Local Poles taking advantage of foreigners living in Poland

He's not English (which is part of the problem really).

why ?

wtf?? bribing, stealing, rip-offs, pushing/shoving, rudeness, poor driving, poor customer service?? Is this Poland you're talking about? What a bunch of whining, whingeing, moaning maggots!! I have absolutely no, I repeat no negative experiences whatsoever of Poland or Polish people no matter where I went in Poland or abroad...on the contrary I found people to be extremely courteous, friendly and helpful...and no one (not one) person has attempted to push/shove, bully, rob, con me...never! How could that be? How could I possibly have such a positive experience time and again and again? well, perhaps it has something to do with understanding the notion of being a guest? Some of you had better be careful that you don't contribute to turning this forum into a dark, dingy corner of a British ex-pats pub...empty except for a few bitter, tired Brits whose only contribution to the forum is to point out how much better Britain is to anywhere else. Every time one of you rants on...(Jezus did some one say TIP as in TIA in blood diamond? F*ck off!!)..I can read between the lines by your attitude why you might not be received like royalty. Have just a little respect...and when you've said too much, be a man..don't hide like a p*ssy behind the excuse...it's just British humour.

dont paint too glowing a picture - people might not believe you

I can only speak 4 me bubbawoo, I'm not here on behalf of Polish Tourism:)

lol - polish tourism could do with a hand!

but tell me, how long did you live in poland for and where abouts were you?

I've been to Wroclaw, Lodz, Czestochowa, Zakopane ( & surrounding areas) oh, and warsaw (but only for a few hours). So far! Gdansk, Gydnia, Sopot this March...Warsaw in May. I may sell up and move to Poland next year...If I do it & I regret it you have my assurance I'll be back on PF with a "what was I thinking thread?"

enjoy the tri city - busines, pleasure or mixture of the two?

What about you ? If you live in Poland so long why haven't you learned Polish culture (after some of your posts I see that you should) Nobody is going to be German/British/French because some people think it is better. Insted of learning Poles here you should learn here from Poles. It is Poland country with more than 1000 years history. I know (your posts) that you feel just better it is your problem because Polish people love their traditions and customs and are not going to change them because you think it is better. Go to French forum and start talking in way you do it here ...

maybe some people are not nice for you because they feel that you think that you are better (your posts)

id love to reply to you but its not clear what youre trying to say...

i can make out you say something about poland having to change, yes, of couse they have to change... poland has only recently come out of a system imposed on them for 60 years and are now living in a new system... as i think you are saying, if they are to prosper and grow then they will have to adapt to their new reality, i agree, its as simple as that

YOU LIVE IN POLAND YOU ARE NOT TOURIST LEARN OUR CUSTOMS/TRADITONS/SENSE OF HUMOR AND DON'T BE SURPRISED THAT SOME PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR SENSE OF HUMORE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IT.

thank you very much! I expect to. Pleasure is my business...my business is pleasure :)Where have you been in Poland? Where do u like and why?

ive been to most the major cities, and some of the smaller ones, but know the tri city the best and out of the 3 sopot is my favourite - i love its setting between coast and hills, the atmosphere of fun and creativity and the friends i have there

and small addition

it is funny that somebody who writes here that he thniks he "feel he is better" after half of year moan that somebody overpriced them in trade :PPP and about materialistic Poles ;-)

I think it is normal I do the same with other Poles foreigners who "think they are better" and I am sure in other countries people do the same with their "friends" or foreigners who think they are "better".

I don't think it is about nationality it is just about attitude towards other people. I will overprice in trade every Pole/Foreigner who shows me disrespect

thank you bubbawoo! I'll check it out! I honestly think a few more positive posts like that are needed here..you know to me PF is a privalege..l speak English as a 1st language, My French & Gaelic Irish are probably better than my Polish (? not sure) but I have never dealt with anyone in Poland using english unless invited/requested to do so. I appreciate Polish people showing up here with insights and translations, impressions of other countries, love stories, historical input etc and leaving their first language at the front door - leaving themselves at a disadvantage should they get caught up in an arguement... I see absolutely no point in calling a Polish person who may have english as a 2nd or 3rd or 4th language a "muppet" etc on this forum and feeling clever about it. There are people much younger than me (38yrs old) coming to this forum who could have their perceptions of Poland tainted...and even Wroclaw Boy has some good to say about Poland. No hot air here, I meant every word I said...I can't speak highly enough of the treatment I received as a guest in Poland or of the Polish friends I've made... right, off to bed, nite all

if youre in sopot on a wednesday night make sure to hit papryka - say hi to glenn and if theres a skinny english blonde wandering about make sure to laugh at her shoes and demand she buys you a beer on bubba :-)

people with different attitude than you and some other moaners here, have different opinions about Poland.

