Krakow a safe and friendly city for foreigners? Read this!

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Apr 5, 10, 14:33 #1

Hello, i am new to this forums.

I am a tourist to Poland and i was in Krakow in 2006 and i liked it so i came back. I thought Krakow is safe city.

But last night something bad happened to people from my hostel! Last night a group of 4 guys went to some bars. Around 3 o clock, they decided to walk back to their hostel (also in the center). They were still on the central market when suddenly 2 of them were attacked from behind by a big group. They were severely hit on their heads with bottles!

They had to run all the way to the hostel, followed by their attackers. They made it to the hostel, so their attackers left. But the 2 guys needed to go to hospital. They stopped a cab, but because of the blood on their faces, the cab driver refused to take them. Later another one took them to hospital. The nurses were rude and refused to talk English and said that they should talk in Polish.

They also told me that there was police on the market and when they saw the action, they just looked and didn't do anything to stop the attackers! Did they have bad luck or do these things happen a lot in Poland?

rockbitThreads: 2 Posts: 17 Joined: Feb 8, 10 ♂	Apr 5, 10, 14:40 #2
At 03:00 there are only about 3 kinds of people out: 1. Night workers = no problem. 2. Criminals = Big problem. 3. Drunks = victims.

MEMBER ♂

Apr 5, 10, 14:41 #3

Not hit severly enought to stop them running? what a crap mug job. Its an opportunist hit nothing more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time, happens all the time. Language barrier has always been a problem in Poland.

Sounds like these guys advertised that they were foreign, theres always two sides to a strory anyway.

Personally i reccommend any foreigner here to be carefull at all times. Have eyes in the back of the head so to speak.

visitor321Threads: 1 Posts: 9 Joined: Apr 5, 10 ♂	Apr 5, 10, 14:47 #4
Wroclaw Boy, you think they don't like foreigners? I know that English guys are not very popular in Krakow, but these guys are from Spain!

dnzThreads: 25 Posts: 804 Joined: Dec 2, 07 ♂	Apr 5, 10, 14:51 #5
They must have done something to provoke the attack, I've walked around Poznan in some terrible states over the past few years and never had any real issues. I can believe it about the police ignoring it as the police here are a joke but there must be more to the story than you are letting on.

Wroclaw BoyThreads: 57 Posts: 5,478 Joined: Jul 3, 09 MEMBER ♂	Apr 5, 10, 15:01 #6
visitor321: Wroclaw Boy, you think they don't like foreigners? Not really, its an easy money story, sounds like they didnt even get that anyway. visitor321: I know that English guys are not very popular in Krakow, but these guys are from Spain! Come on lie a bit, say they were German so we can all have a good laugh.

visitor321Threads: 1 Posts: 9 Joined: Apr 5, 10 ♂	Apr 5, 10, 15:03 #7
dnz, They told me they didn't drink much and that they behaved normal. I believe them. They are not the types i suspect of behaving like English stag groups. I think the only thing they did "wrong" was that they talked loud in a language that is not poilish and that they don't look polish.

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Edited by: jeden Apr 5, 10, 15:05 #8

The nurses were rude and refused to talk English and said that they should talk in Polish.

Everybody would be rude at 3 o clock am, being forced to speak in foreign languge.

Not averybody in Poland have to speak english.

Taxi driver didn`t have to take you where you want... However he was a swine that he didn`t want to help you.

We Poles don`t like Police very much[;)] so they were afraid of wpierdol.

Wroclaw BoyThreads: 57 Posts: 5,478 Joined: Jul 3, 09 MEMBER ♂	Apr 5, 10, 15:13 #9
Theres so many holes in this story. I cant even be bothered to discuss anymore.

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Apr 5, 10, 15:17 #10

visitor321:

and refused to talk English

And why the hell should they use English ?

visitor321:

I know that English guys are not very popular in Krakow, but these guys are from Spain!

