Local Poles taking advantage of foreigners living in Poland

Of course that's rude, but I am sorry to say I encounter queue jumping and not holding a door for the next person, as often, if not oftener, in London. And Poles in London notice it and label it rude. For example, in London people who hold the door open for people leaving a shop will never get to walk in unless they actually barge in. Been there, done that. In the smaller buses with just one door for entry and exit, passengers tend to rush in without letting anyone off. Bus queues are non-existent, they're just a heaving mass of humanity trying to squeeze inside while the sick and elderly fall by the roadside. (I make a point of always letting old people and women with children enter first - but sometimes they are so surprised that a young, strapping lad uses the opportunity before them).
That's why I think it's the "foreignness" (if there is such a word) factor at work here. People are much more likely to notice such behaviour, and be offended by it, if it comes from the Others (the Barbarians, Foreigners, call them what you like).
Also, you might want to consider the fact that as Western Europeans coming to a country most of you perceive as unimportant and rather poor, you might unknowingly exude a somewhat patronizing air, which would immediately raise shackles. To be totally fair, I have seen that happen to Poles visiting India - they assumed the White Master attitude and then were surprised by how hostile the "natives" were. I think most of them didn't realize what they were doing wrong, either.

Well it happens all the time regardless...and I don't know if you are joking or not about Germany...manners there are better than Poland overall...I think you have a grudge against the Germans...are they perfect? No...but not as rude as people in Warsaw...and again that is from every expat I have met not just a couple people who don't like Poland.

I agree with Magdalena.Slavic people are generally polite and not annoying in public transportation,they do not rush,and hurry to get a seat first by pushing the others.They are also very quiet and calm,do not make so much noise.In contrary many other nations want to make their presence as noticed as possible.

WHAT???!

Every time the doors open people try to shove their way in without waiting for people to get off....in Warsaw anyway. They also keep pushing on even when the car/bus is totally full and they should wait for the next one. I have seen people hurt this way.

You people must be experiencing a certain time when it is not busy or in a tourist area where they are trying to sell things to foreigners...I can assure you that day to day it is not so rosy as you imagine.

I did not notice that in Wroclaw,Poznan,Krakow,Katowice.
The real pushy are the Germans.In Germany you always want to get close to sb and push him.It is a kind of mutual awareness.

I agree with you that in London life can be quite rude but I would say it was an exception in the UK, I found that the further away from London you got the friendlier and politer people became in the UK.

this excludes airports then?



Nothing English about London, try a smaller city and you will find a huge difference, as an English person I can honestly say I hate London and find the majority of its commuters rude...

Airports are a very negative experience in Poland but in my opinion the situation has more to do with the greed of some air companies.

There are fewer British people (as a percentage of the population) in London than any other city in the UK. And the 'London-attitude' is all about being rude because one is so damn important.

You must go to a different Germany as I am there often and never find the Germans to be as pushy as Poles...in fact it is quite nice going there as things are cleaner, more developed and people are friendlier.

Airports and train stations are miserable all the world over...but cultures that allow pushing and shoving and jumping queues are less pleasant. It has nothing to do with the airlines...they don't make people act like idiots when waiting...the people do it and never want to take responsibility because that would mean they would have to put that chip on their shoulder down and be decent.

Do the Germans really keep a queue?Also have you encountered in Poland huge dogs in buses and trains next to your face or old women shouting or women removing their shoes while in train?Or whole vagons full of drunk fans and beers everywhere?

I think you will find that Polish people act the same in the English airports! two of the three times I have travelled to Poland I have had someone pushing and shoving and in one case just "trying" to walk in front of me in the queue - not something I have ever experienced whilst travelling before!

Polish airports are all run by Polish companies (most by the Polish government). The greed is all Polish.

Well, now substitute Poland for UK and Warsaw for London and we might be talking. Even so, I used to hate Warsaw with a passionate hate, and actually moved out to Ełk as soon as I graduated, but after two years in London I could live in Warsaw and be blissfully happy... ;-)

Does anyone else here get the 3rd degree when going through PL customs? To me I'm normal looking and not suspicious, but when i go through customs they flop through my passport about 20 times every few seconds staring at me. I feel like I need to stand at attention with my hands at my sides and a stone face :)

Have you tried London Stansted at three in the morning? ;-)

Yes I had that non stop for three years. Guess I just look suspiciious. I got strip searched once. Not a nice experience

Yes Germans keep queues.

