UK, Ireland / Daniel Pelka murder: Polish mother and stepfather face life sentences [96]


Indeed, and we mustn't forget that, despite what the Daily Mail, etc. tells us, social workers do not remove children into care. They apply to a court. The court decides. If the court refuses and the child is subsequently abused, guess who gets the blame?

Travel / Behavior of Polish travellers on Planes. [72]

I can just imagine pog getting up at three in the morning to catch an early flight, getting sweaty and hacked off in interminable queues, suffering a headache, then getting jostled onto a plane full of drunken singers. Yes, I'm sure he'd smile indulgently and even join in.

UK, Ireland / Daniel Pelka murder: Polish mother and stepfather face life sentences [96]


I take issue with that. Front line social workers deal day-to-day with horrendous social problems, and have to deal with complex issues. A close relative of mine has just retired from a career in SW, and the stories he used to tell when he was at the sharp end were appalling. The kind of child abuse he used to hate most was that perpetrated by the educated middle classes. Lawyers, doctors, etc. knew the law and knew how to play the system. On the other hand, heroin-addicted single mother prostitutes were often seen as very good mothers, as they were well aware of how they had effed up their lives, and didn't want to pass it on. Social workers live in the real world. Too real for me, I know that.

Travel / Behavior of Polish travellers on Planes. [72]

My guess is that poganin has never flown.

UK, Ireland / Daniel Pelka murder: Polish mother and stepfather face life sentences [96]

Social workers did not kill the child. It may well be the case that neglect was unheeded, and perhaps social workers were even negligent, but let's not forget who was responsible.

Love / Do Polish guys tend to take things slow with regards to sex? [44]


And chewing gum. Don't forget your glasses.

Love / Do Polish guys tend to take things slow with regards to sex? [44]


You have a right to expect a normal and fulfilled life. If his attitude is so intractable and repressed, you might be doing both of you a favour by cooling the relationship. You might end up feeling great resentment and anger towards him, and that's no way to live.

Travel / Behavior of Polish travellers on Planes. [72]


I never have, though. Perhaps I've been lucky. The only time I experienced bad behaviour on a plane was in business class when a British guy in my row was drunk and spilled red wine over a very dignified Polish gentleman in a cream linen suit.

Love / Do Polish guys tend to take things slow with regards to sex? [44]

This forum is perhaps not the best place to seek advice on this delicate matter. Relationship counselling would be one option if you could persuade your partner to go with you.


This seems to be contradicted by



I'm afraid that is exactly what you're going to have to do if you want to make progress.

Travel / Behavior of Polish travellers on Planes. [72]


Who, exactly, is doing that here?


You were on that plane, right?

News / PiS to impose blanket retail tax in Poland [291]


There's nothing stopping you from sending your suggestions to the ministries. Who knows, once they've checked you out you might be given a government-appointed position. Stranger things have happened recently.

Life / Important Poland etiquette question: bite of the herring first, then a shot, or shot first, then a herring? [22]

You've mixed malt and grain whiskies here. They are very different drinks and each one has its own taste. White Horse and JW red are very much at the lower end of the market, while Chivas and Glenlivet are far superior whiskies. I stopped drinking any hard stuff many years ago, so I'm no expert, but one of my favourites was Laphroig, which tastes of earth and peatsmoke. I accept that some people might like the taste of neat vodka, but Scotch whisky is made to be savoured rather than knocked back as though to get rid of it asap.

Travel / Behavior of Polish travellers on Planes. [72]


It certainly is a crap airport. More like a bus station, but it's great for me because it's on my side of town, so it saves an hour and a half struggling through Warsaw traffic.

For weird, try Batman airport in Turkey. When I worked in that mad part of Anatolia they used to ask for: Passport, boarding card, gun.

I'd say "No gun", and the guard's head would jerk up and he'd eyeball me suspiciously.
Harry, I'm flying from Modlin, carry on only, in a few weeks. Can I expect any trouble taking my car key through security? I know it sounds paranoid but I asked Ryan Air and they said no problem but check with the airport, which I tried to, twice. No response.

(Several years ago they wouldn't allow electronic car keys in hand luggage through security at Chopin, and they lost mine for me. Ruined holiday, much marital grief, and a thousand PLN to get a locksmith to get my car back. The baggage firm paid up, much to my surprise, but it has left me wary, to say the least.}

Travel / Behavior of Polish travellers on Planes. [72]


Neither have I.

Travel / Behavior of Polish travellers on Planes. [72]

I read it.


That's one person's opinion. Are you saying that you experience unruly behaviour every time you travel to Poland? You say you come here at least six times a year, which suggests that you have been doing this for more than one year. But your first post looks like you were shocked by what you saw yesterday. So, was it the first time it's happened?

