Travel / Poland - never again [593]


Yes, genius, you got me. So, I walked into a clinic on Szpitalna with bad bronchitis and coughing my lungs out. They said that, of course, we take credit cards and I said screw you and walked right out only for the purpose of going home next day after paying $440 for changing my LOT reservations.

You are so brilliant it takes my breath away. You should apply to the FBI to help them find that Trump-Putin collusion that is still in hiding.

Life / I'm British in Poland and I think that it's time to go back to the UK! [240]


When in Poland it's good to make an effort to be like them. And God knows I tried until I couldn't understand what was said to me. This is when a feeling of total desperation and panic sets in. I caught myself so many times hearing or reading individual words and not understaning the core meaning, especially with the rules and regs. Those damn sentences are too long and the words used are as if to make the text as complicated, official, and lawyerly as possible. In the US, even the feds make every effort to write in simple English. Yes, trolls, it's because we are low-IQ Neanderthals.

On a Polish aircraft: Prosze Pana, czy Pan by chcial kawe? On an American plane: coffee?

Travel / Poland - never again [593]


I noticed very quickly how asymmetrical things are here. My criticism of what effected me directly and negatively was immediately viewed as some kind of anti-Polish hate speech. My positive comments were ignored. Even the fact that I managed, against all odds, to get on that train in 1966 was incredulous and suspect. What the hell am I supposed to do to prove it? Find that ticket? Yes, my father had enough good connections in Poland and in the Western Europe to help me get out. Here is a link about him:

pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marian_Mazur_(naukowiec)

This sentence will hopfully end all speculations about my past:

Mieli razem dwóch synów, którzy obecnie mieszkają za granicą, w Belgii i Stanach Zjednoczonych.

When I opened a new thread, the comments were all about me faking my Polish heritage without any attempt to figure out what would be the upside for me to do it.

There is a general rule in life decent people observe: never make an accusation without proof or the accused being able to disprove it. Unless, of course, you are a Polish troll looking for a hook.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]


Reading comprehension problems again. I never said I wanted to be treated in a Warsaw hospital for my running nose or bronchities which was diagnosed later after my return to the US. The fact that a nearby clinic (not the hospital) would not take my credit cards which I used without any problems the same day, pissed me off big time. Using whatever cash I had was not an option because even if the initial exam is only 120zl, the subsequent tests like x-rays would deplete my cash to zero really fast.

The reason I walked into that hospital in Warsaw was to ask a hypothetical question to find out how I would be treated in the event of some major crap like being hit by a car. Without any hesitation they told me they would need cash up front. My assurances that I have actually two policies covering such things in Poland was of no interest to them. It was a straight NO. This is why I decided to never come back. Returning home the next day was mainly because of my actual condition at that time. I don't drink so let's not go there.

Life / I'm British in Poland and I think that it's time to go back to the UK! [240]


Nobody here would say this. It would be would you like some coffee? Even within a family.

My beef is with that Pan and Pani, both capitalized! I am standing right in front of the person who wants to say something to me, I am the only person in the room, and, instead of ty masz, I hear this third-person Pan ma. WTF? Because ty would be offensive? If people in Poland get offended by a direct ty, they must have some deeper unresolved mental issues.

I remember when I started working at the Instytut Electrotechniki in Miedzylesie right after graduation in 1966. First, I found out that I had address people according to their degrees. How the f*** would I know anybody's degree? Then, with time, those closer to me would switch from Panie Magistrze to Panie Ryszardzie to be eventually replaced by Ryszard, which I never experienced because by September that year I was gone form the Instytut and Poland.

Languages morph. Anyone who would actually say whom instead of who, while correct and very pleasing to the English teachers, would be seen as a pompous ass faking sophistication. So, we no longer say whom. Time to drop that bs with Pan and Pani. Husaria is no longer part of the Polish military, either.

Life / I'm British in Poland and I think that it's time to go back to the UK! [240]


A totally brilliant post!

I got really tired of even hearing those pointless third person things like prosze pana or czy pan. While flying - trolls, I actually wasn't flying, the plane was - all I heard was prosze pana, prosze pani, czy pan, and czy pani.

How about simply you like in: chcial bys wode czy kawe?

Life / Is time on Poland's side? Unsustainable future. [21]

Good advice. I have thick skin and I can take any insult - the ability I acquired just by being around for so long. The problem I see is that all this infantile bickering gets in the way of an adult, on points, conversation.

