Travel / Baggage size limit on Trains in Poland? [16]

It seems that my labrador is considered to be excess baggage. PR now have upped the price of carrying said canine to 7 zlotys.

Scum :(

Law / Is it possible to get an MOT on a RHD car in Poland? [28]

That doesn't make sense. So if the police stop you, I grant you they are not au fait with the law but what do your docs say, and how can you get Polish insurance on a car with British plates?

Please spill the beans :)

Law / Selling a car without putting it in your name - Multiple Umowas - what's the deal? [25]


Moi. Think about it - Poland has a populist government. A sizeable percentage of non-college graduates buy and sell or fix up cars for a living

The RHD market would heavily erode those businesses.

Law / Selling a car without putting it in your name - Multiple Umowas - what's the deal? [25]


Yawn - I bought a car from Germany and was driving it here for nearly three months on German plates and with ongoing monthly cover before I found the time to register it. And I didn't go to prison.

All this exaggerated respect for the "law" on this forum gets my goat. Most of us are too busy living to be overly concerned with regulation after regulation.......ad nauseum.

Classifieds / Random Classifieds Ads Poland [261]

Hello Boo Blue - what's wrong with the festival site?

Katowice is nice these days but there is NOWHERE to pitch a tent - I love a bit of the old wild camping and outside of town there are the lakes of Nakklo Chechlo near Tarnowskie Gory and Pogoria near Dabrowa Gornicza - and that is it.

Do NOT entertain the "campsite" near the A4 - it's modernised but is just.................... a turd.

Law / UK driving license mess in Poland [72]


Of course your insurer would suggest you play the white man MIPK. But I suit myself and don't act according to the wishes of the person whose services I am using, the insurer. With PZU I have never had a problem, all legal and above board, and my licence runs out in 2027.

Will the Polish state agree to renew my licence for free til that date?

You are kidding right? Why would I want to throw money away? Can I just send you some instead of sending it to the Polish government - who only ever steals, through the good auspices of ZUS, and have never granted me a single zloty in grants for my businesses but took delight in harassing by repeated audit.

Next.

Law / UK driving license mess in Poland [72]


OK Fatman - so you really want to know why?

British people generally know the Highway code and don't pull out in front of oncoming traffic - just to cite one example. A Polish licence is tainted by association - that is - the holder may well have been taught by a Polish instructor.

Why are there so many bad Polish drivers? Because the instructors and the driving test itself are working in the wrong way.

Polish examples that spring to my ageing mind:

1. The cone "system" where the learner has to reverse along a circular line of cones. I've never had to do that on the road under real conditions - so why invent it? If it wasn't for real I would think the Monty Python team had been at work again.

2. Learners driving on busy roads in rush hour when they are absolute beginners. Driving experience needs to be graded to build correct driving procedure.

3. Instructors need to enforce the rule that you NEVER pull out from a standing start - causing other road users to brake hard. Never. In the UK driving test that is an instant fail.

4. Mirror-signal-manoevre. instructors here have no clue about that simple concept.

5. Could be wrong but the hand signal to turn is outlawed here. Why?

6.Flashing of lights to let others go is illegal. Why?

7.If you signal to change lane the driver behind deliberately speeds up to cut you out of the lane. Why?. Why didn't the instructor teach him good ettiquette?

8. Learn the Highway code. Right of way to pedestrians, then cyclists and pedestrians.

9. Drive according to the conditions and keep up with the traffic flow, and don't hop from lane to lane FFS!!!

10. Pedestrian crossings. foot on road - driver should stop, if safe to do so.

Polish drivers generally have NO clue - due solely to poor instruction, based on outmoded testing -which does not move with the times - and I for one don't want their licence, as I have a UK one - which engenders some confidence and respect - as I was properly tested and should know how to drive

Also road layouts are nonsense and I was talking to a group of Gdansk civil engineers who are actually proud that they installed 26 sets of traffic lights between Gdynia and Gdansk - without a roundabout or traffic contraflow in sight.

Idiots - so what hope is there?

Law / UK driving license mess in Poland [72]

I don't think so Fatman (great name BTW - I was thinking of ways to lose the tag). Please quote ref to this law. Even if there were such, it's unenforceable and not adhered to by insurance companies.

