News / British senior politician compares Poland to South Africa during apartheid [129]

If Poland's politicians did actually preach to them it would be a start. The outrageous behaviour, caught on film, can't be excused at all. The worst thing however is that it hasn't been addressed at all.


And what makes it so ironic is that the UK was one of the first major countries to ban slavery.

News / British senior politician compares Poland to South Africa during apartheid [129]


Reparations? To Polish football hooligans? Or Polish football players? Or victims of Polish football hooliganism?

Now you wouldn't be feebly trying to deflect from the issue of racism in Polish football, successive Polish governments', failure to solve the problem and certain Polish politicians actually encouraging them?

Would you now.......

News / British senior politician compares Poland to South Africa during apartheid [129]

Exactly, same here.

Really it's rather lame to try to deflect from a problem by trying to suggest the situation is worse elsewhere. Especially when all someone can come up with is ancient history!

Not even about football either...

News / British senior politician compares Poland to South Africa during apartheid [129]

So now you're saying a foreigner should propose the solution?

Then again, perhaps you're right - other countries have successfully dealt with football hooliganism, so perhaps Poland should look to other places which have had a bit more success dealing with it to find the way forward.

News / British senior politician compares Poland to South Africa during apartheid [129]


Pretty well true. Defend something loudly and without thought as a knee jerk reaction then get abusive when they realise they don't have a leg to stand on. If the best someone can do when a problem in their country draws attention elsewhere is to say that there are problems in other places to, perhaps it's time for some real action and acknowledgement of the issue. Not just the old "and in America they lynch blacks" that has been the standard pointless retort for donkey's years.

Travel / Visit to Krakow and Warsaw [12]


The Rough Guide to Poland explains how to get there. There are also excursions advertised in Krakow, but it's better to buy the rough guide before you go for two reasons. Firstly, it's much cheaper and more interesting to get there yourself, and not difficult if you follow the instructions and secondly Polish guided tours tend to be wordy to the point of dreariness and slanted towards a Polish point of view on history. Better to go on the train and join one of the free official tours. One warning though - it isnt a tourist attraction; it is an emotionally crushing place and you should think carefully about whether or not you really want to see it.

Krakow isn't dangerous. A safe city, even in the scruffier suburbs and very safe in the touristy bits.


I'm a bit biased towards Warsaw since it's my home. Nevertheless it's certainly the most cosmopolitan and cultured city in Poland with far more to see and do than any of the others and there's a good contrast between the pretty bits in the Old Town and Royal Route and the communist era buildings in the strict centre of town. You might like Warsaw and since your post suggests you like wartime history there's much more of that to see in Warsaw than anywhere else in PL. The newish Uprising Museum is interesting and the Jewish Museum should be open soon. However, if you want to visit the Wolf's Lair (actually not that much to see) you should stay in Gdansk - it's a long way from Warsaw. Gdansk is also a good place to visit.

Travel / No warnings to soccer fans going to Euro 2012 about Polish drivers and Polish roads? [40]

It does indeed. I read the other day that travel agents are saying fewer than expected are going - the recession bites.

Travel / No warnings to soccer fans going to Euro 2012 about Polish drivers and Polish roads? [40]


There are indeed some fantastic beers, but you have to look for them. The football fans however will mostly be getting **** like Zywiec and Tyskie from pumps and in plastic glasses. As for the regional dishes - there are some good ones like bogracz down in the south, but I suspect most of those delights will escape the fans. If Scots come, worth remembering that there aren't actually that many compared to the English.

Travel / No warnings to soccer fans going to Euro 2012 about Polish drivers and Polish roads? [40]


The England team doesn't have any matches in Poland, however travel agents reported (before the Panorama documentary) that far fewer than expected are going to Ukraine.

Re. the atrocious driving. A few will no doubt be going to Kiev by car, but a bigger danger is crossing the road. Both from crazy Polish drivers and from the police nabbing people for crossing a road when the light is red, even if there's no traffic. I suspect the police wil turn a blind eye during the Euros.

Not sure what you mean by wonderful Polish gastronomy though! Factory sausage, frozen chips, bland mustard, gherkins and gassy chemical beer?

Travel / Buying TLK Tickets in Warsaw at Midnight in Warszawa Centralna Train Station [6]

Unless it's suddenly changed, the ticket office is open at midnight.

UK, Ireland / Polish immigrants in the UK - the next generation [87]

The census figures are over a year ago and don't always reflect multiple occupancy. The Polish government can only accurately know about people who have registered with the consulate, which most don't. NHS Hospitals in the UK would certainly keep statistics about children who are born there and schools would keep statistics however I'm not sure if these are in the public domain.

Language / The Polish language - it's bloody hard! [210]


It works both ways. I remember a few years ago scratching my head at a Pole who said he had been to 'Tsrever', until I figured he meant Crewe. And since 2004 there's a huge Polish contingent in a part of London they insist on calling 'to ten cham'. When I first heard one saying it, I thought he was being disparaging about a friend there..

Life / Which services is Poland still waiting for? [218]


There are Subway sandwich shops all over Warsaw however they are often empty. People complain about the high prices.

