A tale of different cultures
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- Posts: 317
- Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:30 pm
- Location: Pstragowa (pronounced STRONGOVA) Eastern Poland
A tale of different cultures
So here I am in Poland and needing some axle boots and a wiper arm......Scott looked like the best bet and he was, even through his ordeals the order arrived around the 10 day mark......and was promptly intercepted by Polish Customs and Excise!!!!!! I have it on good authority that they do this to anything and everything coming from the 'States' some say in retaliation for Poles not being able to get visas? (half of them (2 million) are in UK so I can see that you would not want the other half in USA...I suspect you have quite a few 'on the team' already (Kowalski from 'Voyage to the bottom of the sea'.....for oldie TV addicts). They (Customs) sent me a letter demanding that I produce a Bill of sale and the receipt all translated into Polish (If I were a business they would require me to have all this translating done by an official agency at a cost far greater than the items, before they would decide either to send the items back to the vendor or how much tax I have to pay (then the items might be released...I hope I don't have to go and pick them up? it's a 4 hour drive??) Well luckily my wife is something of a 'Del Boy' (UK TV reference) and Scott very quickly sent a fully translated bill of sale on headed paper which my wife transmitted onward to Customs. (Thanks Scott???? shhhh keep shtum) Now the damn customs know that the copy of the receipt is with the parcel which is probably why they demanded a copy (fully translated into the official hardest language in the world) but luckily as I said my wife is resourceful (she is a Pole) and we were able to give them all that they required......they are now 'deciding' whether I am legitimate or a 'black economy business' ??? I will now have to go into an explanation of the Polish mindset (which give them their due was probably forced upon them by life under the communist jackboot) Poles here in Poland practice a thing whereby you have maybe 5 jobs but only tell the authorities about one of them, 3 of them being little black economy businesses.....and if a Poles can make a buck on something, then he damn well does, be it buying parts in from America cheap and then selling them on to Poles for a small profit or using his 'fun truck' (Poles do not even have the concept of 'fun truck' in their mindset.....they will think "has it a loadbed" Yes? then I can make money hauling things at weekend) they (OK a very small few do 'off road for fun', but it is rare and they are considered strange crackpots by most other Poles, compared to the level of offroad enjoyment in the west) just do not go anywhere or do anything in a vehicle unless it has a purpose, the concept of just going for a drive is completely alien to them.....there is a classic car scene because we know the guy who is in charge of registrations, the other day he showed us the files of 'Classic' cars in this area, one quarter of Poland actually and since he started the job he has some 20 vehicles in his files, why this year alone he registered two and one of them was ours, the year before 'three' of which one was ours!!!!!!! We did mull over whether this is because Poland is a relatively poor country, but no!! we personally know doctors, chemists, professors of Biology, authors and actors but they just do not 'go for a cruise' in their machine...oh they clean it and admire it and tell their friends all about it......but they do not drive even one lousy kilomter in the bloody thing unless they really do have to. For all you Pinzgauer/Unimog owning Poles brought up in USA, your relatives here are not like you they are very alien in mindset, believe me, as one British Pinz/Mog owner who lives here (beautiful country with offroading and lanes everywhere, for all that) it will never get better while the mindset is as it is.......no smaller business can trade from the states to Poland??? big companies have and can afford expensive agents to get their stuff in.....but those of you who sell parts to Poland......warn your buyers that they may be better off having the parts shipped to an address in UK or any other part of the EU first and sent on or they will suffer as I am. Scott, I will still be buying more parts, I will just have them shipped to my dear old Ma's address In UK and she will send them on to me in Poland (like the Christmas Puddings, mince pies and other Red Cross parcel items that she just sent..Thanks Ma!!!!!) without any Polish Customs Interference. Please note: this was a rant!!!!!
Aiming to introduce UK Politicians to Piano wire and Lamposts!
Re: A tale of different cultures
You have my deepest sentiments.
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Re: A tale of different cultures
You also have my sympathies for your dilemma. Simply having a rare and unusual item is enough for some. Never really have to use it.
Politics and bureaucracy seem to infiltrate into every corner of the world, those with the power can be extremely diligent in their ways.
I recall ( hazy ) that you were excited about the move to Poland when you first began posting about it and were looking forward to the
possibility of going off track in so many places there.
I hope this incident has not soured you to your new home....and, I see that there may be a way around the issue for you.
Good luck and happy trails,
Morris
Politics and bureaucracy seem to infiltrate into every corner of the world, those with the power can be extremely diligent in their ways.
I recall ( hazy ) that you were excited about the move to Poland when you first began posting about it and were looking forward to the
possibility of going off track in so many places there.
I hope this incident has not soured you to your new home....and, I see that there may be a way around the issue for you.
Good luck and happy trails,
Morris
Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him:
better take a closer look at the American Indian.---Henry Ford
better take a closer look at the American Indian.---Henry Ford
- Jimm391730
- Posts: 1456
- Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2004 10:58 pm
- Location: Idyllwild, CA
Re: A tale of different cultures
Hope your rant makes you feel better! I worked with a Polish immigrant in the '90s, he got a visa and about two years later got visas for his family. Good guy (an electrical engineer), and we discussed the differences in cultures at the time. Although I am of Polish decent I told him about the preponderance of Pollock jokes back in the '70's and he said they have similar jokes in Poland but directed at the police. At the time I was into hang gliding, and he told me one: Two policemen were watching a distant hang glider flying around, and one says "that is a really big bird." The other says "No, it can't be a bird!" The first says "Of course they are birds, the other day I shot at one and it dropped the man it was carrying!"
