Walking on other people's property in Poland - cultural difference?

Just to clarify, my neighbours are still learning english, so it's possible they haven't understood what I've said. They seem polite generally which is why I thought they might not realise it's not a typical thing to do.

My front garden isn't fenced (they mostly aren't where I live), and it is mainly gravel with some potted plants near the house. And it does sometimes look at bit untidy. Perhaps they don't realise it's private land.

Thanks everyone for your help.

There was a british actor called Jimmy Nail, who was once working in LA. Being a brit he wasn't aware of how strange it was to walk through the local neighbourhood. He walked to a deli everyday and then one day someone let the dog loose. he found out later they'd seen this guy walking past their house and thought he was casing the joint.

Because it's exceptionally ugly - anyone British in Poland will normally comment about how horrifically ugly all these fences are. It's especially bad in villages that have had a development built - all steel fences in the countryside.

As for why they're not allowed - it simply detracts from the visual appeal of the area. The typical Polish fence is exceptionally ugly and brings down the area - why would anyone want to allow this?

Trevek's picture illustrates this perfectly - though I'm not sure fences would have made much difference in that particular street ;)

Me neither. I said as much in post #2. The garden in question, however, is in the UK, where you can't always put a fence round a garden, especially on a modern housing estate where there are often restrictive covenants about uniformity.


I've heard the same. The police say that big hedges and high fences are a bad burglary risk because anyone can climb over them and they in the same way that they provide privacy for residents, they also provide cover for burglars to break into the house unseen by neighbours or passers by.

Perhaps someone could suggest a phrase to tell/write to them?

Something like, "Prosze, to jest mój ogród"


I wondered if anyone would get that ;-)

Yep. Not to mention that if someone is paranoid enough to put a big fence round the front of their property, then there must really be something worth stealing inside.

I'm not convinced as to the sense of having a postbox well away from the house as well - surely that just makes it easy for people to steal your mail?

OK, right, thanks :)


I meant gardens, not lawns ;)


Well, in the Polish countryside it's not a "cultural" thing, rather practical :) A fence is to keep the chickens, ducks and geese and dogs from straying away from the yard. And gives some privacy from the people walking down the street when you're sunbathing, for example :)


o_O
Could you post some pictures with examples of those "exceptionally ugly" fences?
But you can always put a nice-looking fence, you know ;)


OK, I didn't know it's in the UK, I thought it's in Poland ;)

You sunbathe in the front garden... hmmm... and what's your address ;-)

I could put a fence around it, I just haven't.

In my grandma's yard (not in the garden) in the countryside along with my two cousins ;)

OK, it's really time I called it a night... dobra noc, folks.

I've read somewhere that according to the British law all the land is the Queen's (or Crown's) property and all the titles are in fact just sort of eternal lease, is that not true?

technicaly,sort of,she,the crown has the land directly under the house but you own from the foundation up!!! Weird but funny laws eh?

But as for just "land",no,the crown doesnt own most of it,large chunks yes,but not all of it.
This stuff comes in handy sometimes,it got me and my mates into a fair/festival that was held on local land,when I pointed out the land was officially commen land and no one can fence it off and charge for access the guys on the gate let us in....surprised the heck out of me,I half excpected a slap for being cheeky :)

I got picked up one by the police in suburban Chicago - decided to walk from my hotel to a restaurant because I had already drunk a few beers - the sight of someone walking was so unusual to them that they thought I was a drifter.

The Polish fences are vile - ugly, unnecessary and a waste of cash - hopefully they will go out of fashion soon (probably to be replaced by leylandii !)

youre obviously thick as pig sh!t

i bet you have a hard time making friends

What on earth? You don't even speak Polish(which probably means that you are not) and you don't seem to know much about the UK either.

You'd get stabbed with a pitchfork if you were walking around somebody's property anywhere in the countryside. Highlanders are especially protective about their land.

In the city - it is rather boorish and chav-like behaviour as someone already mentioned...

Bizarre thread. Rude to walk over someone elses property anywhere regardless of language or culture. Basic common sense really.

Wite Lilly, while for a Pole, not fenced garden seems a weird thing, I still would not take a shortcut through my neighbour's lawn, unless I knew him well enough to know that he do not care.

So maybe your protests were just too polite? Maybe they did not think you are serious about it. Just rise your voice a little, give them some decibeles ;-) You can add some curses and swears as well, for a good measure. :-D That should set them stright.

Yes. Also here. But there still happen idiots who don`t care, especially when drunk.

You can always take a bureaucrat / politician approach: tell them that for their own safety they should not enter your lawn.