Toni Nieminen’s horse-drawn carriage ride caused an open dispute at the Lahti market.
Toni Nieminen was there on Saturday when a shouting match broke out at the Lahti market. MIKKO HUISKO
An incident took place at the Lahti market on Saturday morning, which attracted the attention of local market-goers during the Street food event. Tor host Timo Arasola ordered the horse-drawn carriage company and its employees to leave the market with the horse-drawn carriages. These employees also included an ex-golden eagle Toni Nieminen.
However, this was not agreed to at the same time, which is why the disagreement escalated into a shouting match at the Lahti market.
Nieminen wrote a fiery Instagram update on the subject, in which he thanks his customers, but gives the tori host towels.
– The market supervisor does not deserve thanks for meeting instead. Informed us that he would remove us from the place. They say we could go to the city area, but we have no business in his area, Nieminen writes.
– We moved to the side of the sidewalk and at that point this ambassador of goodwill already called the police because we are disturbing people, traffic and access to his market.
– To my inquiry, what is the problem, we have been involved in the event in question without problems in many cities and places before. I got a question as an answer: do I want him to come and shit in my own yard? I welcomed the guy if he felt it was necessary and it would make him feel even a little easier, Nieminen rumbled.
You can see the update in its entirety below or from here.
Torsion already before
Iltalehti reached out to the market host Timo Arasolan to tell about the situation. According to him, the entrepreneur who organizes the horse-drawn carriage ride contacted him earlier in the same week, when there was already a serious discussion about the matter. At that time, Arasola mentions that he told the entrepreneur that horse-drawn carts are not allowed to enter the market during the Street Food event.
– When the entrepreneur called me, I said that I manage the area, and I do not agree to the horses coming to the market. The entrepreneur asked how this is possible everywhere else. I told him that it won’t work here, says Arasola.
– The market has been defined as a food farm in such a way that you cannot take horses, cows or e.g. sheep there during the food event. I told the entrepreneur that the health inspector did not allow it and asked if they had applied to the health inspector for permission. The answer was no. I told him that if you organize a horse ride outside the market, it is a city area, in which case you have to ask the city for permission.
On Saturday, Arasola discovered that the ban had not been followed. There was hay lying on the ground and horse manure had also fallen there.
– Toni Nieminen was driving customers around the market on a horse. I asked him if he is an entrepreneur. When I found out that he is not, I asked him to call the entrepreneur. I announced to him in a loud voice that there was no coming to the market. Toni replied that “don’t give me a lung”.
The discussion was already making rounds at this point. When the entrepreneur was brought to the place, the horse-drawn carts were moved every centimeter outside the market, which did not happen to the market supervisor. At that time, the situation escalated into a shouting match.
– We ask separately if we can come. I refuse, we will still come. We argued about that. In that market, there were food vendors next to it, who are there 12 months a year in their own standard places. I’m not going to move them anywhere, Arasola defends his customers.
The tori host called the emergency center, where it was hoped that the organizer of the street food event would sort it out with the entrepreneur. The event organizer was brought to the scene, and the tori host left to cool off his feelings. When he returned, the horse-drawn carriage ride point had been moved to the other side of Lahti’s Aleksanterinkatu, as originally suggested.
After hearing about the displeased social media update of the ex-golden eagle, Arasola laughs.
– I would say that this was a normal day at the office for me. I don’t know why Toni took this to heart. I told him at one point that “Toni, now you are quiet”. He looked me in the eyes and must have wondered why I recognized him. Yes, he will be recognized at the Lahti market.
Iltalehti caught up with Toni Nieminen, who said in a good mood that Saturday’s incident had not left him scratching his head.
– Didn’t I comment on everything there is to say about this in that social media update? I don’t let one bad weather bird ruin my day under any circumstances, Nieminen laughs to Iltalehte.