News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]

They'd be a damn sight more hateful if this were the UK. I think (that sadly) the KOD demonstrations are way too weak and ineffective and the anger is not out there.

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


Yeah - well, they did bang on about my brother's human rights, but actually that's good in certain circumstances. Some nurses wanted to stop him smoking, and that was stupid because it's one of his few pleasures. He can't read now or concentrate and doesn't remember what happened 5 minutes ago. So on my pleading with them, his social worker persuaded the rehab staff that smoking had nowt to do with his condition, and they had to concede that a cigarette (theoretically) every half hour (as he doesn't have the co-ordination or cognitive power to hold the cigarette) would be permissable ("under his human rights").

And there were plenty of black social workers around in the office when I visited, but I guess you are talking about managers and execs?


Ah right - I concede I did snap a bit at the lad. Whisky and Andy Murray........... Social Services, as Roger said, do a job that I couldn't. They are way better than the police - who of course didn't bother trying to contact me when my brother was on life support for 3 weeks. They would have found me here bloody pronto in Gdynia if I had murdered somebody of course.

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


**** me!!!!!! You really are on a wind-up

Social services did a really great job with my nearest and dearest, and I simply will not hear a bad word. He had a terrible accident and they have consistently cared for him excellently. in Poland he would be dead.

Dead. Or treated like a mental illness and locked away. Or in fact, just put out on the streets for his family to cope as best they could.

Don't talk bollocks in future lad.

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

Neither have I, but like Birdman, I've been tempted:)

I do sort of see Poganin's point. All these extras are getting stupid, like you pay for this, you pay for that, so the airport resembles the Polish mountains near Katowice, where miners' families laughably got access to an express ski-gate:)

I have the ideal solution.

For busy times, the airlines should simply have two planes - same price - in tandem:) The first plane boards first (but with ONLY a five minute advantage) with piped in hip-hop, a free-for-all:); and the second takes off 5 minutes later, after patient queuing and priority boarding, and Rokita style hats de rigeur, and absolutely no pushingl

I reckon, like the OP, that Poles love aggravation and generally act with a herd instinct, and they seem to believe that 5 minutes is everything, so they would en-masse choose the first plane (except for Rokita et al - including moi)

Law / A general legal question about inheritance in Poland - debts [31]


Never a truer word spoken. I am reliably informed that a great many of the tasteless (huge) houses in the Katowice suburbs were built for lawyers. The Polish political transition and legislative debate were a dream come true for these non-producers. The only time that I engaged a lawyer on a business matter I was advised that my case had no legal framework, and the case never came to court, and I was charged an arm and half a leg just for plain paperwork.

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

But they are well behaved on the plane itself of course. It's their ridiculously impatient behaviour at an overcrowded airport itself in the queues, and the airplane steps et al that is often beyond the pale. If I return the favour they always give me a wide berth for the rest of the proceedings, but it's all so unnecessary.

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


You have obviously never been in a British pub. Brits are not miserly and are happy to shout the round (look it up on your iPhone....)

And why bother with food? The wife prepares that. Unlike Poland, we have quality drink Polonius.

It's called a whisky chaser ( for me preferably a Scotch or three, such as Glenlivet) followed by 6 or 7 pints of hoppy 3.8% ale.

Poles have no clue on how to distill something that doesn't require an induced taste by being half frozen in the fridge, or how to brew a proper cask conditioned beer, so they are left with the necessity to nibble something, to chew at some age old inedible creature to nullify the lack of satisfying and calorie giving alcohol ( in the Poles' case by eating long dead and very disgusting tasting smelly fish - that historically even the poorest of Brits would only eat in times of famine, and even then I would gladly starve)

Here to help as always.


That I can identify with :( Though my hound is minus the doodle. And he eats anything at all, even fish, but not herring, Polish style, cause he has some taste.

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


I just push them out of the way when they barge in front of me. A good shove gets their attention. They are always younger than myself and mutter about my apparent rudeness.

So I just beckon them quietly, as if to share some revelation - and tell them to get ******..

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


No sympathy from me. A silly, overpriced store for snobs, an opinion I have oft stated.

