Europe is known for many things in the American collective consciousness: universal health care, lack of air conditioning, healthy food, among others. Even within the common laws and practices of the continent there are still major regional differences (just like within the US). The one I’ll be discussing today is the concept of the “Trust Society” found within Scandinavian countries, particularly Denmark.
A friend of mine lost his wallet one night while out. The next day he went to the police station and everything was there, not a dollar missing! This is just one of the many examples of trust found in everyday life within Copenhagen. The main modes of transportation within the city are public transport or biking. In New York City, for example, you must scan a card and pass through a physical turnstile to enter the subway. In Copenhagen, you simply walk right on. So why bother buying a transportation pass? Occasionally there is staff on board to scan your transport pass, if you don’t have one you will receive a fine of 750 DKK (about $117); which turns saving about $3 into a big loss. Everyone is trusted to pay their ticket and get to enjoy fewer obstacles when taking their daily commute which can help speed up the process.
A lot of people, from all walks of life, chose to bike around the city. At home we use heavy-duty or “snake” bike locks as you never know when you’ll return to the bike rack to an empty space. This is a rare sight in Copenhagen. It is common for bikers to use a little latch lock that stops the spokes from moving. It is possible to pick up the bike and walk away with it, but this is not a common enough threat that would necessitate the larger locks we are accustomed to.
It is quite a common sight to see babies left outside of restaurants and cafes while their parents are inside enjoying their meal. It is basically unheard of for children to be taken even with this phenomenon. Danes trust people around them to be trustworthy unless they prove otherwise. This carries on to childhood as children often take the public metro to school and are allowed into the inner city without an adult. Due to parents trusting others to not harm their child, they can extend that trust and grant more freedom. School playgrounds are often open, meaning there aren’t many fences or physical barriers. Teachers tell the students to not go past a certain point and they oblige. This means many playgrounds are integrated into public places which allows for more people to use them, leading to more social cohesion and a sense of community.
At first these concepts were very bizarre to me as I know that in Pittsburgh, for example, basically no one would pay for the buses if there was only the occasional check; as I got more adjusted to life here it began to make a lot of sense. This has taught me that the more open a society is, the fewer closed doors there are, and the more trusting it becomes. Some believe that relative regional peace allowed this trust to flourish historically; others believe the freedom granted to children instills a sense of responsibility that is passed down and ingrained into the very fabric of society.