This article seems like complete tech woo. I'd bet one of my left nuts there is some "totally non a subsidy, subsidy" shit going on here.

Just because you pay something through a barter deal doesn't make it practically free lol. Imagine thinking anything is free in life.

There’s several in London (UK) and while not free they aren’t expensive, and often give out free minutes. Super convenient way to get around the city.

Okay, we ALL adults here know it's not "FREE". We all pay taxes and other forms of tithes and we all know it helps to subsidize services provided by said government. Some countries I will not name have an average personal income rate yet no universal healthcare or higher education are provided. Others provide that and much more for much less income tax.

The "FREE" part comes from the "Included in my taxes" part of the conversation.

Glad I could clear that for you and if you have any questions on how conversation works, gimme a shout!

My city had one. Then the company folded so we have all these perma locked bikes that no one can use.

In Sweden people don't die because they can't afford healthcare, but they still die because they got stuck in a queue that outlasted them. Why? Because people don't want to work in hospitals because they get paid nothing and have a shitty work environment.

That's funny. The system is not perfect but you don't go bankrupt if you break your leg.

True. But the system could be perfect if the taxpayers money was used in a way that benefited the people and not politicians. That goes for both Sweden and the country that should not be named.

I don't even care about the cost- what I envy is that the city is compact enough to be bikeable, roads are safe enough to be bikeable, and the population isn't so shitty as to ruin these electric bikes.

pretty sure there was a city (maybe Amsterdam?) that implemented a city-wide free bike program. after a while lots of people began to think all bikes were free. a lot of thefts.

Last time I lived in Sweden you had guys going around in trucks stealing all of the bikes at the train station in one town, going to another and selling the bikes. Lather, rinse, repeat. I'm sure this will go well.

Sweden is listed as the shared second highest ranking country on the Corruption Perception Index with a score of 85/100. (highest score is 88)

The country who should not be named has a score of 67/100. I doubt Sweden has a issue where taxpayer money does not go where it was meant to go. While I would agree that the country that should not be named probably has a issue on that front.

That's a sad fact considering there's a lot of corruption in Sweden. I could make a list longer than infinity, but just from the last couple of days there's been cases of a sitting board member of a private school group becoming a minister responsible for regulating, allowing schools to continue taking out tax payers money in dividends. And another person in the previous government abusing rules to take out full severance pay while still taking full salary. Sweden is corrupt as fuck and it's sad beyond belief that they rank among the least corrupt countries.

That honestly does not sound to bad. But I'm also not a big fan of the new sitting government. Do you have other examples?

From that I would not say "corrupt as fuck" that sounds like a massive overstatement.

Private schools has been a big debate in the last vote and the Swedish people have voted for a government that will keep them with the same or loosened regulations. The severance packages has also gotten a huge spotlight put on it but it's still all above board, but adjustment to the system is talked about.

Sweden is not a perfect country, but it's not "corrupt as fuck" and it's hard to get away with corruption. That is why I think it ranks high.

That was from what I understand quite overstated. Do you have the article as I cannot find it. According to statistics from bra (crime prevention council) says that in 2020 about 10.5% of all households have experienced bike theft and that has not massively changed for a good 15 years.

I'd say that going around with a truck full of stolen bikes is going to get you caught pretty fast.

My examples were just from a couple of days. Just google and you'll have enough to read for the rest of your life, literally. My favorites from before the election was one guy handing out tax payers money to his relatives made up company or 5/8 of the parties in parliment getting caught literally trying to circumvent corruption laws regarding anonymous donations. Don't tell me there's no corruption please...

I didn't see it, I only know what the locals were telling me. Of course, the fact everyone had stories of their bikes being stolen and that everyone habitually left their bikes unlocked at the train stations lends some credence to it. Why would I need an article in that case? Crime statistics are only as good as the number of people who report a crime.

I'm not telling you there is no corruption, I'm telling you "corrupt as fuck" is a overstatement.

As if the shared second lowest corrupted country in the world is "corrupt as fuck" you need to normalize your ranking system or accuse the index of being wrong.

I'd like to also clarify the anonymous donation example. You cannot donate to a party anonymously since 2018. These parties also never took the money as the anonymous donor was in fact a undercover reporter from a popular TV show "Kalla Fakta" which have successfully uncovered a large amount of corruption scandals in Sweden. Again not saying there is no corruption. I'm saying it's hard to get away with it and the current laws have strict transparency requirements.

It could be that Sweden has a low amount of corruption but most if not all are publicly documented. Other countries which seems to have the same amount might in fact just have a large dark figure of corruption which is not publicly documented.

I cannot find the first example you gave.

I'd be interested to read if you had a article and I could not find it myself ^^

I have also heard the rumor but cannot remember seeing any proof of it.

In Sweden it's a requirement to report a crime about stolen property to get insurance money for it. Now some might not be bothered to do this. But with normal reports and reports to get insurance money, I'd say that the dark figure for bike crimes is not large enough to say it's significantly higher then the reported number.

Mohamed Nassir Abdullahi Ali (S) is the guy I was referring to in the first example.

I'm not saying I don't believe Sweden is less corrupt than most countries. I'm saying there is endless amounts of incidents that are in fact corruption. It doesn't really matter how severe each incident is when it happens constantly. We shouldn't accept Swedens corruption just because other countries are worse. It's like saying sexual abuse is fine because you didn't put your dick in someone.

That's a lot of supposition

It's def not saying that. It's like saying that even if crime is bad it's very inefficient to root it all out. In the greater picture the life of a average citizen has to be the goal, while corruption scandals are embarrassing for Sweden there is not a rampant increase of them. As happened in 2018, when donations have to be declared, prevention of loop holes and more transparancy is being legislated.

Sweden is doing good and much better then other countries according to independent reports. Not sure why you cannot take back the phrasing "corrupted as fuck".

In my city Lyft has a monopoly with the city and an electric bike rental is about $15 for 20 minutes

Supposition is superior to your made-up "gangs are stealing these bikes and reselling them!!!1!" bullshit.

That's 10 point something percent per year or 10 point something percent had ever experienced bike theft?

I had a bike stolen 35 years ago. That does not make me concerned about leaving my bike unlocked at the grocery store today.

That is for the year in question ^^ So not if they have experienced bike theft the year prior.

I didn't make it up. The locals were telling me this. If they were making it up, that's on them isn't it?