OK forget about infrastructure and red tape that will all be improved in time. What can the average everyday person do to make Poland a better country. In the words of Kennedy "ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country.
I'll get the improvements started with just be nice and courteous to others, on the roads, in the shops, when your cueing etc. Respect cues and others places in cues, smile at the person serving you even if it does look like he/she wants to headbutt you.
When theres a situation on the road where you can get ahead with a dodgy manouver dont do it, remember order is the name of the game and if everybody respects other drivers a bit more well all get to our destinations quicker and safer.
I wouldn't think so. This can be a good topic so hopefully it won't end up arguments.
I'll get the improvements started with just be nice and courteous to others, on the roads, in the shops, when your cueing etc. Respect cues and others places in cues, smile at the person serving you even if it does look like he/she wants to headbutt you.
You're right, people should be more courteous to each other. I like to smile at people and say thank you but I can be impatient waiting in queues. If people are taking their time I don't want to wait behind them.
I wouldn't think so. This can be a good topic so hopefully it won't end up arguments.
I hope so
You're right, people should be more courteous to each other. I like to smile at people and say thank you but I can be impatient waiting in queues. If people are taking their time I don't want to wait behind them.
The problem is its inbred and a way of life here, how many Poles come back to Poland and are shocked at the way people behave? I myself am guilty, after living here for three years, i find myself not smiling and generally being a moany git when im out. I do always hold doors for people and try to be courteous on the roads. But sometimes its a case of well if you cant beat em join em.
no u r not :) great subject not only for poland i'm not polish, but i live in poland , so i guess this subject including me .. and i think more than polish ppl b/c i hv to respect this country which i'm living in right now ..
so .. after few months in poland i noticed something that it's really hard to find anyone can understand english or you can say almost 95% ! here a story i went to a famous bank in poland in a big mall in warsaw to just check why is my card is not working , and 3 ppl working there didnt know a word in english , and b/c i was in need for my money so i went out and stoped few guys walking in the mall to ask them if they speak english to help me and do the translation inside the bank and guess what they didnt know english too , so i hd to wait for my wife (polish) to do it !!
my idea is i think it's better at least in a bank to hv some ppl speak international language like english .. sorry for that , it's just an idea to make this country better , which i really love it
There's one less of the new up and coming generation round here...he put his car into a truck trying to overtake my mate on a blind bend.
Polish people...can you learn to SMILE please? Can you learn patience and prudency on the roads?
And if you could all buy a pot of paint, get out there this year and tidy up the front of your homes, stick some geraniums outside, and smile and wave as I drive past (slowly) ???
Yeah, I've noticed that some people move your cue when you are cueing to pot a ball and that is frustrating ;) ;)
Nah, in all seriousness, WB made some really relevant points. Queuing properly would help. No going to the front of the queue under the pretense of wanting a form to fill out, then receiving a full 20-min service.
Smiling helps. Even if it's not always reciprocated, do it often enough and it may be. The Kennedy quote was golden here. Change comes from within.
WB was offering sound constructive criticism here.
Also, Poles could learn that there are many beautiful places around them and that money isn't the most important thing. 'Pieniądze to nie wszystko'.
Guess what? My wifes pregnant and pregnant women dont cue in Poland. Its great she just says her thing and bamn front of the cue everytime. Have some of that!!
Well, yeah, that's how it should be. I'd let her ahead of me anytime. Poles stare on in amazement when I allow somebody with about 15 small items to zap through the barcode scanner ahead of me.
I've also lost count of the number of times I've said, 'You're welcome', to people who haven't given their thanks when they blatantly should have. The most common situation being holding the door open for them.
Good manners cost nothing. When I wait beside a parked car because the pavement is too narrow for 3 of us (2 of them and me), they walk past and don't even acknowledge me. A mere 'dziękuję' would be ample. I got so pissed off with this basic lack of etiquette that I just barged on through the last time. What are they gonna do? I'm much bigger than them.
I allow somebody with about 15 small items to zap through
15! i draw the line at around 5. So you must of had atleast 60 items to justify that. You telling porky pies again? Small or large theyve all got the same sized bar code.
Hey! I'm gonna stuff a pillow up my jumper next time I go to town and see if I get someone treating me with respect! Actually, much more cheap beer, and I won't be needing the pillow!
15 small things, usually things which have been done elsewhere too like alcohol or some fruit+veg. Under 10 and I'd send them off to the 10-article line.
Oh, yeah, invest in customer service and stop saving money. I find many businesses here much worse than Scottish ones. They fight for every grosz. I went to Tesco to pick up 10 items, as did the missus. Much to my dismay, the friggin checkout counters for 10 items or less were closed. The rest of the lines were HUGE. I was peeved at that.
This is one area where Poland shouldn't follow the West. Profits at the expense of decency and customer service.
I went to Biedrionka today and there was one till open and a cue of around 9 people with trolleys. I was just about to spit my dummy and they opened another till. Long cues in Poland are usually much better than they initially look.
Delicatessan counters in Poland rock, all those fresh meats with so many varieties. Its a meat mans heaven.
Yeah, that's another thing. The queues at Plus, Lidl or Biedronka. Let people come and go more naturally and you will help minimise frustration.
We're gonna be criticised for being moaning Brits, WB. But, at heart, many Poles know exactly what we are saying. Expect a story, 'well, when I was at Sainsbury's in Liverpool, blah blah blah'.
I'm not paranoid and am quite a patient shopper but when I feel that trolley being rammed up me arse, I do take offence. The aisles are very narrow which highlights the need to get people through that bit quicker.