Oy vey. It doesn't matter If one is English or Spanish... once you get drunk, shout in the middle of the night and generally behave like some damn macho (I could bet that's what they were doing) It's rather a matter of time when you will get in trouble and a few kicks in their butts aren't really much to cry about, are they ?

visitor321Threads: 1 Posts: 9 Joined: Apr 5, 10 ♂	Apr 5, 10, 15:18 #11
jeden, You think tourists should learn Polish first before visiting Poland? I don't think many tourists will still visit! :D Wroclaw Boy, what do you mean 'holes' in the story? You think i registered to this site to tell some fake story?

Bratwurst BoyThreads: 11 Posts: 14,563 Joined: Apr 2, 07 ♂	Apr 5, 10, 15:20 #12
And why should it be funny if the victims would be Germans?

jonniThreads: 26 Posts: 4,181 Joined: Nov 27, 07 ♂	Apr 5, 10, 15:25 #13
Grzegorz_: And why the hell should they use English ? Because Kraków advertises and promotes itself as a major tourist destination and a large part of the city's income derives from tourism. That's why visitors should expect some English spoken in a hospital emergency room.

Wroclaw BoyThreads: 57 Posts: 5,478 Joined: Jul 3, 09 MEMBER ♂	Edited by: Wroclaw Boy Apr 5, 10, 15:25 #14
Bratwurst Boy: And why should it be funny if the victims would be Germans? Ohh come on man, use your imagination for fulffys sake. visitor321: You think i registered to this site to tell some fake story? Nothing surprises me, ok lets say you didnt, where were you amidst all this beating with bottles hospitals and Police? At the hostel? in bed, snoozing away i bet.

Grzegorz_Threads: 81 Posts: 6,213 Joined: Nov 16, 06 ♂	Apr 5, 10, 15:25 #15
visitor321: You think tourists should learn Polish first before visiting Poland? I don't think many tourists will still visit! :D I don't think many care If they visit or not. Now tell us how your 50 EUR spend on beer in Karków is saving us from starvation.

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Apr 5, 10, 15:29 #16

I have been living in Krakow as a foreigner for about 18 months now.
Overall the city is not bad when it comes to safety, however, if you provoque it (could even be by talking in English), you will have to live with the consequences too.
There are bad and mean people in every big city in Europe, Krakow is not an exception to this rule, it has nothing to do with Poland, you could easily get mugged in Brussels or Barcelona or Paris too...

I think your friends were just at the wrong place at the wrong time, nothing more, nothing less...

And about the staff in the hospital not able to speak in English, that is something I have noticed as well, but then again, this is Poland, not England, so nobody can force them to speak in English.

Bratwurst BoyThreads: 11 Posts: 14,563 Joined: Apr 2, 07 ♂	Edited by: Bratwurst Boy Apr 5, 10, 15:30 #17
Wroclaw Boy: Ohh come on man, use your imagination for fulffys sake. I'm a German, you have to explain the joke to me...

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Edited by: Wroclaw Boy Apr 5, 10, 15:30 #18

Grzegorz_:

Now tell us how your 50 EUR spend on beer in Karków is saving us from starvation.

Nah that'll be the billion's ploughed into your shite state economy you ungratefull potatoe harvesting cowboy.

Scum bag.

Why dont you tel us some of your lies again about trying to bribe doctors with 10,000 PLN when you cant even afford a 80 PLN forum membership, or how about that old one regarding p1ssing on a stag guy in Krakow when you live in Szczecin and havent ben to Krkaow for years.

Youre the problem with Poland mate, right at the fcuking heart of it.

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Apr 5, 10, 15:31 #19

You think tourists should learn Polish first before visiting Poland? I don't think many tourists will still visit! :D

Nope, but We Poles have the rule that when we go to other country we try to use languge of this country... Sometimes it is hard but learning few words is not such difficult.

I will reapeat, No everybode have to learn english in Poland.

2) So stay at home, you won`t be beaten. I live in Cracow and I`m pissed of tourists now.

visitor321Threads: 1 Posts: 9 Joined: Apr 5, 10 ♂	Apr 5, 10, 15:31 #20
jonni, i agree with you. Grzegorz, read jonni's post. maybe people don't care about tourists...until they stay away! Wroclaw Boy, i don't know these guys. i only spoke to them because one was wearing a big white bandage on his head today, so i asked what happened.

jedenThreads: - Posts: 297 Joined: Nov 30, 09 ♂	Edited by: jeden Apr 5, 10, 15:33 #21
Nah that'll be the billion's ploughed into your shite state economy you ungratefull potatoe harvesting cowboy trillions ...whole our budget is from your cash spended for beer, Why we havet to be gratfull??/ that you bought cheap beer , and saw beutiful places??? why visitors should expect some English spoken in a hospital emergency room. try to speak english in Paris...

