sad, but true

Someone needed 54 cents to bypass the long line and get the pre-paid envelope she needed at the pick-up only window at the post office yesterday. But she only had a dollar.

It took about 5 seconds for the people standing next to her in line to come up with 54 cents.

That may sound like the normal thing to do, but it's not certain it would have happened in Sweden.

It's true that in a country where everybody is taken care of (comparatively speaking), people's willingness to reach out to others has suffered. They'd rather pay taxes, and have the state help.