Sticking it to the (Danish) man...
Yes, it's a pea. And apologies for the length, your Mum gave a rave review :P

Cast your minds back to a time when you were 18, just out of A levels (or just finishing them), and looking forward to dealing with life. Like many of my peers, I got it into my head that I wanted to go abroad and do development work. I found an organisation via a newspaper advert, signed up at the recruitment weekend in Hull, and then straight after my last exam I jetted off to Denmark to train to do what I wanted to do for six months. The basic idea was that I would train in Denmark, then head out to Africa to do stuff like building toilets, educating people about AIDS, general well meaning stuff. You get the idea.

Well, the first mistake happened when I arrived- that is, because they forgot I was arriving. I was sat in the bloody airport for three hours before thinking "screw it" and got a taxi to where I was staying, making sure I charged it to the company.

Anyways, about a month in, we were all put to work to clean up the school where we went to train. Myself and a friend were working on the library, and I happened on a book with a very interesting title- The History of North Korea. I read it, and had a laugh at was essentially some very weak propaganda from our friends in Asia. And then I threw it out, thinking nothing of it.

Another interesting occurrence was when the school decided to have a sing-along session. Fine and dandy, but we decided not to go because we had plans of our own, mainly involving lounging around and doing nothing. One of the teachers basically busted in, and ordered us out. She seemed most put out when I stayed where I was... I don't think she was equipped to deal with a narky English teenager who wasn't in a mood to put up with bullshit.

The final straw came when I found a website called tvindalert (have a look around, I think it's still out there) and noticed several odd things about this supposed "charity" I had signed up with. First of all, there had recently been a police raid at their headquarters. Secondly, there were allegations of money laundering, tax evasion, false accounting, brainwashing, and best of all... gun running. Not forgetting wage slavery and shoddy treatment of its' workers. So, not liking what I was reading, I emailed the link to my Dad who was a journalist at the time. He emailed back saying "it's real... get out of there!". Oh crap.

Anyways, I started to email the creator of the website in order to formulate an escape plan. The only problem was, what was meant to be a private email was posted on the website, which was monitored by the lovely people I was working with. Here's where the story gets interesting: we were just about to go on an outward bound weekend, when I was pulled off the bus, regarding the email that had been sent. I was put in an office, on my own, with a large pissed off Danish man, oddly enough called Rene. He couldn't understand why I wasn't afraid of him- come to think of it, neither can I. Blind anger, I guess.

So, after an hour or so of him trying to intimidate me, and me making a fool out of him, he tells me to leave the office. Here's the fun part. I get in contact with my Mum over msn- and she actually phoned up this guy and threatened him with coming over there herself with a presspack and making life *very* difficult if he didn't pay for a flight home and put me on the plane. Suffice it to say I got the plane on the tacit understanding I wouldn't contact the media. Which I did the very next day.

As a postscript to this, the leader of this cult is now on trial, the place where I was staying has closed, and the whole organisation seems thoroughly tits up.

If that isn't sticking it to the man, I'm not sure what is.
( jim_bob can herd cats., Fri 18 Jun 2010, 15:01, 4 replies)

since when are crazy criminal cult type things "The Man"?
they are quite the opposite
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Fri 18 Jun 2010, 15:12, closed)

Looks like that was his first mistake

(Bazongaloid, Fri 18 Jun 2010, 15:17, closed)

At the time, technically they were my employer.

( jim_bob can herd cats., Fri 18 Jun 2010, 15:18, closed)

I've
read a lot about Tvind after hearing about them via your original post. Apparently the leader is wanted by Interpol, whereabouts unknown.
(apeloverage committed the vile act of onanism on, Fri 18 Jun 2010, 15:20, closed)

Probably on his yacht.
The one formerly owned by JFK's wife.
( jim_bob can herd cats., Fri 18 Jun 2010, 15:29, closed)

Or he's tracking you down to put the hit on you.

( Snappyuk gets BIGGER with free sample., Fri 18 Jun 2010, 16:00, closed)

Ooh bugger!

( jim_bob can herd cats., Fri 18 Jun 2010, 16:24, closed)

I rather like this
Justice getting served, or at least the wheels of it put into motion, is always nice to read. Was almost tl;dr but worth the patience. Have a Click
(Cloudane, Fri 18 Jun 2010, 18:25, closed)

I'm not sure it counts as sticking it to the man
if you have to ring your mum to do it for you.
(wellgroomedwookiee is a filthy-minded hobgoblin, Mon 21 Jun 2010, 13:44, closed)