Dogs are common in Poland just as Germany and in both places they are controlled quite well I feel.

Yes old women shout and remove shoes in trains here...I'd say most do not however.

Yes Polish football fans drink and act crazy all the time just like drunk idiots in all countries...and I hate it no matter where I am.

I still say overall Germany is better behaved.

You obviously dislike Germans...are you British or Polish? It is likely one of the two...but anything is possible.

I dind't notice - I had a good experiance a couple of weeks ago - so maybe you need to update S;)

Having one good experience does not make it nice overall...I experience them regularly and while yes sometimes it is ok mostly it is bad...like everywhere else...especially the USA and UK.

Again another expat or Pole by family weighing in...it seems the people who have the most defense of these issues don't live here daily...they have a candy colored vision of the country as everything looks different from the outside or when you just visit.

I had a wonderful time in some very remote places in Africa...but to the people living there life is entirely different so I have no illusion of the reality and would not presume to tell them they just need to look at it differently.

hmmm. It wasn't only once. I was speaking about Polish aiports not aiports in general and comparing my trip to Poland last year through Heathrow, Amsterdam and Berlin to Toronto-Warsaw- Szczecin was a good experiance. I am not going to travel to USA just to prove your point:)

Nah, its only the Yanks they are sus of :)



I can imagine, I wonder how much threrapy the poor guy had to have after your search ;-)

Airpots on the whole are not bad, its just some of the passengers that push and shove....

hmmm, I am quite critical of some things in Poland but I am not going to agree with you, just because you are frustrated with it. Get a life.
I have no defense issues - I had a good experiance and you shoul be happy for me, no?

Actually I have made dozens of trips through PL customs and for the first time was checked a few months ago...I think it had more to do with where I was coming from and when...it was a 'risky' country and our flight was the only one at night so they were bored. They do spend a long time looking through the passport but are never mean about it to me anyway. I know what you mean about feeling uncomfortable though...it's awkward silence...you want to say "I am a good guy let me go please!"

I can say that as miserable as the Polish public are in all venues including airports...the Immigration, Police, Customs etc are normally very professional.

I have a great life thanks Miranda :) Being critical of one's environment doesn't mean you are miserable. It is just a fact that the most vocal defenders of Polish criticism are people that don't liver here or visit from time to time...perceptions are different. Pride is strong in people.

I wasn't suggesting that you didn't. I agree with statement #2 and disagree with statement #3, because when going to Poland I am usually on a lookout for things which still need to be improved and this time I was pleasantly surprised.

Then I must have misread this....my apologies...I think.

And my point is you will not see the problems as they truly are during a visit...live here for years and then you will have a different view...for sure. When you visit a place you have a different sense because it is not your natural environment AND you do not see things as they really are....it is the same wherever you go.

accepted. I just don't like being put in the box and your comments about me were colored by the fact that I don't live in Poland, which should not be the case IMO.

agree to a point. I don't take things personally when I am visiting and I usually smile and joke around. You wouldn't see me smiling when I had to line up on Sat morning to replace my Polish ID bofore the end of 2007. So I don't wear my pink glasses. I just fugure that if I want to enjoy my stay, I let some things go and concentrate on the positive.

Actually my apology was sarcastic...read your quote above said apology...you said "get a life"...then later said you did not suggest that.

And you made my point...it is easy to concentrate on the positive for a trip...when you live here it is harder to ignore the problems.

OK then:)
it is the most difficult thing in my opinion. We need to be objective and critical in life but I find that wasting my energy on things I cannot change at present makes my life miserable.
I have done that and I know exactely how it is. I statretd from scrach when things in Poland were much worse than they are now. The progress takes time and I really feel for you.
Where are you from Jones?

well you are entitled to your opinion, but remember it is the capital city of your country and believe it or not there are plenty of English people living here, including the Head of State and the Prime Minister..love em or loathe em... Some people do push and shove when commuting, but its not cos they are rude, its just cos they need to get to work and the public transport system is inadequate, so dont blame the commuter, blame Ken Livingstone for not putting on enough trains/buses etc..