– We enjoy ourselves, there is a good atmosphere with many proper, old cars from the 50s and 60s. That is what we long for, says Johansen to NTB.
He refers to himself as a ragger, and emphasizes that there is a difference between robbers and raggers.
– The newspapers write that it is a robbery. It is not. There is a big difference between robbers and raggers, robbers drive new cars, while raggers drive old cars from the 50s and 60s, explains Johansen.
Three years of work
He describes Easter as a great start to the ragge year. After Maundy Thursday in Strömstad, another match follows in Sarpsborg on Good Friday, before Charlottenberg on Saturday.
– Maundy Thursday is holy, it’s like the start of the year, says Johansen, who has taken the trip annually since 2016. The day ends with a party in Halden.
In 2020, Johansen bought a Chevrolet Impala Parkwood from 1959 together with three others, and the trip to Strömstad is the first ragge trip for the gang. Before that, they have, among other things, bought a new engine and had to weld the floor.
Johansen estimates that together they have spent around NOK 300,000 on the wedding.
The mayor: Positive for the municipality
Strömstad mayor Kent Hansson was in a meeting in Uddevalla on Thursday afternoon. He thus did not have a full overview, but he tells NTB that he was expecting many people.
– There are usually many, many thousands. As long as the weather is not too bad, I think it will be a very good move, he says. On Thursday, it was cloudy and a few degrees warmer in the city.
Thousands of drunk Norwegians can probably cause noise and potential irritation for the local population, but Hansson says that the local community sees the car crash as positive.
– All in all, people tend to behave in a good way, so we see this as positive for Strömstad. It only applies to one day, so there tend to be many Strömstad residents who go out and watch the spectacles that are coming. I think most people see it positively, says Hansson.
In advance, the municipality has had close contact with the police.
– There is an increased police effort from the entire region. They try to keep order and help those who get into trouble, says Hansson.
Nice flow in traffic
Cross-border traffic had gone seamlessly on Thursday morning, with the exception of a small gathering along the E6 near Vestby, says operations manager Finn Håvard Aas in the East police district.
– We have had an accumulation of cars around Vestby which we are trying to resolve. It is in connection with some rest areas and eateries along the E6, where quite a few cars have accumulated, he told NTB around lunchtime. Otherwise, things have gone seamlessly, he says.
– It is only recommended that people use helmets, not stop along the E6, which is a high-speed road. Use common sense and this will go very well. It is allowed to go to Sweden, emphasized Aas.
(©NTB)