News / Skins vs anarchists in Warsaw [93]

Well, I watched TV Trwam for some of the coverage of the march (ducks to avoid missiles and groans of despair from other forum members).

There seemed to be a long snake of pretty much normal looking people, mostly blokes (men) in their 20s or 30s but some older ones and some females too. Everyone just seemed to be marching, and I assumed it was to mark independence day and also the usual austerity protests and protests about multiplex rights and so forth. From what I saw in my admittedly ivory tower with Lavazza coffee (thank you Tesco for the discount) the march seemed peaceful, and there were just some fringe skirmishes, just as can happen in the UK when 99% of people march normally and a few like to 'hijack' things for their own violent or destructive reasons.

So, I am very disturbed and disappointed if the peaceful looking marchers that I saw were neo-Ns or anything like that. I believe they're just the usual dissatisfied with the economy or political themes groups that pretty much every country gets marching from time to time.

If any protesters were indeed there because they are racist or homophobic, etc, I condemn them in the strongest terms. However, the right to peacefully protest and march against a government they disagree with is their democratic right, and they should not be blamed if idiots hijacked it and committed arson etc. Such can happen anywhere.

News / Skins vs anarchists in Warsaw [93]


Yes but it seems that, just as one of the other posters said, it was not supposed to be taken like that anyway, however. Personally, I have no problem with gay rights at all. Some religious forum members might put me on ignore (if it still existed) for saying that, I know.

News / Skins vs anarchists in Warsaw [93]


Just out of interest, why did the rainbow become their target, then? I thought it was because they were anti gay rights

.


Ah, so just decoration? Seems odd that it drew their fire! These things are seldom just decorative though, surely. These rainbows must have some symbolic meaning, for now I will assume it's something like equality, although I was told they were a gay symbol and that's what irked some knuckle draggers.

News / Skins vs anarchists in Warsaw [93]

Weren't the vast majority of marchers peaceful, just protesting about their standard of living or something like that? I'm not sure.

I agree it was completely wrong to damage things and burn the rainbows which from what I can gather were put there as some statement of the acknowledgement of gay rights or similar.

I am not a gay person (in fact I'm a grumpy person most of the time!).

Life / Learning Driving In Poland - rules? [55]


Agreed, but it is honestly true to say I have seen drivers continue forward and ignore the pedestrian, forcing the pedestrian to step back or run forward. I have seen this a good few times. Take a trip to the UK and probably the first car coming along will let you cross if they see you standing on the side. In Poland, 10 or 20 cars can pass without gving way. The only thing is that Poland has a lot more of these black and white zebra crossings than the UK, so perhaps drivers get crossing fatigue...

Life / Learning Driving In Poland - rules? [55]

Probably the worst punishment for many of them would be ripping the mobile phone away from their ear as they drive through the crossing without stopping,

Seriously, if you're browsing this thread and visiting Wrocław, do not assume a driver is going to stop at a crossing. Wait on the pavement/sidewalk until he or she actually stops. Don't assume they're going to stop even if their speed seems low, because they might just be driving slowly while most of their attention is on a phone call they're doing or even texting.

Life / Learning Driving In Poland - rules? [55]

Thank you KPC.

What does the law say about pedestrians crossing on zebra crossings (the black and white squares) ? Does it say drivers should stop for pedestrians to let them cross when possible? What I find is drivers seldom stop, and if they do let a person cross, they drive forward just barely missing the back of your foot. Perhaps this is caused by a lack of pedestrians saying thanks when drivers give way, but nevertheless it is a very obvious difference between zebra crossing conduct in Poland and the UK. The other day someone let me cross on a zebra and I was so shocked that I forgot to walk...

Life / Learning Driving In Poland - rules? [55]

Ah, I see! In the UK, we have the illustrated Highway Code, which gives guidance on what's expected of drivers. Here, all I could find was a Kodeks Drogowy which is just text and describes the law of the roads in Poland.

Have a nice Independence Day, and thanks again...

youtube.com/watch?v=KQTq07gihqg

Life / Learning Driving In Poland - rules? [55]

:o) but seriously I think that the numbers are misleading because it suggests that it's the sequence of priorities from the crossroads.

Anyway, thank you for explaining the system. Your explanation has helped me, even if the diagram momentarily confused me.