Law / UK driving license mess in Poland [72]


Sorry Roger - Poles do brilliant soups, vodka and breed fine fillies - but no way am I am going to be connected with a Polish licence or to Polish drivers by association. I earnt my UK licence and wouldn't swap it for a document which I deem to be inferior. Plenty here feel the same - I believe Delph and others had the same view.

I hold the establishment of Polish driving in contempt and always will.

I stand by my opinion - but thanks for your politically correct view :)


Happy to correect you OP - If you have been here a stipulated period of time (settled) then that is the "law".

But, I have been here 22 years on a Uk licence - never a problem - paid OC - even claimed for a couple of bashes,

No way can they ( the licensing authority or the psy) prove whether I am domiciled here or trot off to Blighty on a regular basis.

The other way around would be a problem - as in the UK the driver is insured - here the car is insured - therein lies the difference.

Sorry OP - read the whole Fred now - deffo number 5. Man up and grow some. :)

Food / What's your favorite Polish beer? [870]


Thanks! I got blown out of Degustatornia with Tudor the lab - when he was a sweet looking pup, and now that he's 32 kilo in weight I reckon they might be even less keen...... the Gdynia pub is a stale smelling basement and not really what the doctor ordered - but the beers were cracking - I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and leave the mutt at home :(

I will be sure to try out the Gdansk hostelries - thanks for that, and will seek out Scottie and the rest :)

As for Warsaw, thanks for the pleasantries Harry in spite of my drunken lame insults :) Warsaw might as well be on the moon at the moment, but when I get round to it I will do the museums there and get my Scots tight wad out and buy you and t'others a round :) Ta.

Law / UK driving license mess in Poland [72]

LOL - and double LOL - and then some.

If anybody seriously thinks that a Brit - who has learnt to drive properly, in the number one country in Europe for diving - or Freudian slip, I meant to say driving - and can prove the same by proffering a UK licence, is going to give it up for an inferior Polish one - which suggests to the car rental agency that the user has learnt to drive from a Polish instructor... then they really are having a laugh! :)

Never in a month of Sundays would I hand in my UK licence (no photo) for a poxy Polish one.

Food / What's your favorite Polish beer? [870]

Great stuff Harry - thanks for the info. When in Warsaw I will sure visit said places :) Do they allow dogs in the beer gardens/patios?

Food / What's your favorite Polish beer? [870]

Nothing on the Polish market beats Budweiser Budwar on price and quality IMO.

That is some assertion Harry that any Polish beer can beat English bottled ale, mass produced though it be. You are obviously fully versed as a beer lover with the chemistry of same, so I too would love a few names.

If they are expensive I wont bother though and just stick to Abbot et al, even at 10 zl a bottle.
The Olsztyn Kormoran brewery is trying but still add extracts:(

Attempts at IPA at 7 zl a bottle is decent but still oft leaves a hangover, a no-no sign of bad brewing.

Do these brewers used fresh hops? Using American pelletised hops is brewing, but not as we know it, Jim.

Life / Legalising Marijuana in Poland. Therapy available? [76]


Marvellous Jon - on behalf of all liberals on this board I thank you, and dog and myself will be taking the Berlin express really soon :)


Nah - not if the law is an ass.

Life / Legalising Marijuana in Poland. Therapy available? [76]

Another in favour of the Czech model.

Poland is far too conservative for this day and age, and the Poles seem to love regulations and laws so much (when the restriction doesn't apply to them) that I'm beginning to wonder if they didn't secretly enjoy communism :(

Hence, the establishment will never lift the draconian laws on cannabis use here, preferring to control rather than to let the population live - whilst of course hypocritically swallowing their drug of choice, coke et al.

Law / DEALERS Control the markets - Used Vehicles - Cars, Bikes, etc in Poland [22]

Thanks Sparks - I know you were trying to help and to put a positive slant on it. But there is no buyers' market, unless one is the unscrupulous moneyed type who chases after middle-aged sellers who are trying desperately to raise funds to have cancer treatment. (where is that rolling eyes smiley on this forum?)

Negotiation? Poles refuse to acknowledge what true worth is for the buyer. In 22 years of living in 'ole Polska I've found there are no bargains to be had.

