Life / HOW CAN POLISH PEOPLE AFFORD IT?? They are said to earn very little..? [43]


Right now that is 337zl per month. There is no way the 'average' person Pole or not living in anyplace other than some village is RENTING a 70sqm 2 room flat for 337zl.

From a family member getting a deal? Only czynsz? maybe...but that is just not a realistic price for most people.

News / The polish Zloty getting stronger versus British pound? [15]

Something is not right with all of this...it would be one thing if the dollar was simply falling against all other currency (which would still suck)...yet all currencies are falling against the ZL and there is no clear reason.

Poland is not doing so much better overall than all these other countries to explain this...it has to be an artificial valuation and that simply cannot last forever. This is no insult to Poles so chill out ubernationalists....

Life / Polish Driving Licence. [314]

So...you people are trying to ILLEGALLY buy fake passports and driving licenses from CRIMINALS and you are shocked and feel cheated when they trick you? Not too bright are you?

You are getting what you deserve.

Life / How much do you HATE POLISH PEOPLE and POLAND [1260]


Uh...no we don't. Whether I agree with you or not you cannot force anyone to accept your opinion. Yeah you can SAY it...even believe it...but at the end of the day....Nope.

Life / Poland and doctors [37]

jon,

Just stop reading this forum and see a doc about it once you get here. See if you can get some before you leave to tide you over.

People giving you grief here are idiots and are contributing to your anxiety rather than helping.

Life / Poland and doctors [37]

I get paid for my actions...keeping jackasses like you free to write meaningless books. Enjoy!

Travel / Check in time for U.S. flights from WAW airport [13]

finT is full of it...I have never taken longer than an hour from walking through the front doors to passing the security scanners into the gate. Show up 2 hours early and you will have plenty of time if there are problems.

Etudia is a whole other animal and can take ages but you won't be using it to fly out of the EU on normal airlines anyway.

Life / Poland and doctors [37]

I meant benzodiazepine LIKE drug like Xanax and Valium are but leave it to you to scour my posts for an error to pick apart. An error that really has no bearing on the info given anyway...

Jon go talk to the doc and ignore the detractors...

Harry you don't have conversations...you talk to imagine yourself as intelligent. Somebody who writes opinion columns in Warsaw, Poland really isn't all that impressive. Perhaps you need to take some more of the Xanax you proclaim to be such an expert about and chill.

News / I love Poland because... (in 10 words or less) [182]

Love is such a strong word....I prefer "I tolerate Poland between gigs"

UK, Ireland / UK taxpayers spend £4.4 million on obese Brits [10]

Just send them more cigarettes...it works to keep Polish women in Poland thin.

Life / Grafitti in Warsaw [44]

It's pretty clear...painting on property that is not yours is illegal regardless of how pretty the picture is.

If the property owners give you permission to paint on it then fine but some people advocate that the vandals have a right to their "art".

Life / Poland and doctors [37]

Jon I was given Ambien for sleeping due to pain after an operation on my shoulder...this is a benzodiazepine like Xanax or Valium. A box of 20-10mg tablets was about 30-40zl. Ambien is a name brand medicine as well so I cannot imagine how generic Xanax (Alprazolam) could be that much more like has been said...but in Poland you never know.

Life / Grafitti in Warsaw [44]

Sure...put it on canvas or a gallery wall and it's fine with me.

What I have a problem with is vandals and this idea that they HAVE to do it to express themselves. And the ridiculous assertion that if I don't want them committing these crimes I should sponsor activities for them to do.

I like whiskey...does that mean somebody should hire me a full time driver so I can drink whenever I want and not drive drunk? It is a stupid mentality that tries to make criminals victims.

Travel / Warsaw aiport to the central train station??? [16]

Asking someone unfamiliar with the underground to run around and check for windows?

If you want them to get lost forever sure....

Life / Polish Train Travel - Scary? [101]

Sure...but the issue is when you DO have a seat and are in a non smoking car and the locals ignore it...it happens often in Poland. Not as bad as India or China for example but it happens often.

And just because you have a seat doesn't mean you will be remotely comfortable when the fat people in the aisle are pushing you over with their odorous girth.

As much as flying has become a circus at least it is faster for the longer distances...

Life / Polish Train Travel - Scary? [101]

Yeah...the trains where they sell more tickets than seats and even if you bought a guaranteed first class seat it doesn't matter because the aisle will be full of people who are not supposed to, but moved into the first class car anyway for more room and sit on their bags. Then they light up their cigarettes and proceed to fill the non smoking wagon with pollution. If anyone says anything they get a hearty "f@#k you" from the offenders.

Ah...should be a tourist brochure.

Travel / Warsaw aiport to the central train station??? [16]

What times are you suggesting going the small ticket windows? Every time I pass them they are as busy as the main hall with lines snaking down the hall.