Life / Learning Driving In Poland - rules? [55]

Thank you, Milawi :o)

So, that's consistent with what I heard before (and is also here euroadlegal.co.uk/country/poland.html)

It's just the diagram you posted seemed to suggest the sequence of movement was 1, 2 and 3, in which case the blue car (2) would go AFTER the red car, and that would mean the red car (1) not giving way and keeping to the right-hand rule. The numbering of the cars in the diagram is therefore confusing, isn't it? Shouldn't the blue car be 1, the red car 2, the green car 3 (as it is now) ?? I could be wrong, but seems the numbering is confusing. If that's the Polish government's diagram, I don't know why they numbered it in a different order to the supposed priorities.

Life / Learning Driving In Poland - rules? [55]

Yes, and the general rule when at crossroads. I am asking if I'm correct, I'm not stating that I am. I don't know :o)

Is that diagram picture from the Polish traffic rules book (Highway Code)? Could you please post the link. Thanks.

Life / Learning Driving In Poland - rules? [55]

Thanks, so again I'm reading something different now because the diagram you supplied (thanks) suggests that I don't give way to a vehicle on my right if I'm the red car in the diagram. It seems I go first instead of waiting for the blue car. Is that because the blue car is turning left? If the blue car was turning right, I have to give way? Complicated and hard for a newcomer to remember.

In the UK,where two cars are opposite, they should pass behind each other when turning, unless roadmarkings say otherwise.
For the UK: code rule 181
When turning right at crossroads where an oncoming vehicle is also turning right, there is a choice of two methods
 turn right side to right side; keep the other vehicle on your right and turn behind it. This is generally the safer method as you have a clear view of any approaching traffic when completing your turn

 left side to left side, turning in front of each other. This can block your view of oncoming vehicles, so take extra care. Cyclists and motorcyclists in particular may be hidden from your view. Road layout, markings or how the other vehicle is positioned can determine which course should be taken

gov.uk/using-the-road-159-to-203/road-junctions-170-to-183

As you can see, the UK almost discourages the Polish version of this sort of turn as it can block the view of other vehicles. In the UK, when I try a textbook turn, it works very safely if the other driver is similarly on the ball and knows the rules properly.

Anyway, in summary, for Poland:
a) I give way to the vehicle on the right if they are turning to their right or going straight ahead, but not if they are turning to their left?

b) I drive within the trajectory you and Peter mentioned if I'm turning left and the vehicle opposite me is turning to his left, ie we don't give way to each other, just carefully drive away from each other as we turn?

c) I give way to a vehicle opposite me that is going straight ahead?
d) I give way to a vehicle opposite me that is turning to his right?

Life / Learning Driving In Poland - rules? [55]

It's late and I'm tired, so my reply may be really stupid but here goes: if we're both looking to turn left, who decides who's going to be first and last? I thought that the different trajectories method you suggested earlier seemed the best suggestion, ie we both can go via separate trajectories. If I go first or he goes first, we'll pass each other on our right even if neither of us intends to go straight, so what factor then decides who goes first? My head hurts... sorry but I can't work this out, I hope it's because it's late and not my IQ dropping permanently.


That's easy to understand. Usually they just turn right without waiting anyway, so there's no possibility of going before a car turning right.

I'm going to see if I can find the English version of the Polish Highway Code, with diagrams, because at the moment I feel very insecure when driving here and that ain't good for anyone.

Again, I should reiterate, if the junction/crossroads allows it, both cars turning left should probably drive cautiously forward and then pass behind each other because that's what we do in the UK officially and it works fine when both drivers stick to it and recognise the other one's MO. Problem is not all junction layouts allow that system. Best thing they could do at this particular dodgy crossroads is put in a mini-roundabout, btw. In the UK, some towns have mini-roundabouts every few streets. It can be annoying to have them everywhere but I prefer them to traffic lights (which are much more expensive anyway).

Life / Learning Driving In Poland - rules? [55]

Apparently (but I'm not sure) if I intend to turn left but the car opposite intends to go straight, he has priority because my left turn would mean passing him on my right and a vehicle on a driver's right almost always has priority.

Anyone who uses a mobile phone while driving is risking their own and others' road safety. Seriously - have a rethink if it's something you do. No work or profit is worth becoming a statistic for. I'm not lecturing, I'm just saying, but stats say someone is FOUR or even FIVE times more likely to have an accident if on the phone.

"four times more likely"
youtube.com/watch?v=sa2EHEvnTRk

youtube.com/watch?v=3iqCcMDByLA&list=PL073051F4F04D510F

"five times more likely"
rospa.com/roadsafety/info/mobile_phone_report.pdf

Life / Learning Driving In Poland - rules? [55]


I see almost every other driver on the phone sometimes when I'm in a bus and get the chance to look. Appalling really. I've seen people texting (SMSing) too, quite a few times.


