UK, Ireland / 31 year old Polish man causes accident under influence of alcohol and kills 8 [198]

Still used by some of us. You missed the relevant bits of the quote from 'wiktionary' too:


I doubt that Ryszard Masierak is aware of either spelling, thought he would do well to familiarise hiself with them given what is likely facing him for the next few years. Not least because, after failing an alcohol test after driving a lorry in an accident that killed 8 people, he has no legal defence.

UK, Ireland / 31 year old Polish man causes accident under influence of alcohol and kills 8 [198]

This is the guy, Ryszard Masierak. He's currently in gaol on remand. The other lorry driver, who had not been drinking alcohol, has been bailed until September which often means that more investigation is needed before deciding whether or not to go further.

I actually feel sorry for the guy - his guilt must be incredible.

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Polonia / Where do you live, in Poland or abroad? [28]


Or an expat is there for a fixed term, (usually) short, due to work (usually) for a foreign or international organisation and is (usually) on a fixed term visa. An immigrant is there either for ever or dreams of returning home in their old age (but rarely does) and is on a permanent visa, has citizenship or is undocumented. Within the EU, people are migrants.

Different dictionaries have differing definitions of the words. It's really in the eye of the beholder.


Full of tourists now, sadly.

Cocktails on a 45th floor rooftop bar in Dubai is the modern equivalent, sipping a Mojito looking far far down at a 12 lane highway on one side and the palm island (downmarket and best seen from a distance) on the other with the lights of the Iranian coast twinkling in the distance. Probably better than Raffles was anyway, and only a few hours from Warsaw in first class...

Travel / Planning a trip to Poland - Krakow, Auschwitz, Zakopane and other places - winter, Christmas [56]


That's the other Kazimierz, and not an easy trip from Krakow.


That Kazimierz is a nice place just to wander round - all the things to see are very well signposted. It's also probably your best bet for food on the evening of the 24th, other than the largest hotels.

Travel / Planning a trip to Poland - Krakow, Auschwitz, Zakopane and other places - winter, Christmas [56]

Gdansk is spectacular (I prefer it to Krakow), Warsaw is nice, so are Poznan and Lublin in the old parts.

One good thing about choosing that time of year for a visit to Krakow is that it probably won't be packed with tourists - the sheer numbers can spoil it a bit in summer. Of course the tourist infrastructure will also be quiet. There will still be places open, especially in Kazimierz.

Travel / Planning a trip to Poland - Krakow, Auschwitz, Zakopane and other places - winter, Christmas [56]


Mass at either Wawel Cathedral or the Mariacki Church on Christmas Day (not so much the midnight Mass which will be good but packed, or an early mass but the main choral one - the least 'family friendly' of the day) should have excellent music. Much nicer than gas chambers and a 7 ton pile of human hair with pigtails sticking out.

To get out of town, Tarnów is quite pleasant. It will be quiet though at that time of year. And very very cold.

Travel / Planning a trip to Poland - Krakow, Auschwitz, Zakopane and other places - winter, Christmas [56]


I think it would out a big downer on the whole holiday season. It is not in any sense a pleasant place to visit; most people find it traumatic and emotionally draining, particularly the 'exploitation of the body' room, the gas chamber and of course Birkenau. Going there changes you.

Maybe a Valentine's trip to the killing fields of Phnom Penh instead?

Seriously, it will be bitterly cold in Malopolska in late December - best to stay in the city. Kazimierz is a good bet (and being the Jewish district there's likely to be restaurants open on Christmas Eve).

The museums and art galleries will probably have reduced opening hours - better check on their websites. At least they're indoors and have heating.

Travel / Planning a trip to Poland - Krakow, Auschwitz, Zakopane and other places - winter, Christmas [56]


Have you been to Kazimierz?


On the 24th most places will shut, even restaurants. Check with your hotel in advance if they will stay open.


At Christmas?

News / Tragedy of Polish couple; Polish woman repeatedly raped in Italy, her partner almost killed [101]


I wouldn't know 'countingcrows', perhaps you would. Most of the millions of holidaymakers in the Med feel safe. Otherwise those millions wouldn't go.

Food / Indian/Bangladeshi grocery store in Gdansk [9]


There are a few established Indian shops around Warsaw a very good one in Raszyn, and some Middle Eastern ones. Plus a new halal butchers. Makro in Warsaw also have a good range of Indian things.

There's also a couple of online shops.
In Gdansk, if the one Doug mentions is too far or doesn't have the right product, the online one could be a good option. littleindia.pl/lang/en

UK, Ireland / 31 year old Polish man causes accident under influence of alcohol and kills 8 [198]

Same in the UK - there isn't really any defence if the alcohol test shows a reading. People have tried, saying the alcohol level rose between an accident and the test, however it's never worked before a jury.

UK, Ireland / 31 year old Polish man causes accident under influence of alcohol and kills 8 [198]


Yes. 8 people killed in the same vehicle.


Wasn't that deliberate?

UK, Ireland / 31 year old Polish man causes accident under influence of alcohol and kills 8 [198]

Hard to see what holidaymakers on the Med have to do with the 8 people killed by a drunken lorry driver.

