Lot of people were late to work, school, home. So did I. When I was standing on a cold tram (yes, the heating was damaged), becoming more frozen, some reflection came into my mind.
The tram was stuck in the longest traffic jam I have ever seen. After the tram driver opened the doors to let passengers walk through the snow and snowdrifts, I took my camera and started to shoot photos. For me all situation was quite funny and interesting, although I knew I would be late for work (If You want to see my photos, check: http://www.gadu-gadu.pl/5546370258653390840/warszawa-tramwajowy-korek-gigant).
Other people were angry, some say that if the local elections were in Warsaw during first winter days, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz would never have won. Another guy replied saying that all snow would be removed.
Nevertheless, the elections were a few day ago when the weather was nice and sunny so we are not able to check what would happen if we were to cast our votes during winter days. And still the winter is a kind of natural cataclysm for most of Poles.
So I asked my foreign friends from Norway and Finland how they cope with winter. Hege, from Norway, says that Norwegian take winter as something natural. They got used to poor driving conditions, colder weather and so on.
- You in Poland have to think about winter as something normal, and to bear in mind that it's not a summer when driving is easier.
But Livie, from Finland, says - well we also complaint about winter, first
days of snowing are always harder, but well it's winter. Think about a lot of
nice things that you can do when there is so much snow! Skiing, sleighing , and
running through the snow!
That strikes me a lot. Are we the nation of complainers who can never see a bright side of life? Is it the heritage of communism era or national feature? Discuss!
I think we would have less complaints and less reasons for disatisfied when our road service work harder and be on time. Actually they don't work enough to deal with snow. This is main reason why polish people complain on winter in our country. Of course snow and winter are very needed when we want to skiing or just have good fun on snow but not in our daily life.
ReplyDeleteSome people are so naive. Saying that, if someone else would won the snow will be gone is just brilliant. Off course something more, or better could be done, but to blame winter on one person is just stupid. As we can see on the pictures, the trams should be in technical museum, not in the road, and MZA/ZTM really failed. Going to work on time by bus from Tarchomin was ten times harder then Mission Impossible 3. The buses were broken. It just show that they are not maintain properly.
ReplyDeleteUnderground work ok, and if someone can travel only by this type of transport is very lucky :)
It's amazing how some people overreact during winter. Like snow was something that just shouldn't happen. If you don't like to be stuck in traffic jams because of the snow, move away to a country that doesn't have that or just deal with it. Some just seem to ignore the fact that there's no way to have roads and sidewalks clean at that time.
ReplyDelete@ Jakub K. For me it was kind of shock, these first days of winter, because before I change job recently, I was traveling to work by underground or bike, so I used to comfort or independency. So changing to trams was shocking...
ReplyDeleteMK
What I noticed was paradoxically better mood of majority of passengers. It was quite interesting day - everybody were stuck so you even didn't have to give reasons of your latency:) People were more communicative and supportive. But it was just first day - than a good mood was disappearing together with the road-snow:) It proves again that common disasters connect Poles:)
ReplyDeleteIt is true that most Polish people simply love complaining on every possible occasion. However, there is a grain of truth in the complaints described in the text. You cannot be happy because of winter when the whole city is paralysed by...the first snow. Suddenly the public transport cannot bring you to work on time, suddenly there is such a traffic jam that you have serious doubts whether you will reach home by night. On the one hand, Polish people do exaggerate the problem, on the other hand though our public service is totally unefficient in such situations. I would not blaim the president herself, she cannot manage every single unit of public service by herself. I think other European cities could be a good example of how snow should be dealt with.
ReplyDeleteSome people though may find the whole 'first day of winter' situation funny. Everything depends on one's attitude...
Now I think that comparing to some Western and Southern Europeans countries our reaction for Winter is quite normal..
ReplyDeleteDo you remember what happened on Christmas in some huge airports?
My friend from England once told me that in her city everything is closed whenever they have a few centimeters of snow, that is real overreacting.
On the other hand I really understand why some people complain about snow so much. I live in the suburbs and I had huge problems on my way to school for a whole first week of "real Winter". After more than hour in a crowded bus it's really hard to be cheerful...
I believe that Poles have the mentality that they have to complain about something that has always discern the bad things, and positive do not pay attention. I think the Polish authorities are coping very well with the exception of the winter and heavy rain (which is rather normal that it is impossible to remove all the snow from the road when he is falling all the time.) As for the state of our trams, the reason that it is not the best, but it is constantly changing for the better. A Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, I think it's good exercise his office despite a few drawbacks (but it's another topic).
ReplyDeleteI don’t think that winter in Poland is such a huge problem. I haven’t notice that people complain so much. Quite the contrary! I have never met in Warsaw so many nice and helpful people than this snowy year. Maybe I’m lucy:)
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, yes we are nation of complainers who can never see a bright side of life. I do not know why this happens,but I am really sure that it is. I don`t know whether it is the heritage of communism, because because I'm too young. But from what I've heard of the story is very probably.
ReplyDeleteWe are a nation that likes to complain and we are selfish. We should support each other in difficult moments and enjoy what we have. Weather is something natural and nobody cant influence on this (excluding fog of Russia ;)), so why we are nervous when snow fallen? I dont understand it.
ReplyDeletePoles like to complain and have it probably in the blood. We like to take, but we do not like to give something back. Many nations are the same, but it would be nice to be and example for others.
ReplyDelete