Being a small and slightly staggered junction, passing behind me (as is usually the required Highway Code case in the UK unless lane markings indicate otherwise) was not possible. What actually happened was as I turned left, the car opposite did the right turn passing on my right, in exactly the way you suggested above. My main concern was the worry that I should've waited for the car opposite to turn to his left and my right, because someone told me if the other vehicle is going to go to my right then I must stop. I find it all confusing, here, and that's why I seldom drive.

Peter, your summary about turning left is really very clear, but at a small junction (ie narrow, short distances between the cars opposite each other) it seems easy to mistakenly enter the junction and smack into the car opposite who was turning left at the same time but not as clear from my path as should have been the case (either due to my own error of his). At this particular junction I often hear brakes screeching and see near-misses when I walk along there. From this observation, I feel that Polish roads are not as good as they could be. I don't recall in decades of driving in the UK any similar frequency of witnessed near miss at a junction, and I lived in many UK cities.

Life / Learning Driving In Poland - rules? [55]


Hi Peter, No drawing or pic sorry. It is just a normal + junction on a minor Polish road. Opposite me was a car signalling to turn left. To my left was a car wanting to go straight. To my right no traffic (I would have stopped if there was a car on my right as I've been told I must give way to vehicles on my right unless there's a yellow diamond meaning I can go on with priority). I don't want to cause an accident but nobody as yet has explained to me how the priority system works in this sort of situation. I often see cars nearly crash at that junction when I'm a pedestrian, I don't want to actually be the one who does prang into someone.

Life / Courier with pickup from home in Poland? [6]

DPD do, for example. There are lots of small courier firms besides DPD, but they may be the most easy for you to reach.

dpd.com.pl

Life / Learning Driving In Poland - rules? [55]

On a B-road (minor road or residential street) in Poland, where there's a crossroads with white lines at each of the 4 roads meeting, who has right of way? I turned left tonight into a street and although nothing happened, I've a feeling I should've waited for the car opposite to go first (it wanted to turn left).

I really don't understand Polish roads in this respect, and need advice before I become a statistic.

Life / Catholic "Telewizja Trwam" from Poland - your thoughts? [98]


I think you'll have to email the old pope and let him know that he's wrong in your opinion.


christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/marchweb-only/popepointsfinger.html

Life / Catholic "Telewizja Trwam" from Poland - your thoughts? [98]


Well, obviously I'm no pro historian but I had quite a good look into this a few years ago, and concluded that suggestions "the Jews killed Jesus" were erroneous. But, of course, you're free to disagree with me, as I wasn't there and can't be 100% sure. But, from what research I came across, I decided it was a myth -- perpetrated for various reasons I suppose.

Life / Catholic "Telewizja Trwam" from Poland - your thoughts? [98]


Jews did not crucify Jesus. They had no such power.

Life / Catholic "Telewizja Trwam" from Poland - your thoughts? [98]

Well, from the little that was translated for me, it seemed unhelpful to present day Jewish-Christian relations and could risk stirring up pointless negatives between Jews and Christians. Also, lots of reference to the Talmud, which I hope was sans the lies that some sources like to come up with. For anyone interested in the Talmud, I think this website might be a myth buster (ie explain what the Talmud really said) talmud.faithweb.com

Christian or indeed Jewish academics may disagree with me, but I failed to see the point of rehashing that stuff - true or not.

Life / Catholic "Telewizja Trwam" from Poland - your thoughts? [98]

Currently talking about Jews' historical attitude to Jesus.

Law / Which Poland bank pays the most interest on pounds/GBP? [6]

Thank you, Monitor :o)

News / Poland to (temporarily) restore internal Schengen borders [15]

There are lots of UN-related websites mentioning Central Europe, however. Here's just one of many:
unep.org/roe/WesternandCentralEurope/tabid/54057/Default.aspx
Google for the others.


Perhaps you should contact the PL govt website above's webmaster then, and correct him or her !

Life / I am moving to Warsaw. (Could anyone tell me about life there?) [49]


So do I, and I'd like the theme music to the news programme actually. Can't find it anywhere. Also, makes me smile when I see the newscaster's forenames have usually been anglicised :o)

Life / Phone callers doing surveys asking what equipment you have in Poland [7]

Thanks for posting your replies. Unlikely to be a scam, then, or still possibly a scam?

News / Poland to (temporarily) restore internal Schengen borders [15]

cop19.gov.pl


So, Poland must be Eastern Europe if Poland's own govt website says so in its own text. I thought PL was central Europe as so many Poles insist.

• 
  Eastern European in the Poland government website text