While countries like Sweden are praised by some for their treatment of the poor, in reality, the culture is just as brutal and careless towards disadvantaged people there as it is in the United States. Sadly, regardless of what type of political policies or programs a country adopts, people who don’t “look presentable” are often left behind and excluded from society.
A group of activists recently learned this when conducting a social experiment on Stockholm city buses. An actor with the group attempted to board buses wearing different clothes, in some cases the actor wore clothes that made him appear rich and presentable, while other times he wore clothes that made him appear poor or unpresentable.
The encounters were recorded by STHLM Panda activists, who captured video of the bus driver refusing service to the actor when he was dressed down, but when he was dressed up like a rich person, he was let on the bus without a problem.
“I was refused by all the bus drivers. I felt that they were looking down on me. They were mean to me as well,” the actor told RT.
“One bus driver was laughing at me when I asked him, why can’t I get on the bus. When they refused me all the time my sense of dignity fell. And I was not respected at all! Everybody should get treated equally, there shouldn’t be such a big difference,” he added.
“Someone who is poor, it does not mean that he is bad. It means that he is a human being and that he should be respected. And people forget about that nowadays,” STHLM Panda activists said after releasing the video.
John Vibes writes for True Activist and is an author, researcher and investigative journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture and the drug war.
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