The economics of the country dictate so - people love holding onto tat, and believing it to be worth something that it's not. The favourite line is "I'm not selling that car for the catalogue price of 10,000 - I just spent 5 000 on it, so it's worth at least 13,000."

Hehe :).

Law / DEALERS Control the markets - Used Vehicles - Cars, Bikes, etc in Poland [22]


In one - I don't know what planet Sparks is on but Poles like to think it's a one way street - lovely hosts and generous to a fault with their time, but I only ever buy new. It seems InWroclaw that we are the only peeps who feel this way lol.

I remember trying to buy an Alpine car radio off the computer market in Sosnowiec. Mine had been stolen there a month previously :( It was an old model - 400 zl - pure gold. The guy wouldn't take 320, or 350, saying angrily that he had told me the price.

It was still sitting there 8 Saturdays later, at 450 ZL. What a prize idiot.

These "sprzedawczy" don't actually want to sell anything - they just want to sit there in the wet open air market wasting away their sad lives and being away from the trouble and strife for a Saturday morning, as she beats them regularly if they hang too long around the kitchen table. :)


Exactly so - mats, gear stick leather, wheel rims, seals, chassis, all easy to read the mileage when you've passed your 17th birthday.

Ridiculously inflated prices too - doesn't Sparks appreciate that a day trip to Germany with 4 or 5 real purchase targets will oft get a result - and if doesn't, well there are still the frauleins and the lakeside grills. :) Deutschland aber alles - or at least so when considering whether the 'Krauts or Poles are more real when you are buying a second hand motor.

One nation has a sense of humour, including joke prices for old wrecks, and the other has reasonable deals on servicable motors. :) I don't go there for a laugh.

I owned two German reg cars, and they were class :)

Law / DEALERS Control the markets - Used Vehicles - Cars, Bikes, etc in Poland [22]

Maluch - I bought my last car from Germany - a sports Astra - and it were a good 'un - at a very fair price.

What would people rather do - pay a true market price and buy a 5 year old car that's been on German autobahns, or one that's been raped on Polish potholes? No contest!

The catch of course was the 1000 zl "re-cycling fee" - aka protectionism of the Polish "second-hand car market" - you really couldn't make it up, but Tusk and his cronies do just that.

Wiser heads than me will know if this fee is still the case - it is of course against free movement of goods, but we know that is a misnomer when the government can see their way clear to tax the **** out of the little man.

And it's ridiculously easy to do -see other threads - there is a dedicated website somewhere showing the stages. As said, the government try to make it not worth your while, you must have German docs translated, and new plates, and an import fee - total about 600 zlotys - plus the cost of going there and finding the car - I wouldn't EVER buy from a Polish "dealer" unless he was my mechanic, with a long history of honesty.

Same in any country - you want honesty - trust your own judgement.

Life / Public Transport Woes in Poland [11]

Posts moved from another thread

But Harry - the fact remains - this transport thing is a definite problem in today's busy Poland as you know, and yet the thread was binned. By the Mod/owner - who doesn't appreciate that while this is not the epitome of Polish social issues, it is non-the-less a right royal pain in the butt.

He would rather we talk about whether Polish women have lager genitals than African women et al.

Weird, and annoying.

Law / DEALERS Control the markets - Used Vehicles - Cars, Bikes, etc in Poland [22]

Anybody buying a used car/bike in Poland needs their head examining.

Buy in a country with higher GDP where there is a true buyer's market because the seller simply wants to get rid of old gear.

I NEVER buy used in Poland as there are absololutely zero deals to be made. I've learnt something in 22 years - that Poles have an ridiculously inflated view of what old tot is worth :)

Work / Language Teachers - do you feel respected in Poland? [86]

One new woman didn't turn up - called her. She had "forgotten." Strike One and Two.

Not a big deal. If she is a joker the I'm happy with the real learners. Give and take. And the dog was glad to get out to the forest for an hour. Always have a plan B :)

Travel / Cables on facades of krakow buildings [7]

The leaseholder is property rich. He should be made to pay. All this bull about inability to pay is unique to Poland and I used to use the same excuse (ie working for the state) when pulled over by the cops.

