24/7?

Shops in Ommen are allowed to open their doors to the public on Sunday, August 9th. This may sound a bit strange to people living in Canada or closer to home the UK. They are used to be able to go to the shops whenever they like, to get whatever they want. Although, in the UK you can put a bottle of wine in your basket in Tesco's in the middle of the night, but you have to wait til 8 am to be able to pay for it at the till. A strange rule now I come to think of it. Of course you can build a party in the supermarket. Very handy when you are running the risk of running out of booze. And at 8 am you stagger to the till, pay for as many bottles as you have managed to empty and go home. I do agree that the lighting plan does not help to create an intimate atmosphere in a supermarket, but believe you me that seems to matter less and less as the night proceeds. 

The observation that things are different in Ommen is not that strange. Considering that Ommen is part of the so called 'bible belt' of the Netherlands. And it is not the only town that has funny rules when it comes to 'what is and what is not allowed on a Sunday'. Obviously, for would it have been the only town then there would not have been a 'bible belt', but a 'bible button'. Still, one would have thought that in this day and age it would be quite common to have a 24 hour economy. Or at least leave it up to the shop owner whether or not to open his doors.

I would welcome the possibility to go shopping in the evening. At least all the screaming kids, raising them properly does not happen anymore I have noticed, will be in bed. What a relief that would be. The streets are not stuffed with cars too, making it a piece of cake to get to and from the supermarket. And when you get there, to find an empty parking spot will not take forever. Parking areas would be safe again as well without women driving to the supermarket in their husbands cars, normally a lot bigger than what they are used to, and crashing into almost every obstacle on their way.  I may be exaggerating a bit here but you will not find me in a parking area close to the shops during office hours. Nope, way too dangerous.

So what could Ommen do, to not be left behind in our modern society? Well, when creating a haven of rest in an otherwise tumultuous week is what Ommen aims for, maybe the Amish set a good example. Go about your business using horse and carriage. It will not only slow yourself down but all the other people on the road as well. Due to the slow down of society thus caused, shops have no other choice then to stay open all week, to serve their customers. 8 hours a day for 6 days would no longer suffice.

It would allow me to go to the shops during the quiet hours of

the night, provided that I would refrain from alcoholic beverages... 

3 strikes: out

Although it may seem surreal to many people, it will come true in the Netherlands. The police will be on strike during the coming weeks. Of course not every day. No, they plan their actions around the start of the Dutch football competition. How convenient is that? Personally I could not give a rat's ass whether Dutch football teams are let loose in the stadiums or not. But because football is claimed to be the sport of the masses I gather many do. Supporters of the various clubs in particular are not pleased at all. I do kind of sympathize with them. I mean, why should the Dutch 'John Doe', 'Henk', suffer from a quarrel between the Minister of Justice and the Police? Nope, me neither. And it is a pity we do not live in the US. The Police there maintain, I would say, a near zero tolerance policy. '3 strikes and your out'. Well, actually you are in because you are sent to prison. That would solve the problem rapidly I predict. Every cop spotted participating in a strike action for the third time would be kicked out of the police force. Upholding their own policy no matter what. Unfair? I do not think so. Every police person can go on strike twice. Ample opportunity to express their displeasure with the current situation. And they are better of than criminals who have to live by the same policy too.

Football hooligans, bar the odd real lover of the sport, are not as stupid as they look it seams. Lucky for them. They have come up with a cunning plan. Because several matches will not take place, due to striking policemen, football hooligans have nothing else to do. Not that strange, as their lives revolve around football. And when there are no matches played, their lives consequently come to a grinding halt. The weather is forecast to be lovely, so what can be a better thing to undertake then invite the supporters of the scheduled opponent for a beer on the terraces in the center of town. Of course, it is possible that these gatherings will be held in a friendly atmosphere and camaraderie. But let us be honest, the odds are a bit against a positive outcome. I personally estimate the probability as high as that of pink elephants falling from the sky. Nil, because Dombo is grey.



I am afraid that our poor policemen will be forced to attend these gatherings whether they like it or not, and can thus no longer be on strike.  

I do have a question for the supporters though.


"Would it be possible to organize these so called 'Dutch beer parties' on a Friday evening please?" Why? Well, with the matches that were planned to take place on Sunday cancelled and the police being on strike that day, no overtime has to be paid. Or double overtime as it would have been a weekend day...