Life / Is time on Poland's side? Unsustainable future. [21]

All of you, with one exception, are beyond pathetic.

I opened a subject that any European should find at least interesting if not disturbing and some morons here are discussing my train tickets in 1966 or if I, in fact, can write or speak Polish. Grow up.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]

@Lyzko
English is so common in Poland among the 30 and under that I would default to English and I was never disappointed. In all honesty, I don't even remember when I spoke Polish and when I did in English. Berlin was a different matter. I was like a baby lost in the jungle, exept for the hotels.

Strange that you still haven't provided us with any evidence that you can read and comprehend English.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]

No need to hope. I already said that this would never happen.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]

Back to the the second reason reason why I left Poland after only three days: the emergency health care for foreign tourists. The answers I got talking to a random hospital in Warsaw, politely and in Polish, are the main reason why I will never go back.

So, all of you trolls, stay with me for the next 30 seconds. I just came back from a typical American hospital. The one I chose to get the info I needed to compare is NCH in Arlington Heights. I spoke to someone in the Administration and was told without any equivocation the following:

1. We never refuse to treat anyone in our ER. Ever.
2. We will write off the expenses by moving them to the charitable file if the patient never comes back after discharge to give us more information.

3. If he does come back and has travel health insurance, we immediately verify it on the spot.
4. We never expect any payment before treatment. Only after the insurance paid what it is supposed. If they don't, we eat it.

I do admit that as I was listening to that lady I got a lump in my throat and that my eyes got a little wet because, again, as the song goes, nothing compares to you, the USA. Nothing.

Is the US perfect? Hell, no. But if you want to get sick, that is where you want to do it. Just ask our friends in Canada and the assorted creeps ruling Africa and other hellholes.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]


I just invited you to talk about how dysfunctional the US is in my Post #58 and that's the crap I get in return.

To refresh your memory, this is what I wrote there:

Just curious to know how and why you came up with that "dysfunction". I am not only not offended, which is a default reaction to everything lately, but I agree with you. I am sincerely interested in you POV on that matter. I could talk about how dysfunctional the US is for a day and half and still not be done.

Are there any words in the above that you didn't come across yet. No shame in admitting it because you are among friend and we will not tell on you.

BTW, are you OK?

Travel / Poland - never again [593]


Can you just drop that bs about my multiple personalities, trolling, and s***, and respond to the subjects I raised if you want to respond at all? I found this forum a day before I signed up, so FO.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]


First, my property tax is $5600, not $10k. We own a 2200 square foot townhouse which includes three full and one half bathrooms, three bedrooms, combination living room, dining room and an eat-in kitchen on the main floor, fire place, and a finished walk-out basement. Even the two-car garage is all dry walled. BTW, with two Lexus cars in it. Would you like a picture?

Second, everything is relative. My last salary just before I retired was $117k plus $35k bonus. That, of course, was per year. What is yours?

After retiring, my income took a dive, obviously. Between the Social Security benefits and the interest on our CD's, it's about $90k. I think I can afford $5.6k property tax, don't you think so, or am I overlooking something?


Just curious to know how and why you came up with that "dysfunction". I am not only not offended, which is a default reaction to everything lately, but I agree with you. I am sincerely interested in you POV on that matter. I could tallk about how dysfunctional the US is for a day and half and still not be done.

Let me know what is on your list. I think the mods will forgive a little digression.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]

It seems that the most popular word in the Polish language is kurwa. The way it's used, I mean the frequency, reminds me how I abused ty wiesz (you know) when I was a kid. Kurwa, a fillerword injected without purpose, has no equivalent in English, it seems. If somebody here can explain why Poles use it in the course of normal conversation and so often, I will be grateful.

In my opinion, the f word we use here is not the same. Maybe s***. It's added to express all kinds of feelings. Like physical pain, a disappointment, anger. When used sporadically, and with that certain tone of voice, it's acceptable in many situations - especially when everybody knows it was meant as a joke. So even in this area, just as with grafitti, the US wins.