News / Don't go to Poland ... because you could end up coming back in a coffin [313]

The quote has only one meaning. A racist one. No wonder Sol Campbell gave that eminently sensible advice when people are posting such things about Poland on the net.

News / Don't go to Poland ... because you could end up coming back in a coffin [313]

Brainwashed? By 'protoplasm who don't want you to see...'. So not just a racist, but a paranoid one. Fortunately most people aren't so hung up by some of the odder characters around Poland and do actually visit and some of us even move there permanently. Even people who moment on the Internet that they


don't put people off, largely because he aren't taken seriously. Easy to see why Sol Campbell made his moments and why travel agents are reporting a lack of interest in this years Euros...

News / Don't go to Poland ... because you could end up coming back in a coffin [313]

It seems I understand much better than you evidently do. The colour of one's skin has nothing to do with whether or not one is welcome somewhere either as a visitor or a resident. These Polish and Ukrainian riff-raff who were caught on camera have let their country down.

News / Don't go to Poland ... because you could end up coming back in a coffin [313]

Oh yes, saying you don't want blacks (or whites, yellow people, Indians, whatever) in a country is racist. Not a very good advert for Poland, are you?

News / Don't go to Poland ... because you could end up coming back in a coffin [313]

Well, most are staying at home and not spending money in Poland. Dragged down by scum again.

Life / Internet in Aleksandrow Lodzki - buying terms? [5]

Skype through a USB dongle would only reliable for audio hat. For video it would be flaky, but probably viewable.

News / Don't go to Poland ... because you could end up coming back in a coffin [313]


That doesn't make you right though. And given your racist comment:


I'm actually rather pleased you don't share my taste!


A famous statesman once said that one day in his life, he'd like to meet a Pole who doesn't jump to conclusions and that is what you are doing. The documentary that showed all that footage of racist chants and graffiti didn't make any comparisons. Nevertheless any ethnic minority fans who visit will be less than impressed by the unremoved graffiti.


1. Yes they are scum. Do you know any other kind of person who makes racist graffiti and fights in the street?
2. Anyone seeing the Hitler salutes and swastikas would reasonable suspect otherwise.
3. There is everything bad if whatever is written on a wall for all to see is demeaning or threatening about a religion or nationality.

Game, set and match to Panorama.

News / Why are many Poles anti-Euro2012 [16]


It's rising year on year anyway ans has been for a while. I doubt the Euro will have anything to do with it and certainly hasn't increased the number of tourist beds here.

News / Don't go to Poland ... because you could end up coming back in a coffin [313]


You don't have to. Tough that certainly doesn't make you right.


Who's comparing it? Though mind you, football is football...


3.1 Yes they are scum.
3.2 Anyone who saw the swastika banners and nazi salutes might reasonably think they do actually support nazi politics.
3.3 Writing aggressive graffiti advocating harming or killing people or otherwise demeaning people on the grounds of race or religion is very wrong indeed.

Game, set and match to Panorama.

Travel / Sim Cards for International calls Poland [17]

You can buy Lyco sim cards in cities. They are designed specifically for international calls. Most people who use them have an ordinary sim as well. I reccomend Play.

News / Why are many Poles anti-Euro2012 [16]


Makes all the difference! And the filthy ones at Metro Centrum are doubling their entry fee.


Nobody outside the country really cares if Poland looks good, bad, neutral, wonderful or terrible. The Euro2012 is a waste of money though. A big PR stunt designed to show off and promote something but not quite succeeding.

News / Don't go to Poland ... because you could end up coming back in a coffin [313]

1. It was very enjoyable viewing.
2. The issue has been ignored, and as the film shows, has got out of hand to the point that the police have to use water cannons.

3. You're confusing two things. The Polish and Ukrainian hooligan scum can do whatever they want with each other. when they start doing Hitler salutes and writing graffiti about a race, religion or nationality it is racism.

News / Don't go to Poland ... because you could end up coming back in a coffin [313]


You've missed the point.

The documentary (great film) doesn't accuse anyone of anything or say anything about a whole country or people. It is about violent football hooliganism in two different countries that isn't really being addressed by the authorities there. It is topical since those countries are hosting a tournament at a time when racism in football is under scrutiny.

Anyone who thinks otherwise has either got the wrong end of the stick or is over-sensitive.

Life / A new Poland's war - the poor vs the rich [81]


Communism will certainly come, sooner or later however we can't reduce life to mathematics. Otherwise rubbish like Ayn Rand's 'objectivism' would start to make sense - and it doesn't.

Closing the wealth gap is both desirable and inevitable.

Life / A new Poland's war - the poor vs the rich [81]

Providing they don't have five mouths to feed and have an in-demand skill, and free education, child care and healthcare.

News / Don't go to Poland ... because you could end up coming back in a coffin [313]


Don't be so silly. Some of us choose to live in blocks and they have nothing whatsoever to do with racism in football.

News / Don't go to Poland ... because you could end up coming back in a coffin [313]

That quote rather defeats the point you're trying to make. It shows that racism in football in other parts of Europe is under as much, if not more, scrutiny than in Poland/Ukraine.

Just admit it, you'd much prefer it if foreign media only show the nice stuff.