News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]


An acute observation. One of the reasons why immigration into other countries is so valid and desirable for that society.

News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]


Who says I can't? Some of my learners are C1 and still turn up for lessons as regular as clockwork. If you are saying what I think you're saying, in that people who haven't mastered the language should be "sent back", then that means half the Poles in Britain I expect.

Your perceived nationalist agenda is tedious, and I must be keeping you from your white supremacist friends with their garage porn, so run along, there's a good chap.

News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]


And how did you react when some of the great British uneducated said to you ........ "What are you doing in my country"? Have you any idea how ridiculous and hopelessly outmoded (not to say discriminatory and hence actionable) that statement sounds?

News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]


Oh yes - absolutely. That was Gierek's and Poland's tragedy. He was the Great Hope against what the British term austerity. He got to spend the great IMF loan and build the appalling white elephants, such as Huta Katowice.

But as I said - he had a vision. Kaczynski probably knows a lot about cats, but his economic manifesto is worse.
He doesn't and has never had one!

News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]


No no Mafketis. I happen to know some of the stories about Gierek, as we were neighbours for a short time in Kato. The poor old buffer was popular when he first gave the old head office job a crack, and probably meant well in some ways.

The same could never be said of hater Kaczynski.

News / Referendum in Poland about so called refugees. [56]

Pretty much correct. Except that just some of the time the Eurocrats are right, and as elected humanitarians, they have to be publicly acccountable as actually doing something positive. Also known as taking action one way or the other (unlike Polish politicians - who just wash their hands of the whole business - conveniently forgetting their forefathers' desperate straits of fleeing mass murder on any Polish town square - at any time at all - a small local crisis referred by historians as the Second World War)

These politicians' fathers should be ashamed of their offspring and disown them. I know I would. Although InPolska and others would wish it away, over a million refugees are right here, right now,

Some demographic experts have stated that Europe is underpopulated by 75 million - so 2 million odd human beings shouldn't be a problem in the long term if you believe that (debatable) argument.

So no need for a referundum. Just negotiation and fair play, and less nationalist bombast. As I said, Poland is not Hungarian Scum.

News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]


The old armoured car water cannon.
Like in communist days? Good call bud. Not.

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


1000 squid is not a little money - and you are earning nothing in that time period of 4 weeks either. I think a CELTA is certainly earned, unlike some of the certificates courses doing the rounds in other industries.....


The OP also worked at International House in Katowice apparently. They used to be good employers, and were choosy as well. I never worked for them myself as I didn't need them and they almost certainly didn't need a non team player like me:)

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


Did the cow come to visit sometimes with it's new farm family?

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


Exactly. Or paying 90 zl a month for Medicare:)


LOL. I had a stand up argument a few years back in Kingston On Thames Norbiton Hospital Trust, when I broke my arm and the A and E wouldn't register me because I couldn't remember my Post Code.

Daft as daft is. I never said only the Polish system is ridiculous.

News / Referendum in Poland about so called refugees. [56]


Absolutely. In the meantime...........
The latest videos show people dying on the crossings to Greece. Now - why would they put their children in such mortal danger?
Poland has to refrain from past nationalist posturing, and announce that yes, they will contribute to the camps in Southern Europe, and yes, that they are prepared to meet their humanitarian responsibilities, while retaining sovereign rights to their own "quotas".

All of Poland is better than that fat **** Orban, and it's time to show the world renowned class of Polish gentility.

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

I


Yeah...and you got to use our (genuinely) free NHS.
Until she was hospitalised, Inever ever let my daughter be diagnosed by the disgrace that passes for NSZZ staff in Polish children's clinics. It would be hilarious, if it weren't criminal, that the very same doctors who worked in State health centres in the morning would put on a concerned face later on in their own clinics, but at least it was in their interests for your child to actually get well, and be a "repeat customer"

In the UK as in a normal society, children to the age of 18 go free.Zilch to pay.
Poland has always been a very bad joke, because the populace puts up with such nonsense, as with the concept of pay ZUS, but pay again for your child's welfare. And it will never improve, because of the ridiculous working practices in Polish healthcare.

And don't get me started on the right wing attitudes of the doctors, as they line their pockets and sneer.

