I woke up in Poland's Hilton of Drunks after the Juvenalia party. Must I pay the 300zl fine?

Ah these expats :) Even I have never got a visit there :))))

I'd be very careful about avoiding paying fines. The EU is a common market for everything, all they need to do is introduce a computer system and they can persue you all the way home.

Pweeg is right here. The system of arbitrary drunk tanks to which admission is based on alcohol level rather than actual behaviour doesn't fit EU law (a lady got a nice payout for this recently) however unless the OP wants to take it to Strasbourg he should just pay up. It isn't much.

Btw, Grezorz, I'd bet quite a lot of money that the number of expatss (or other foreign-born residents) at the drunk tank is lower than that in the population as a whole.

The very same thing has happened me in Warsaw-I was leaving a bar and got separated from my friends, sat on a bench for a minute and started to drift off to sleep. Grabbed by police and immediately thrown in the wagon before I could explain or talk my way out. I was polite and not aggressive whatsoever. Granted, I was drunk, but the punishment did not fit - was taken to Kolska, stripped and hit in the head and legs. Left in a cell with others for 10 hours. It was traumatic. I also had over €300 in my wallet which was gone when I got my wallet back.

My question - can I avoid paying the fine, given the Kolska workers have stolen my money? Is it possible to file a complaint, seek to get my money back? I would get having to pay the fine normally but it is difficult to stomach given the fact that I know for certain they have already stolen my money! And €300 is a lot! I am not from Poland and hopefully will not need to return. Thanks.

The fact that you lost / were robbed of the 300 euro is irrelevant. Though it is a fantastic lesson to you.

A lady successfully sued in the European court for that - quite a lot of compensation too.

See post #3 in this thread.


Public sector staff in Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe are not always known for personal integrity.


Yes, you could report a theft, however it will make no difference whatsoever.

@Jimbo: this is awful! What a traumatizing experience! However how can you prove that staff stole (300 euros) from you? There is no way. Anyhow, in Poland a foreigner does not stand any chance against a Pole so best to forget about your money and next time (if ever) you are in Poland, stay away from complicated situations!

PS: in Poland or elsewhere you should not carry so much cash.

Well, it's unlikely they'd say, OK, we stole your money so we're quits. Frankly, you have no chance of getting that money back. In your position I'd lodge a formal complaint with my embassy. It will at least embarrass the department, which doesn't help you, but might make trouble for them. If you have no intention of returning, you could just go. I think I would under the circumstances.


That is the truth.

@Roger: there is NO proof that staff stole money. In order to accuse anybody, it is necessary to have concrete material proofs. Besides, as the guy was drunk, not difficult for staff to claim that he was not very clear ;). The only things for OP to do are: 1. to forget about the money (and who in their right mind would carry 300 euros in their pockets?) and 2. to use the experience as a good lesson.

Did I say there was?

I know it was silly to carry that much cash on me. I had paid for a hotel room for the weekend for other people and they had given it me the money back in euro so I was carrying a lot at the time. Awfully stupid thing to carry so much, I know. If I had known then what I know now.....

I might make a complaint to my embassy. Reluctant to pay over the fine to them after the way I was treated. And I will put it down as a hard lesson. Thanks all.

Get somebody to wreck the place? Only joking.

No.

I would pay somebody to wait for them to finish their shift.....................

Please do. Or complain at the Polish embassy in your home country. You may be instrumental in this not happening again.

We all hear stories about the "policing' in those drunk tanks. Are they all apocryphal? And it's all very well to say " Don't put yourself in that position...."

While at university I thought it might be a wheez to moon at a passing police car, and got a free night's kip for my pains, a cup of tea in the morning and 30 quid D and D from the magistrate in the morning. All very British and above board.

And my belongings were returned 100 percent prim and proper. Not the case with these thieving bastards evidently. I will take the posters' word over theirs'any day of the week thanks Inpolska:)


Exactly Roger. During communism there were far too many here who simply stared at the ground and said they were powerless and couldn't change anything. And now they seem to think this kind of behaviour should be tolerated.

Mind you a lot of Poles love this concept of ' A short sharp shock". They love a bit of brutality and authoritanism, aka stealing in this particular case.

And we all remember those thousands of people who were jailed simply for riding their cycles in the village when drunk.
Only in Poland:( The Germans have a word for the Poles who perpetrate such outlandish punishment, starting with D and ending in ...koff. Can't think why...:)))

@Roger: I did not say you have ;). I was just once more writing what I'd said ;). @Jimbo: yes, it was silly and you know it but sometimes we all do although we know (I did it too of course)... Unfortunately there is nothing you can do re the money. Of course staff would say that threre was no such money in your wallet. I know it's rough and it's some kind of money but try not to think about that and move ahead! :)

Complaining to one's embassy won't help as they are not allowed to intervene in local affairs. All they can do is to provide a list of lawyers speaking victim's native language and the names and addresses of authorities to go to. However, OP has no material proofs, no witnesses so how in the world can he do anything??? In Europe and similar countries, police and justice work on 100% reliable material proofs.

In normal economies the police and the authorities don't steal. Because they are being monitored. I refer to Western Europe..... (of course the USA also doesn't apply as a "normal" country here either.)

There would be cameras in that holding place where the poster was - so yes - what happened to him is actionable. Of course, they would simply say that the cameras weren't working - but the software could prove that lie anyway.....

Theft is theft - what would happen it I broke into the locker rooms there, and took 300 Euros from the wallets of those people.

It's the same thing isn't it?

The embassy would be obliged to pass on the information to the Polish authorities. There are many crimes committed, proof for which cannot be offered, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be reported. Polish police used to be notoriously venal, but people got tired of it, and now, thanks in part to new technology, things are much better.

All countries are interested in keeping a record of crimes committed by and against foreigners. He should report the crime.

Really?what is 300 euros these days and is certainly nothing if you go for shopping in any european country,esp if you are a tourist and dont know where credit cards are not accepted.Get real.

You know, the worst thing was that he didn't remember anything.