Easy come easy go - making money the hard way!!

It seems that winter has returned to Łódź with a renewed vigor. After a few weeks of relatively warm and dare I say it spring-time weather, we now have snow. ... But stop, before I kill off any potential readers of this recently sporadically updated blog, let me tell you a story. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin!



Last summer I was driving around happily minding my own business, enjoying the warm rays of the summer sum. Little did I know, that Satan in all his inventive and unquestionably evil genius had plotted to entrap me in a demonic plot. Yes, you guessed it, I went straight through a speed camera. This was not one of those large grey boxes clearly marked for all to see by a procession of flashing headlights from the oncoming traffic. No this was far more ingenious. It was one of the evil goblins cunningly disguised as a little grey bog on a tri-pod, connected by some umbilical cord like cable to a chariot of hell, otherwise known as an unmarked car.

Don’t get me wrong I am not against speed cameras or for that matter covert ones. In fact they are a very good idea and I think far more effective at reducing drivers’ speeds, than overt methods. I just would rather it wasn’t me that it happened too :-)

The problem with this occasion is that the covertness was so effective that I had absolutely no idea I had been caught. I then proceeded to go up north for the summer and it was not until early September that my local policeman cam a knocking (that is something that, after 3 & 1/2 years I still haven’t got used to ... the personal service that Polish police provide). The problem was that he had come round several times while i was away and that now over two months had passed. This means that under Polish law the case must go to court and can not just be settled by the fuzz, I mean local constabulary.

Ok, I thought fair enough. The police man wrote a very nice report, recommended me for the minimal fine, and said that I wouldn’t need to attend in person. The problem is it is now rapidly approaching the end of February and I still haven’t revived my fine. Bureaucracy is one thing, but I have had to go to the police station to get booked, the police man has had to come to my house twice, while I was there, and god knows how many times when I wasn’t, and all for the amazing sum of 100zł.

Now I am no economist, but even I can see that by the end of this all the Polish state is going to be in deficit.

So far it has been 8 months, and still no result.......

I have spoken to various Polish soldiers about the subject of Iraq. The majority feel it is not their war. However, Poles remain. When questioned further many respond that Poland is fulfilling their NATO responsibilities, however this gets a bit cloudy when I point out France's refusual to be involved. Many feel that Poland has to some how proove its reliablity and faithfullnes to the US. The question is had this been don to the US's satsifaction? Britain has just announced a significant downscaling of its operations in Iraq. Will this spell the end for Poland too?

Tameing the Bear!

Since the election i have heard mostly positive things about the new administration. What i think is most encouraging is PO's attitude to Germany and Russia. I am not alwasy a fan of either country, yet the PIS way of dealing with them was antagonistic at best. Hopefully we will see an ease in relations, especially with Russia and an opening up of the export market.