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


Happy that we agree. Unfortunately, the Workers' Revolution is alive and kicking in Poland and (some) people are, as I suggested........

......lazy.

They would never give up their commie Majowka.

News / Referendum in Poland about so called refugees. [56]


No need for a referundum. Poland will take the 7,000, and then retreat back into it's insular stance of "I'm all right Jack."

But actually there are quite a few Middle East gentlemen already here in Tri-City. They are not Turks either, so a lot of this "there will be NO immigration" is populism, and it would be pretty hard for Poland as a member of the EU to actually deny people entry if they have a genuine desire to do business here. There is a consumer need after all.

My answer is that, within reason, there should be a limited "quota", for there is plenty of room for enterprise, and at 38 million the country is underpopulated by at least 25 per cent for land mass.

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


My efforts are directed here Dolno. I'm going the other way:) Retiring to England to the historic pile and to be a drain on the NHS :) If it exists after Cameron's repeated attacks.....

I mean, you have a great home here in a beautiful area. But what happens when you get old? My nearest suffered a dreadful accident and is in a unit - probably for the rest of his life. We all know that in Poland he would be locked up and forgotten. In the UK he is taken out, fed and watered, and actually cared for pretty decently.

All on the NHS. He's paid in all his life, and now they look after him. Here, we pay in all our lives, and get shat on.

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


We (and that is not you Polonius - for you don't work here) already have to put if with the ridiculous "Mid-week bank holiday" - as in where May Day falls on a Tuesday and Constitution Day 2 days later on a Thursday.

As a result the whole of Poland shuts down for a week. Yet Szydlo bleats that Poland is a poor country........ You really couldn't make it up. Poland wants to be like Greece. People want to be lazy, and call it "tradition" and won't modernise. Set the "feast days" for a Monday. End of.

In the meantime freelancers like myself are denied income. The tax man still commeth however with queries as to why my monthly earnings are lower.

Only in Poland and other catholic "states." Archaic nonsense, and totally hypocritical when Szydlo has the temerity to lecture on the needs of the poor.

Let them work when they so choose woman!

News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]


So why are you living in the UK then? I suffer the cacophony of football fans chanting inane Polish nonsense here on a matchday, and would much prefer some intelligent wit in Urdu, Jamaican slang, or African French.......

And as for PIS and what is happening, my psychology professor learner has just entered her verdict on Ms Szydlo's performance at the European parliament, and her coterie in general, as ".........a very interesting case study.." which is professional speak for ".....they are all barking mad." :)


People living here do. The sooner the better. Damage limitation. The longer this goes on, the harder it will be to put Humpty Dumpty together again. Stands to reason.....


OK. Welcome back to the asylum. And yes, Szydlo did have to explain herself to her EU masters. Like I am my dog's master. Because he eats the food I provide.

If you get the connection......

News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]


I understand Polish politics all too well thank you. I speak Polish, and understand Polish news broadcasts quite well. What do you want to know?

PIS don't care for the poor, but then again, you Polonia obviously know better than us people living here. I do apologise (again) for being so stupid.


Bevan/tick
Wilson (first time)/tick
Blair/tick
Brown/tick

All of them far more charismatic and better educated than ANY Polish PM sorry to say :(

pS: Bevan wasn't PM but should have been. The father of the NHS which is now under threat, and what Poland should emulate.

News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]


I am a (British) socialist through and through Dolno. Always voted Labour. But the Polish situation is sadly muddled and different. PIS don't necessarily stand for those who are most in need.

News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]


Those of us like me you mean, who work 7 days a week to put our child through university, and who have never had ONE zloty off this or any Polish government in business grants, tax relief for providing employment, or home grants of ANY sort, but were regularly harassed for imaginary tax defaults, and have paid exhorbitant ZUS business rates for 16 years ( but NO more)...

I could go on, but the Polish socialist system of "Let's help the poor" can go **** itself AFAIC.

News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]


You are an ignorant fellow, aren't you?. When Tusk was running the show we never heard his name mentioned. Do you know why?

He was actually busy getting business done. That is why your children can go to a modern school now, and why you can get to work on time on modern roads.

Absolutely clueless.