But this calls for legislation. Eyesores need cutting out. Miendo is right. When some people see ****, they do ****.

Travel / Cables on facades of krakow buildings [7]

Welcome to Poland. Aesthetics?

Silly cars and Hugo Boss - yes. Buildings no.

Blame legislation. Any normal society would force the leaseholder to tie the cabling to the building as you so rightly say. I despair.

Plus, Krakow is a kitsch Austro-Hungarian ******** anyway :)

Law / Can somebody explain ZUS to me? [40]

Umowa o dzieło - bill for a specific task......

Law / Can somebody explain ZUS to me? [40]

Depends what you are billing for.

Law / Can somebody explain ZUS to me? [40]


I issue bills on my wife's S.C. All above board. No extra ZUS for her to pay, as she can issue bills for one other.

I have paid ZUS for 20 years, and unlike NIS it is an unfair tax - so I have removed my favour. As simple as that. Carry on paying 799 Zl Harry if you have no option - but those bandits will never see another zloty of mine.

Law / Can somebody explain ZUS to me? [40]


But do the people do anything about it - by a programme of civil disobedience?

Do they 'eck. Obviously ZUS only burns a relatively small percentage. Badly

Work it out for yourself - if you are running a C.S. you pay 1,300 zl a month (at the last count) no matter what your income.

If you don't earn, you still pay.

You were saying something about logic?

Law / Can somebody explain ZUS to me? [40]

If it's PAYE - ie You are paid a salary - you can't. AFAIK I am self employed so am ignorant of all else.

Ask Harry et al who are above me in intellect and knowledge.

If it's the unjust tax against private enterprise - like in my situation - then your partner - who also runs private enterprise under the same type of business - can "employ" one entity - you.

Of course - Poles don't know the meaning of civil disobedience anymore and the majority are busy getting on and don't give a **** about anybody else.

So I kindly suggest you try to do the same.

Life / Driving Offences in Poland - How Fast can you go without being arrested? ;) [56]

Absolutely Nos - pedestrian crossings are a nightmare.

It's easy to spot the drivers here in Tri-City who have been to the UK ( a lot). They have adapted to the RIGHT way and follow the Highway Code.

The idiots in Warsaw ( our government) have failed time and again to legislate for the Highway Code and are causing confusion and unnecessary injury and deaths.

The legislation should be for:

1. Pedestrian foot on the road on the pedestrian crossing - drivers in BOTH directions must stop - when safe to do so ( accepted braking distances according to the conditions.

2. Cameras at every crossing record same.

3. Reduction in number of crossings in cities on certain roads - we don't need crossings every 50 metres "for war veterans" as is the case now. This leads to driver frustation and impatience.

4. A years' ban for any driver infringing Rule 1.


I often think that Darth. You are a nice geezer and I am awaiting the home response.

It's your home people. Darth and me are only your guests.

What do you say?

Are you going to do anything about it - or not?

This summer I am going to start by meeting the President of Gdynia and demanding action on his millionaire racers down the Boulevard. Before they kill anybody.

If he doesn't want to take action then there are other (legal) means open to the citizen.

Life / Driving Offences in Poland - How Fast can you go without being arrested? ;) [56]

Of course it is subjective Darth - we both know Poles who are more careful and technically better drivers than we are. It's not rocket science after all.

But getting Poles (the establishment) to admit they have a problem and to impose (sensible and logical) penalties like we have in the UK?

No - that would be an infringement of their new found liberties.

They prefer to kill 24 year olds who had their whole world before them. They have to drive their idiotic 4 wheel drives with impunity and flaunt it. The family in question recovered and bore no ill will to the morning drunk driver who killed their daughter.

In their shoes, I would have dragged him from the bail house and hung him from the nearest tree.

PS THat case is well documented - and I should amend it. I "believe they bore no ill will" - I never saw the mother again but the father was and is a very brave man, and has carried on I believe.

Somebody has to do something to get these criminals off our streets.

Quite simple - cameras on every street - 90 km on a city street. means prison and/or 1 year ban.

INSTEAD THEY IMPRISONED PEOPLE FOR CYCLING AND BEERING.

Lol ******* lol.

Scum.