Arbitrariness or obedience to authority?

(Photos of the diary entry can be found at the end of the text).

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“I feel like I’m exhausted,” I complain in the morning. “No wonder, you rode a long time yesterday, set up the bikes for our tour here, edited pictures in the evening and chased auroras until 3:00 a.m. this morning. It’s normal that you’re tired. Since we want to stay here for a few days, I think we should rest today. Let’s go to the North Cape Hall later. We’ll have a delicious cappuccino there and enjoy the view of the cape. It looks like the forecast bad weather front is still to come. So we’re still lucky and can enjoy the rarely good view here for a while,” Tanja suggests. “That’s how we do it,” I agree. While Tanja prepares our breakfast, I take Ajaci for a walk around the huge parking lot. From a distance, I can see Peter talking to Tanja. I walk towards him in good spirits. “Good morning Peter,” I greet him in a good mood. “Good morning Denis. Please put your dog on a lead. There could be reindeer running around here.” “Reindeer in the parking lot?” I wonder. “Yes.” “Okay,” I reply and click the leash on Ajaci’s collar. “And turn off your generator,” he demands in a stern voice. “I do, but there’s no one here. Who would be bothered by the engine noise?” I want to know. “The parking lot is not a campsite. So just turn it off.” “No problem,” I reply and wonder what has crossed the mind of the person who was so friendly yesterday. “How long do you actually want to stay?” he asks his next question. “Hm, as I mentioned yesterday, we’d like to stay here for a few days. We’d like to use the Wi-Fi in the North Cape Hall to send a few updates and continue working on our report about Norway,” I reply in a friendly manner. “You’re only allowed to stay here for one night,” I hear, startled. “What, why?” “It’s the regulations.” “We were here for a few days last summer. There were hundreds of vehicles parked here and it was absolutely fine. Why do we have to leave now when it’s empty?” “Like I said, it’s the regulations.” “That you control?” “Yes.” “Please let us stay here for a few more days. I’m tired and would like to avoid having to leave today.” “You can book yourselves into a campsite.” “Which campsite? The nearest one is 15 kilometers from here and it’s closed at this time of year,” I reply. “Please let us stay here a little longer.” “Equal rights for all. I’d like you to leave today,” he replies adamantly. “As you wish,” I give in and can’t believe what I’m hearing, because according to his statement yesterday, the management of the visitor center has laid off almost all the staff due to the lack of tourists. I can only imagine that the man enjoys using his power, regardless of whether it harms his company or not. The fact that we ate in the visitor center’s restaurant more often during our stay and wrote positively about the place in our publications doesn’t seem to matter. The main thing is equal rights for all. The only question is for whom, if hardly anyone comes by. I walk on, crestfallen and shaking my head. “If you stay, I won’t chase you away with the stick, but you know what I want!” he calls after me. Back at Terra, I tell Tanja about my unpleasant experience. “It doesn’t matter. If Peter won’t tolerate us here any longer, we’ll go back. It’s supposed to snow soon anyway and we don’t know what good it will do us if we leave earlier than planned,” she says bleakly. “Of course, as so often, you’re right. But I had imagined staying in this extraordinary place for a while, resting, experiencing the different weather moods and continuing to write our book. But yes, let’s get out of here again. I don’t want to stay where people don’t like us or tolerate us. They obviously don’t need to treat their guests well,” I reply. “It’s just a man who’s so stubborn, don’t forget that.” “I know. Sometimes it’s individuals like crazy presidents who decide the fate of entire nations,” I remain defiant and a little miffed…