Travel / Behavior of Polish travellers on Planes. [72]


Nobody is doing that. You suggested it. Presumably (from your spelling) you are American. Is it just on planes to Poland that you have experienced bad manners?

Travel / Behavior of Polish travellers on Planes. [72]


My experience of travelling with Poles is very different from yours. Are you sure you didn't just have the bad luck to travel with a few inconsiderate people? Anyway, presumably you won't have to suffer being in Poland for much longer, and can return to the UK. I hope you don't have to travel with a returning British stag party.

Travel / Behavior of Polish travellers on Planes. [72]


Try Luton to Magaluf.

Life / How much to convert a petrol car 1.4 cm3 or 1.6 cm3 to LPG in Poland? [7]

I ran a VW Passat Combi on LPG for a few years. The car was a lardass anyway, so I don't think the LPG made much difference. Filling up half price was great, though.


You can pay more or less than that. A friend of mine paid 6000, and I've heard of places that go as low as 1500.


Exactly.


Depends on how young the car is and how long you plan to keep it. You can, of course, buy one with LPG conversion already done.


Quite a bit bigger as I remember.

Travel / What do you know about Torun, Poland? [30]

Thanks, Chemikiem, I'll check it out.
Thanks cms. That place looks great, but it's a conference trip, so I just need a modest standard hotel very near the uni.

News / USA is indirectly causing instability in Poland [26]


In my lifetime black people faced terrible persecution in the USA and elsewhere.


I wouldn't want a dictatorship anywhere. Just a society where people can live peacefully without being persecuted for their ethnicity or for what they do in private without harming anyone.

News / USA is indirectly causing instability in Poland [26]


Liberalism failed? In the middle east it has not even got of the ground, I'll grant you that. Saudi Arabia shares many of the prejudices of certain PF members, but the ideals of tolerance and inclusiveness, and the idea that minorities should not be persecuted have taken firm hold in most of the developed world, the USA included.

News / USA is indirectly causing instability in Poland [26]


He has a few little things to take care of before he becomes POTUS. For example, convincing enough women, Latinos, blacks, Democrats and Republicans to vote for him. Mr Trump is extremely unlikely to be elected. If you feel confident, you can get 4/1 at some UK bookies. Steam in!

Travel / Białowieża National Park in Poland [461]

To be honest, I've never found a repellent that really does the job. They are used to deet now, clever feckers. At home we use a geranium-based repellent, which does seem to reduce mozzie numbers, but I don't think you're supposed to put it on your skin. Having said that, last summer I saw a grand total of one mosquito in our place. Very strange.

Travel / Białowieża National Park in Poland [461]

Not too bad in late spring if it's not wet, but summer is another thing. If the bison is king of the forest, the mozzie is undoubtedly the queen (only females bite). The southern part of the forest is particularly bad, which is a shame as there's a great little train that goes from Hajnówka to Topiło, where there's a man-made logging reservoir.

hajnowka.pl/turystyka-1/169-kolejka-waskotorowa.html

When I go I wear a long-sleeved shirt, a hat and plenty of repellent.

• 
  hajtop1.jpg
  

Travel / Białowieża National Park in Poland [461]

Many times, Delph. I used to live in Hajnówka and work in Białowieża. I'm off to work now, but I'll be glad to reply later if you have specific questions.

Travel / What do you know about Torun, Poland? [30]

Can anyone recommend a good mid-priced hotel with secure parking near the University?

Life / Is Poland a poor country? [578]

No, Harry,. Why?

Life / Is Poland a poor country? [578]


A couple of years ago the local authority said they were going to lay asphalt over the cobbled surface in our village. At a meeting in the village hall the official said that as there was only 650,000PLN to play with we had to vote on which half of the village was to be resurfaced! I thought that we would never see the other half laid, but it was recently announed that they'd found over 6m to continue the work, and starting from June this year the surface will be laid in the other half of the village, including pavements and entrances, as well as carrying on to another village up the road. Our place is most definitely a one-horse place (literally, in fact), but things are really happening around here.

Work / Teaching English lessons with a native speaker in Poland [10]

CELTA is certainly not all you need, but it's a useful course, both because it gives prospective teachers a grounding in methodology, and because it uncovers their shortcomings and lack of knowledge of their own language, which can then be addressed.

There are no doubt plenty of Micky Mouse places offering CELTA-like courses, but a good, intensive month-long CELTA at an approved institution is no joke. I did mine nearly twenty-five years ago and it was full-on and very professionally run (it also cost a thousand pounds).