Wroclaw BoyThreads: 57 Posts: 5,478 Joined: Jul 3, 09 MEMBER ♂	Apr 5, 10, 15:34 #22
visitor321: Wroclaw Boy, i don't know these guys. i only spoke to them because one was wearing a big white bandage on his head today, so i asked what happened. Ahh there you go, i assume you speak Spanish fluently?

jonniThreads: 26 Posts: 4,181 Joined: Nov 27, 07 ♂	Apr 5, 10, 15:34 #23
Grzegorz_: I don't think many care If they visit or not. Now tell us how your 50 EUR spend on beer in Karków is saving us from starvation. Tell us how you'd keep the streets clean and the schools open without the taxes paid by tourist businesses.

dxxThreads: 17 Posts: 118 Joined: Jul 22, 08 ♂	Apr 5, 10, 15:35 #24
jeden: 2) So stay at home, you won`t be beaten. I live in Cracow and I`m pissed of tourists now. To be honest, as a foreigner living here for a year and a half, Im even a bit fed up with all those tourists coming here all the time...

Wroclaw BoyThreads: 57 Posts: 5,478 Joined: Jul 3, 09 MEMBER ♂	Apr 5, 10, 15:36 #25
jeden: trillions ...whole our budget is from your cash spended for beer, Ohh my god, you must have figured that error out by now please, tell me you have and youre deleting that post right now......

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Apr 5, 10, 15:36 #26

jonni:

Because Kraków advertises and promotes itself as a major tourist destination and a large part of the city's income derives from tourism. That's why visitors should expect some English spoken in a hospital emergency room.

Oy. I doubt that foreign tourism count for more than 2% of the city's income but anyway I don't think that nurses have English speaking in their job requirements. BTW It reminds me about some English guy trying to buy half price tickets at the Kraków Główny PKP train station a couple years ago, I was standing in line just after him, dude was shouting and waving his hands for a few minutes, I was laughing my ass off but once It became boring I just told him to f. out and next time ask politely If anybody would be so kind to help him. Some foreign peassants really need to taught manners.

jedenThreads: - Posts: 297 Joined: Nov 30, 09 ♂	Apr 5, 10, 15:36 #27
Tell us how you'd keep the streets clean and the schools open without the taxes paid by tourist businesses. there is no big cash , tell how someone who live in hostel, can spend a lot of money??

Bratwurst BoyThreads: 11 Posts: 14,563 Joined: Apr 2, 07 ♂	Apr 5, 10, 15:37 #28
Wow....visitors get hassled and now the thread changes into "bash the visitors"-fest....you are crazy!

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Edited by: delphiandomine Apr 5, 10, 15:40 #29

dnz:

They must have done something to provoke the attack, I've walked around Poznan in some terrible states over the past few years and never had any real issues. I can believe it about the police ignoring it as the police here are a joke but there must be more to the story than you are letting on.

From what I've heard, Spanish guys are coming to Poland in droves, trying to get laid. Somehow, it wouldn't surprise me if these guys actually went to a brothel and were beaten by pimps for not paying (or worse, for treating the girls badly).

Spanish men are hormone filled macho men at the best of time - it wouldn't surprise me if one of them actually tried pulling a knife on someone and then got his arse well and truly kicked for it. There's countless incidents in Spain where Brits have got involved in fights with locals, only for the Brit to end up stabbed by a cowardly Spaniard.

Let's be realistic - no Spainsh guy is ever going to admit that he got a beating for doing something wrong. Spanish guys, by nature, are even worse than Polish men when it comes to not accepting that they can be wrong in any way.

visitor321Threads: 1 Posts: 9 Joined: Apr 5, 10 ♂	Apr 5, 10, 15:40 #30
Wroclaw Boy, you still don't believe my story? You think i registered to tell bad things about Poland or what?

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