Best of luck and Happy Holidays!
Best of luck and Happy Holidays!
Jim M.
712W and 710M
712W and 710M
Re: A tale of different cultures
I prefer "Upper" jokes. With the help of a sturdy stick, anything is possible.
Fat Fabrications
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Winnsboro, TX. 75494
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Facebook.com/dokapinz6x6
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2993 FM 1647
Winnsboro, TX. 75494
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- Posts: 317
- Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:30 pm
- Location: Pstragowa (pronounced STRONGOVA) Eastern Poland
Re: A tale of different cultures
Thanks guys you have cheered me up a bit.......no I am not soured to Poland, remember I came from UK and there are more places (lanes and tracks) to offroad in just this 'county' (Podkarpacie) than in the whole of the United kingdom of England, Scotland and Wales......so I do get offroad a lot......what the hell I have to offroad to get the weekly shop, this is a kind of Pinzgauer/Unimog heaven.
Aiming to introduce UK Politicians to Piano wire and Lamposts!
Re: A tale of different cultures
Add in the Pirogie's, kolachkies, and garlic infused polish sausage and I would have to agree.Dreadnought wrote: this is a kind of Pinzgauer/Unimog heaven.
Fat Fabrications
2993 FM 1647
Winnsboro, TX. 75494
fatfabrications@yahoo.com
(903) 365-2332 shop
(951) 765-7224 mobile
Facebook.com/dokapinz6x6
Www.fatfabrications.com
2993 FM 1647
Winnsboro, TX. 75494
fatfabrications@yahoo.com
(903) 365-2332 shop
(951) 765-7224 mobile
Facebook.com/dokapinz6x6
Www.fatfabrications.com
Re: A tale of different cultures
Add in the Pirogie's, kolachkies, and garlic infused polish sausage and I would have to agree.Dreadnought wrote: this is a kind of Pinzgauer/Unimog heaven.
Fat Fabrications
2993 FM 1647
Winnsboro, TX. 75494
fatfabrications@yahoo.com
(903) 365-2332 shop
(951) 765-7224 mobile
Facebook.com/dokapinz6x6
Www.fatfabrications.com
2993 FM 1647
Winnsboro, TX. 75494
fatfabrications@yahoo.com
(903) 365-2332 shop
(951) 765-7224 mobile
Facebook.com/dokapinz6x6
Www.fatfabrications.com
- Jimm391730
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- totaljoint
- Posts: 632
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- Location: Washington
Re: A tale of different cultures
Hey Andre,Add in the Pirogie's, kolachkies, and garlic infused polish sausage and I would have to agree.
If you like Pirogie's and kolachkies, guess what my Hungarian/Slovak wife likes to make around Christmas?
Toss in a sauerbraten and spaetzle and we'll have a Northern European feast.
Your in for a fun trip this winter!
- totaljoint
- Posts: 632
- Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2009 10:31 pm
- Location: Washington
Re: A tale of different cultures
Hey Andre,Add in the Pirogie's, kolachkies, and garlic infused polish sausage and I would have to agree.
If you like Pirogie's and kolachkies, guess what my Hungarian/Slovak wife likes to make around Christmas?
Toss in a sauerbraten and spaetzle and we'll have a Northern European feast.
Your in for a fun trip this winter!
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- Posts: 317
- Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:30 pm
- Location: Pstragowa (pronounced STRONGOVA) Eastern Poland
Re: A tale of different cultures
I know you guys are not hard on your wives.......but do you know how long it takes to make some of these Polish delicacies???......I,ve seen women slaving over Pierogie for a whole day????? I do like Polish foods, some of them are just too spicy for an Englishman (though I love a hot curry and most of our friends here think curry is disgusting) each to their own I say, even in this very 'eastern' corner of Poland I have a 'Lidl' (German shop) which stocks many Germany foods that I learned to Love all those years ago in the Army in Dortmund, Lippstadt, Paderborn and Herford, not to mention Frankfurt (sister and brother in law were USAF so I used to visit a lot and go bowling etc) Lidl are good for things like 'English week' or 'Mexican week' even an Italian week where they stock the foods of those countries, so I don't miss out on international cuisine, plus I'm not a half bad cook myself...I did 'Duck a l'orange' the other night and I have to say that I amazed the wife somewhat and gained a new respect for my culinary skills.
Aiming to introduce UK Politicians to Piano wire and Lamposts!
- TechMOGogy
- Posts: 2831
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- Location: Ontario, Canada
Re: A tale of different cultures
No clue what I was trying to add here!
Last edited by TechMOGogy on Mon Dec 09, 2013 1:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
72 Pathfinder | 75 710M 2.7i | 96 350GDT Worker
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- Posts: 317
- Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:30 pm
- Location: Pstragowa (pronounced STRONGOVA) Eastern Poland
Re: A tale of different cultures
The parts just arrived!!!!! they charged the Zloti equivalent of 60 Pounds Sterling as an import tax to release the items???? Boy have these Poles got a hate on America???? but is that EU induced or is it just a Polish thing? Bear in mind that we were told that if we were judged to be a 'business' (arbitrary decision by them) then the tax would have been threefold and we would have had to employ a government agency at extra cost to complete the release paperwork. I just this very morning read an article about government high taxation and corruption in Poland.......when will they ever learn.....low taxes induce business, business makes money and puts money into the economy, win win situation all round....pity there are so many socialists still at large here.......should have shot all of them when they broke away from communism.
Aiming to introduce UK Politicians to Piano wire and Lamposts!