I also don't understand the pickpocket worry...I have never had nor heard of such an experience in years here...maybe it helps that I am tall and mean looking so they stay at arms length. But..it can't hurt to stay alert.

Travel / Going to Poland this summer -- US dollar prediction... [34]

Actually I transit there often but rarely go into the city due to visas....Moscow is an anomaly in Russia...stupid amounts of rich people there skews things. Anyway the point stands...Poland is not cheap like people think.

Travel / Going to Poland this summer -- US dollar prediction... [34]

Warsaw...and yeah compared to London the rest of the world is cheaper. But I am talking about the US in general. New York and LA with their stupidly over priced services, properties etc are not representative of MOST of the US.

Really the only things that are a value for me here anymore are some market foods (not all), trains, and some random goods....most things are as much as or more than the prices I can get in the US.

Travel / Going to Poland this summer -- US dollar prediction... [34]

Bus and trains?...yes.
Beer?...in a pub not really anymore..in the shops yeah.
Junk from street vendors?...overpriced and from China
Hotel?...no
Restaurants?...no unless you mean Bar Mleczny
Cinema?...No

It is just not as cheap here as people imagine.

Life / Polish Train Travel - Scary? [101]


To be fair this is one of the higher quality services...especially if you are on a German train rather than a Polish model. Even second class is nicer than the normal internal Polish first.

Travel / Warsaw aiport to the central train station??? [16]


Yes you will...but eventually you will manage.

If you are unable to buy online for some reason...(payment...site problems etc)

When you are in the big hall in the Central Station you will see ticket windows lining one wall. The farthest right two windows are for going out of Poland so even though the line will be much shorter there you have to go to the huge snaking that feeds the rest of the windows to the left for domestic tickets.

They will most likely not know any English so just write Poznan and the time you want to leave on a paper and show them. (clearly they will understand "Poznan" but the time will be an issue. The first and second class are not that different for this route so it's up to you but whichever you choose just write 1 klasa or 2 klasa on the paper too.

If you have any trouble you are best off looking for a young person near you and asking them if they speak English and can help you....the "International Help Window is usually staffed by people who only speak Polish...go figure.

Life / Grafitti in Warsaw [44]

OK...you agree crime is ok and I will not.

Travel / Going to Poland this summer -- US dollar prediction... [34]

Even before the dollar drop electronics of all sorts were easily 50% more than in the US. I stock up on those kind of needs when back in the states...the warranties are always better too.

The only things I buy in Poland are things I have to like food, petrol etc. I am not so poor that I couldn't manage but it just doesn't feel right paying sometimes twice as much for things...the principle you know!

Hell even something stupid like decent quality jeans are 3 times as much for the same brand and model....I am not sure how the average Pole affords to buy anything other than necessities here given their salaries.

My work takes me to many places in the world and overall Poland is one of the most expensive places considering the value of goods. Sure some other places have certain items that are pricey but Poland tends to be over priced across the board and have very few things that are a value.

UK, Ireland / Will Polish names eventually become popular in the UK? [53]

Not many ethnic English couple would ever name their children with an obviously Polish name (in the Polish form anyway)...just as is the case in most cultures.

Have you ever met an Cuban Agnieszka or a Japanese Wladeslaw?

Life / Polish Train Travel - Scary? [101]

Agreed about Polish conversational skills but if you are saying Germans are somehow any more pleasant to talk to I question your sobriety.

Cleaner cities....better roads...hell better everything...but conversationalists? Nope.

Life / Polish Train Travel - Scary? [101]

I heard about a guy who flew too close to the sun and his wings melted and he fell into the sea....probably better not to take a flight just in case.

Life / Grafitti in Warsaw [44]

Why should I have support someone in order to keep them from vandalizing property? Do you realize how ridiculous that is?

How about they don't commit the crime....should we buy date rapists hookers so they don't bother the passed out girls? (It applies the same logic regardless of the extremity)

Nobody is entitled to 'express themselves' in the form of vandalism.

Again post your address so we can make sure your house gets kryloned from top to bottom in the name of art. While you are at it post your family's and friend's too...lets help those poor kids who have no choice but to spray!

Life / Polish Train Travel - Scary? [101]

I agree...this story has gone around more than big foot yet nobody I know in Poland has ever really heard of it happening or experienced it. It is always "I heard" or online.

I can't speak for 9 years ago but it is hardly a concern now.

As much as I dislike living in Poland the most dangerous thing on a train here is that sandpaper toilet roll.

Life / Grafitti in Warsaw [44]


And that IS vandalism of public property. You can agree or not but it is against the law to vandalize so your definition of art aside it is still not allowed. If you can afford paint you can afford something to paint on. The poor artist needing to express himself nonsense does not justify vandalism.