What can citizens do to make Poland a better place to live?
Kurb the lying a bit.
Im sorry to keep banging on about moral integrity but this really is the key. You know what you are and what youre doing, maintain a level of moral integrity, i know some have to lie a little bit the little white lies that we all tell. Thats fine just dont ripp innocent people off, bear in mind the fact that these people will be back for business if youre honest. It really is a case of biting the hand that feeds. Be honest stick to the rules and you will prosper. Believe.
Ive worked with devious individuals, i could have been a dishonest millionaire several times over. Im not a millionaire in real currency and im happy with that, i am a millionaire in assets and i live by what i do and the way i conduct myself in business. Ruthless business men and quick buck makers always come unstuck in one way or another.
You know the rules deep down just observe them, live by them where possible and youll be just fine.
We are all equals regardless of skin colour, religion, what ever.......
Nah, I just felt that it was on topic. Ah well, fair enough.
Working conditions would seem to be one area that could improve though I'll allow Poles to answer that. I only say this as so many Poles left. They left largely because they felt that they didn't get enough money here. Many missed Poland during their stints in the UK. Other than money, what conditions would Polish citizens change to make their work more enjoyable?
So, care to share any stories of where Polish businessmen went wrong, WB?
OK I will,
We were handling the sale of a particular commercial property in central Wroclaw, the asking price was around the 3 million EUR mark. I personally had three clients visit this site one from England, one from Ireland and one from Isreal over a three month period. All three were serious buyers as the property had a good yield and it was a worth wile prospect at that time. Everytime one of my clients showed an incling of interest all of a sudden one of the selling agents had a very interested client going to contract the very next day. Bear in mind my clients were staggered throughout a three month period but as if by magic around a week after everyone of my clients viewed the property all of a sudden this Polish agency had an offer. They were trying to force a sale, i knew this straight away and told my Polish partner to tell them in no uncertain terms to stop fucking about.
Of course they claimed seriousness and all three deals fell through. I dont work with them any more and this is a national chain. The property is still for sale, i told them dont lie from the outset it doesnt work. They still think they can get some foreigner to part with 3 million Euro bassed on lies, sorry love the business world doesnt work like that.
I had a deal with one company when they took us out, they were drinving a Fiat something or other. I got them the biggest deal they ever had around 30,000 Euro and they shafted me;. Next time i went out with them they had a brand new Audi A4 thanks to me basically. This deal makes me very angry but its OK because what goes around comes around.
They never had anything even remotely associated with the pay scale i bought them and are fishing around for apartments and such with poxy 800 PLN comissions.
They could have earned so much more if they had stayed honest..... Mother fuckers..
That's better, WB. Yeah, you have to be bona fide these days. No wonder we see so many signs saying 'no time wasters'. Why didn't you just shun them and push the tempo more with your 3 clients? It may have looked bad for you when all 3 of your clients were in the race and it fell through.
3 million EURO, holy smoke! Did this Polish agency (national chain) somehow have power over you? Why didn't you tell them to get to France and mind their own business?
What would your cut have been from a 3mill EURO sale?
That's better, WB. Yeah, you have to be bona fide these days. No wonder we see so many signs saying 'no time wasters'. Why didn't you just shun them and push the tempo more with your 3 clients? It may have looked bad for you when all 3 of your clients were in the race and it fell through.
Problem was Seanus certain companies had contracts with vendors, my web site was international and i brought the real international buyers.
Poland was a property hot spot then, so in order for me to protect myself from agents you basically had to run around signing contracts with every single agent in the case that our client may like something which they have. Im just not gonna do that and i never would, if i did on that particular deal it would have made me around 15,000 EUR.
Im pissed about that, but as i say deals made and saved since would have probably not materialised had that gone through. The old butterfly affect.
Thinking about the positive things in life can do wonders. It helps you to think of ideas that a negative mind wouldn't dream up, and to carry those ideas out. Being polite, grateful for what you DO have and generous with those things in life that don't actually cost you anything (a smile, a polite word), can help anyone to become positive.
So-called-krates' point about blame was a good one, assuming it to have been a sarcastically-made point. Blame is negative. I'm now going to quote Detroit proto-punk band the MC5. I'm not sure if they nicked this particular rant off someone else before though.
The time has come for each and every one of you to decide whether you're gonna to be the problem or whether you're gonna be the solution... kick out the jams motherf...
Exactly, WB. What goes around, comes around. There may be better chances in the future. It's always that way that they get people to do the donkey work (sorry Osioł) and others steal in and cream the profits. Anyway, you kept your integrity, good man!
Just out of interest, can you draw any parallels with real estate in England or is your pool of experience drawn only from Poland?
Get ur balls out Osiol and make the move come on you can do it. Dont be a pussy all your life a play it safe, take a chance god damn it you only live once.
Rent ur property take a few quid and just GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Im not gonna meet you though, well actually i will if youre near me. MAN up. biatch...
I hadn't considered the thought that I'd allow a Polish woman over here to beat me into submission. I had been getting quite close to the idea of upping sticks and moving, particularly after seeing how someone else I know had made a complete balls-up of relocating to Poland (I thought I could do far far better!) If I do put my flat up for rent, it'll most likely be because I want to help fund getting a slightly bigger place to live in over here. She seems to have more of a pessimistic view of things. A bit of Osioł magic should remedy that. (I fully expect to read the letters W, T and F with regards to that comment).
I will need a holiday in Poland before too long. There are people to visit over there. I've been offered a couple of beers and a barbeque (so that should definitely mean more than just a couple of beers).