News / Tragedy of Polish couple; Polish woman repeatedly raped in Italy, her partner almost killed [101]


I've been in three of those this year, one of them several times and they all felt very safe.

UK, Ireland / 31 year old Polish man causes accident under influence of alcohol and kills 8 [198]


Foreign is irrelevant there, Drunk is relevant.


Really? They gave an address in the initial reports - perhaps that was his partner's.

UK, Ireland / 31 year old Polish man causes accident under influence of alcohol and kills 8 [198]


Their names and details were both reported in the same way, at least in the newspapers I read.


Rightly so.


Also rightly so.

The difference is that the sober one has a potential defence (and has been released on bail). The drunk one has no defence at all or possibility of one. He was remanded in custody, although this can be for various reasons including to prevent self-harm.

One of them was involved in an accident with or without some degree of culpability. The other got into the cab of an articulated lorry while drunk and drove it down a motorway. Something that can't be explained away. Even if the other lorry driver, the minibus driver, a flock of geese, the wrong type of snow or Uncle Tom Cobbley were factors in the accident, the blame falls on the drunk lorry driver.

UK, Ireland / 31 year old Polish man causes accident under influence of alcohol and kills 8 [198]


Indeed, which means there's no excuse, no mitigation, no defence, regardless of any factors involving the other, sober driver who it should be said has been released on bail.


If someone gets into the cab of an articulated lorry after drinking alcohol and drives down a motorway killing 8 people, I'd say yes, something is very amiss.

UK, Ireland / 31 year old Polish man causes accident under influence of alcohol and kills 8 [198]


It took a lot of campaigning, a lot of naming and shaming, but mostly worked.


It's happening slowly - the police being increasingly less likely to accept bribes is helping. There's still an issue though.

UK, Ireland / 31 year old Polish man causes accident under influence of alcohol and kills 8 [198]


Agreed. A horrible thing to say.

UK, Ireland / 31 year old Polish man causes accident under influence of alcohol and kills 8 [198]


Hard to disagree with that. Above all, 8 people including young kids dies here, due to a drunk driver, and all he can do is this.


Who said that?

UK, Ireland / 31 year old Polish man causes accident under influence of alcohol and kills 8 [198]

What evidence would you like to see? An invitation to come over and view the bodies? Stop trolling, a family died here.

UK, Ireland / 31 year old Polish man causes accident under influence of alcohol and kills 8 [198]


Don't be daft.

Real Estate / Land sold in Poland... any problems getting money sent to U.K.? [35]


For money laundering rules, you need to be able to account for any cash over 10,000EUR going through an airport or port or being paid into a bank.

UK, Ireland / 31 year old Polish man causes accident under influence of alcohol and kills 8 [198]


Did you read this:

UK, Ireland / 31 year old Polish man causes accident under influence of alcohol and kills 8 [198]


A breathalyser in every cab, linked to the ignition.


None at all. Very few (if any) Brits in PL involved in fatal drink/drive accidents.


Classy. Not.

UK, Ireland / 31 year old Polish man causes accident under influence of alcohol and kills 8 [198]


Nor does anyone, regardless of origin, citizenship or identity who gets into an articulated lorry and drives it while drunk. His nationality is only relevant because it's the topic of the forum here. I doubt his victims were bothered where he came from.

UK, Ireland / 31 year old Polish man causes accident under influence of alcohol and kills 8 [198]


Just such a dreadful tragedy. It will be very hard for the few survivors of the crash, and also awful for the lorry drivers and their families because of the guilt.

UK, Ireland / 31 year old Polish man causes accident under influence of alcohol and kills 8 [198]


It was AIM Logistics.

"Ryszard Masierak, 31, of Barnards Close, Evesham, Worcestershire ...He was driving a lorry from Evesham company Aim Logistics Ltd."

I should think there'll certainly be a lawsuit (an automatic win if he was drinking and there is proof of this - there's no real defence if a driver has been drinking) against Masierak and AIM logistics, as well as a lawsuit againt Fedex and its driver Wagstaff (if he is found guilty).

UK, Ireland / 31 year old Polish man causes accident under influence of alcohol and kills 8 [198]


Was that not the other truck driven by the guy from Stoke? Ryszard Masierak was as far as I know driving an AIM Logistics truck based at their Worcester depot.


They were families going on holiday. Three worked at Capital One in Nottingham as IT contractors supplied by Wipro."Relative Soyimon Joseph said the minibus was taking a group of 11 people made up of two or three ­families to Wembley coach station in North West London.From there, the 11 passengers were due to go on a coach journey around Europe, according to friends. The group had been picked up in the Hyson Green area of Nottingham at 2am." mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/lorry-drivers-charged-eight-counts-11063983

UK, Ireland / 31 year old Polish man causes accident under influence of alcohol and kills 8 [198]


There's a horrifically high annual number of deaths on the road in Poland.


I don't know if it's that. The sheer reckless stupidity of getting in and driving an articulated lorry on a motorway when drunk transcends any other factors.


That possibility would have to be communicated to the Home Office before any transfer was allowed, and they would have to agree to that or deny the request. A good prosecution lawyer would communicate that to the relatives of the victims before they make their victim impact statement - this could affect sentencing.

If gaoled, he would probably find the Polish prison system far more unpleasant than the English one.