Dandy Danish Dander

Main Entry: dan·der
Pronunciation: 'dan-d&r
Function: noun
Etymology: alteration of dandruff
1 : DANDRUFF; specifically : minute scales from hair, feathers, or skin that may be allergenic
2 : ANGER, TEMPER "now don't get your dander up"

Greetings from Wonderful Copenhagen. Downtown Copenhagen was closed to traffic Wednesday when I arrived. There were plenty of police out to enforce this. Danes here are getting their dander up about traffic and about the stringent parking rules. The Copenhagen Parking police are some of the world´s best equipped and most efficient. They carry lasers. Not laser stun guns (not yet) but instead laser rulers to measure if you are parked too close to the intersection. They have pocket computers to print you a ticket. To pay for this gear they charge 510 Danish crowns (85 US dollars). No wonder the sidewalks here are plugged with parked bicycles. My big brother has a file with all his parking tickets. He is well known in their office. Soon he will have paid more than his car is worth for all his tickets. Now he is fed up and will take his latest ticket to court. It's a matter of principle. Rule number one in life is "Never get a Dane's dander up." Do you suppose the word dander has something to do with being Danish?


this is the street corner where big brother got his latest parking ticket. The white triangles in the street are referred to as "shark teeth." Think triangular yield sign. The newest sharks are the parking police. Their teeth are razor sharp.