People are the same ONE RACE HUMAN RACE :))))

and small advice for some people ... your feelings are on your face ...

If you come to Poland to do business if you are "ok" everything will be much easier.
In shops/dentists/cinemas prices are the same for everybody it is not Egipt but no body will get help when on face has "i m better". I think Polish people are very helpful for foreigners.

Poland is country after wars of cultures... not before like some other countries.

Poland is famous form its hospitality but some people feel bad in everyplace they go.

I used in my analise several times "I am better" because some people here "boobawoo" use it here (do you remember sentence : "I don't have superiority complex but I just feel I am better) and maybe they don't know about it but they have it on their face ;-)

I know a lot of foreign people who live here and I like them because it is nice expirience but sometimes you met "booba" ...

This people feel bad everywhere in Poland France England Germany Spain in Work in School ... and this thread is special place for them ...

you havent got a clue about the british sense of humour have you


i had a great time living in all these countries... didnt feel bad at all

Poland is famous for hospitality in private life...inside the home...but for sure not in business and public...those are words of someone who has not lived here long or is blindly nationalistic.

China is similar...VERY nice and humble people in private...but in public they are mad...pushing, shoving, yelling, jumping in front....wayyyy worse than PL.

I never said I was better...that is the automatic reaction Poles get when they hear criticism (not blind hate but honest critical analysis) of their country because they cannot accept anything is wrong. If someone says something they must be a hater or liar!!!! There is no way precious Polska is not perfect!!!

This is not an opinion....ask a Chinese person and they will agree. Moaning and whining is what people call it when they disagree...speaking the truth is what they call it when they do....excuse me if I don't accept the label of someone who disagrees :)

We have a God given right to do that.

you have been to Poland as a tourist for very short period of time. How do you know if we are freindly in business ? Somebody told you so ? Or you just thnik we are not friendly ?

PF is not Polish friendly place.

give it a few days..............

You have a God given right to be jerks and rude? Ok...even if you do if you think it is good to act that way you prove my point better than I ever could and are part of the problem. I know those who fought for Poland's freedom would be ashamed this is how you are spending their sacrifice.

Sadek I have lived here nearly 4 years...hardly a tourist and hardly a short time. If you read my posts rather than filtering only the parts you want to argue about you would know that AND know that I have experienced the problems I mention daily.

Expats beware, this is what might happen if you spend too long over here. . .

Yeah it is fine for them to make fun of English speakers but dare you say anything or laugh about Poland it is off to the gallows with you...hypocrites to the core.

Hey guys, I had a problem with my car last week... overheating and loss of water. I tried putting radseal in the engine and that worked for about 2 days. I was in the city centre and overheating like mad so I approached a garage conveniently close to where we were at the time.

After getting passed the secretary with a promise of extra cash the owner of the garage came to our rescue. Bottom line is he and a colleague had a quick look under the bonnet and after a few basic tests they discovered that there was air in the system due to me recently flushing it. They basically took of the rad cap and reved the hell out of her to blow out the eccess air. This gentleman would not accept any money for his service, what a nice guy. I was totally surprised.

A bottle of vodka I think next time im passing his garage.

Yep man there are good folks everywhere...and they deserve to be rewarded for rising above mediocrity. I like your idea of the vodka.

I'm from North America and I alway hold the door for the next person and I always get a "Thank you". In Poland I hold it, and I don't get a thank you, and to add to that, I always get a rude gesture.

^logic would dictate that holding the door open for someone is a waste of your efforts here by those accounts.

...a rude gesture? What sort of rude gesture? I have never seen one in that particular context, so I'm curious.
And lots of people don't thank others for common courtesy, because it's taken for granted. Maybe not a very nice attitude, but the logic is "I would hold the door open for you, so what's the big deal?" And then of course there are the rude people... ;-)