Tuesday 16 September 2008

post this

I have a love-hate relationship with two government institutions in Poland: PKP (Polish rail) and the Poczta Polska (post office). The latter provides me with plenty of amusement, created by its mind boggling archaic ways. Sweet post ladies provide you with string for extra parcel strength, entertain you with their chatter and bleached-blond perms and complain about their wages (one of the lowest in Poland). Despite constant plans and postal policies little is being done to reform the institution. God forbid privatisation! You still cannot make payments either by way of credit card or eftpost (yup – cash only please), but then again there is some news of a mechanised letter sorting system being introduced to the mailing room. Also the postman no longer needs to wear a postman uniform. Idea is to make them inconspicuous. Too many muggings for pension cash envelopes apparently. No, the post bag doesn’t give him away. Nor that load of letters he is carrying in his hand.

By far the most entertaining aspect of the Polish post however, is the ‘post shop’. It is filled with wonderful elements that you would never even think of buying at a post office. Sanitary pads anyone? How’s about washing powder? What about a candle lantern for your grandmother’s grave? You would like a hard cardboard envelope for that CD you want to send? No sorry. Try the stationery shop down the road.


for those who may have sticky fingers, a glass cabinet with key has been installed


10 comments:

Karen said...

I've been taken aback by the archaicness of post offices in every foreign country I've visited. Surprisingly, Auspost must be doing something right.

mischa said...

australia post is also full of rubbish you'd never think to buy in a post office - torches, footy paraphernalia, soft toys. i suppose they're hoping you'll get so bored waiting in the queue that you'll make a few impulse purchases.

Anonymous said...

finally... i check ur page and there have been new developments! i must profess thanks to pkp i made it for my flight with a days notice... and caught a bus despite nagging from cabbies :P we'll he claimed to be a cabby, ever heard of that ricky gervais joke: want to know the price of an illegal mini cab, just ask a rape victim... dont, worst advice id ever had that is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UE2tjRkaCw

p.s i think the funeral candles are meant for the death of Poland... dam polonez cars... a travesty!

Anonymous said...

I've read Kukus' comment about 3 times and still make no sense of it.

I'm pretty sure daddy was having a scotch when he hopped onto the computer.

Natalia

Justyna said...

The only thing Polska Poczta is better in than Auspost is its opening hours: open until 8pm!! And there is even a 24h post office next to the train station. For all your washing dtergent needs.

Nat, don't worry. I got what Kukus meant. It just wasn't all that funny.

pinolona said...

were it not for the 24 hour post office by the station I'm sure I would have been arrested for attempted tax evasion...

Michael Wong Thye Seng said...

Polska Poczta is awful, but AusPost is fucking wretched too: an argument AGAINST privatisation.

One thing that surprises me, though, is that postage in Poland is so outlandishly — almost comically — expensive.

Is this why you don't write to me, Stynk? If you wish to atone:

C-6-01 Kelana Makhota
Jalan SS7/19 Kelana Jaya
47301 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan
MALAYSIA

Anonymous said...

both pkp and pp will be privatised in future.

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