Are Polish natives intolerant of foreigners who do not properly speak the language?

Someone told me that Polish natives are intolerant of foreigners who do not properly speak the language. Natives are known to throw beer cans, cellphones and cigarette packages at individuals who do not properly speak Polish.

This is a true story: my friend Wendy went over to Poland to test her Polish speaking skills. She said that some guy told her that she wasn't saying it right and go back to the United States. She told me that Poles are cruel people.

You've never been to Poland have you? Why don't you come ( September is a great month to visit) and see for yourself.
btw cruel begets cruel (Wendy's not telling you the whole story)

This is true only in what almost would pass as a city. In the country side, they would usually throw a beet at you.

Cruel? No, Surly would be more accurate. You don't have to go all the way to Poland, just go to Chicago.

can you imagine a guy saying go away to a lady that aproaches him and chat him up?

that might have actually happened (same experience), however it's not something that happens often in Poland.


this however, sounds like a bad joke.


I was told that too (once)


bad joke

I have been in Poland for 2 years.

There was this one REALLY horrible incident. Me and my girlfriend were minding our business at a tram stop, talking and this drugged up, smelly woman came up and started screaming at her. She is Polish and started crying and I asked her why and she said that she was calling her a stupid tart and that she was going to hang her. I was so angry but couldn't do anything because she didn't tell me/cry until we got onto the tram...

BUT the other 729 days were ABSOLUTELY fine and everyone was nice to me and left me alone. I don't speak a word (yet) but I am serious to learn now for my girlfriend. Wouldn't go as far as to say they try and help me, instead some ignore me, but geez, its hardly something I go on the internet and complain about?

You ever thought maybe 1 guy Wendy met was a dick? That's the answer.

I have been in London where I am from and 3 guys started on me... Doesn't mean I am going to say British people are cruel, am I?

I comprehend the possibility of these items being thrown at a pub, where patrons have had too much to drink. It's hard to imagine it elsewhere.

let me know when they start throwing smartphones and/or tablets

Just collect these phones and the trip might be worth it. Also the cigarette packages, provided they're not empty.

come and see yourself - there are foreigners living in Poland too - so figure out yourself

Poland has some of the best people in the world. If you had some bad dealings, they must have been Germans visiting or living there, to get away from that hell hole, they lived in.

And the Polish women are the best looking, and very nice women in the world.

This is why I want to retire and live there, soon, I hope.

And, different than most places, you don't have to be able to speak Polish to get along, in fact most want to speak English.

I have spent must time there, and we Americans can lear much from them.

Valpomike

It's like that everywhere. People expect foreigners to speak the language flawlessly.

After several days of madness on the crying truck driver thread, this is the final straw. I'm taking a break for a while. Yes, I know, "Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out". I hope the insanity and denial simmer down a bit when the strange weather is over. As for my faith in Polish legal experts...dead.

I think Poland is no different than anywhere else for the most part! You have really nice and even helpful people and then you have the others who can't be bothered. We have been here almost 4 years. My entire family is Polish and migrated to the Chicago area 3 generations ago, so I was excited at the opportunity to come here! Poles are just a quirky group of people. But we are both positive, fun-loving people, so we've not really had any horrible experiences. And oftentimes, even if someone starts out being not so kind, we usually can cheer them up. And when someone realizes you need help with something, they are almost always willing to help you. I have heard more than a few horror stories, I've just not experienced them! We love being here!

Sure. If something bad happens in Poland, it must be one of those bloody foreigners who is responsible. Hellhole? Germany? Where have you lived the last 65 years? Oh, I see, Indiana...

Hey mod, I was just taking the p*ss out of Valpomike. Why did you delete such a harmless sentence?

for this:

That's the spirit! ;)

Sounds like you could be talking about the English here. I've never had anyone complaining about my Polish, if I make a mistake they correct me and we move on. Best way to learn is to make mistakes and learn from them.

Full beer cans and cigarette packets?

Yes it's all true. We trap foreigner in the circle and ask politely for saying grzegrzolka.
If we like it he or she get pieroga if not pierog is taken away (on the fishing rod :)

c'mon... just admit that you need a few days off to sell all the phones you've collected.

I've heard and seen far worse while living here in the States by some people towards Hispanics, etc. I've yet to meet someone in Poland who is nasty like that to a foreign speaker. The worse I've seen is an American accent being told "I don't speak German" because the Pole can't understand the American, and let's face it, the German and American accent do sound similar when speaking Polish.

Go to Poland, without presumptions or attitudes, and see for yourself. Either Wendy didn't tell you the whole story (or perhaps didn't realize she did something that was offensive) or it was just a random jerk, which are all over the planet.

The worst thing you can do is to find an excuse for xenophobic behavior in Poland by pointing out that the same can be found in other countries, too. Doesn't solve the problem.

So you really believe the beer-cans-and-phones story? 8-|

What I know is that there are xenophobes in Poland (like in the USA or any other country in the world). Closing your eyes to their behavior by simply pointing out that other people are racist, too, doesn't help at all.

Neither does the


yup that's really a credible story.


He probably heard the same in the U.S


He told the same story about the Yanks and the cat is out of the bag so to speak.

Natives are known to throw... cellphones - yeah, omnias and galaxy tabs 2 and simcards with phonebooks
This is a true story - yeah, assurance welcomed
went over to Poland to test her Polish speaking skills - what a dedication

As an American living in Poland for 3 months now, I must say that the vast majority of people have been very accepting my HORRIFIC Polish language skills. I know very basic Polish, can count, ask minor directions, flirt with women, etc. The men are impressed that I am bothering to learn Polish at all because they think Americans are arrogant. The women giggle and think it is adorable that I am learning Polish. They all comment on my accent and are generally VERY accepting. However, like anywhere else. There are SOME who have issues. I had one guy tell, "You shut up", because I was speaking English in public to a friend, before she almost beat his a$s into the ground. Some people are easily frustrated and get tired of me quickly, others are overly helpful.

Maybe, being an American from the Washington D.C. area, I am used to the Mexicans not speaking English and being WAY more pissed off that I do not speak Spanish, more so than any Polish people I have met. For the most part, people are actually entertained. So, take it whatever way you want.

I haven't read too many of the comments above, but these are my thoughts and experiences.

Most Polish people don't have any problem with foreigners speaking their language in Poland from my experience, but of course in any country you can meet someone who won't like anything that you do no matter what it is.

Some Polish people do have a problem with other Poles who don't speak/write the language properly on the internet but that is the internet.