BTW, at least where I live, here in Palatine, every park has a bathroom, toilet paper, and water and soap to wash hands. And no missing doors. And there is no way to pay even if you wanted. Not even a coin box if you want to make a voluntary contribution. Hopefully, nobody here will try to copy the restroom brilliance from Poland.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]

My best advise to those tourists whose English is better than Polish: use English and only if you are getting nowhere and you are totally desperate switch to Polish. Thanks to English being mandatory from K to 11 (or is it 12?) everybody under 30 speaks very good English in Poland.

When you use Polish at such places as railroad stations, with that background noise and the fast talking clerk behind a bullet-proof glass, you are screwed and at a disadvantage as I was at Gdansk Glowny one day in September. I couldn't figure out what the hell she was saying.

Then, out of desperation, I switched to English. Now the advantage was mine because she spoke a lot more slowly and used simple words. Was it because she felt sorry for me or because this was the best she could do I will never know. But it worked.

In fact, many young people show some pride in being able to carry on a normal conversation without being first ask "do you speak English?" Today, it's almost a rhetorical question, bordering on offensive - something I am often forced to do in the Palatine Walmart in the United States of America.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]

Back to grafitti. The American grafitti by the gangs is better because it serves a specific purpose of letting the competing gangs know where they will be shot if they trespass. They do it to protect their turf and their business cash flow. Not legal but easy to understand.

Polish grafitti is moronic and without anything that connects with intelligent acts by humans. What purpose does it serve to write "jebac" on a gazebo in a Radom park where kids play? Other than this piece of prose, a monkey with a bucket of paint and a brush would be just as capable of producing the average grafitti found in the Polish cities - just some paint randomly splashed to make what was pretty ugly. The fact that this form of vandalism can be easily stopped before the sun goes down and is not shows the sick attitude by the authorities and the society.

Some of it is puzzling. On Warecka near Kubus Puchatek where I used to live, there is grafitti as high as 20 feet off the ground. That was not easy to do it. To pull this off, the artist needed a ladder or an extension with a remote paint release. All that for absolutely nothing. Maybe Sharia law would be good after all.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]


No, you didn't.

Where did I say that I used the stall without the door? Fact: I used the one with the door.

Where did I say that I used the restroom in violation of the school rules? Fact: I asked first where to go.

Yes, I entered the building without prior permission and stayed in the area where such adhoc visits are permitted. It's called a lobby. After I was cleared by the director to enter a classroom accompanied by a teacher, I was INVITED.

A sick mind is a terrible thing to own and manage.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]


Read again and this time pay attention to what you are reading.

News / Emigration from Poland (2.1m Poles are living abroad, most within Europe) [37]

With all that migration out, I can easily imagine what would happen to Poland if on-demand, for-any-reason, abortions were legal.

PiS has it right, right along with resisting that gift from hell - the refugees.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]

I find it quite disturbing that your mind can create scenes that never happened. Sick.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]

Ironside,

One day, just an an experiment, go to a public restroom, and (1) DO NOT CLOSE THE DOOR, (2) DO NOT USE TOILET PAPER, (3) AND DO NOT WASH YOUR HANDS, and tell me how you and your rear end felt. That's exactly what I experienced in that school in Radom and was told that that was normal there.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]

And that's the best you can do? If the rest of you in Poland are equally brilliant, no wonder I never ever want to go there again.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]


You got me. I am actually not even a real person. You know how they can make AI robots that appear to be humans. That's me.

You guys give yourself too much importance. What possible reason would I have to put the effort into creating fake reality? To amuse you?

So I made a mistake about the $35 passport fee. BFD. But the rest - a four-page form and three weeks to get it - was real. Happy now?

Life / I'm British in Poland and I think that it's time to go back to the UK! [240]


How true. The ultimate case: a clinic that does not take credit cards. The restroom ladies do and so do bars if you want to get drunk. Hospitals and clinics? No way.

Life / I'm British in Poland and I think that it's time to go back to the UK! [240]

Poland's problem is how to protect itself from the hordes of refugees and other scum that the UK, France, Germany, and Italy so cheerfully took in. One way is by keeping the welfare benefits lower. I am glad that it is hard for the foreigners to settle down in Poland.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]


That was in 2010. Today, it's $110.

Life / What are the most common antidepressants prescribed in Poland? [23]

The best antidepressant is a trip to a mall to look at pretty girls.

USA, Canada / Polish or American Education? [180]

When I look at what is happening in the US and, more specifically, at the universities, I have this queasy feeling that communism, like a monster in a horror movie with no end, is catching up with me and I have no place to run.