right after him and grabs him. I decide to help out, because I’m a large guy, and I don’t really think about it; it just happens. The shoplifter is putting up quite some resistance, right until the following exchange happens.)

Cashier: “Look, I’m not really fit enough to continue for much longer.”

Shoplifter: “Yeah, me, neither.”

(And the situation was resolved like that. The shoplifter stopped his resistance and waited until the police arrived. I’m glad they could come to a mutual understanding in the end.)