Bad Attitude - Con's - Police

Frankly, reading the posts of Viktor, whom I'm discovering today, I have the strong impression he is a weirdo, and has found in Czechia a scapegoat for his psychological problems.

 

When one is returning to country of his birth, wish is, in general, that we find it just as we have been imagining it all those years. We did not leave the country because we were poor, but because we disagread with government at that time. We are obviously not a sheep which stay with the flock and we are vocal if we don't like something.

Now, when people have freedom, we were hoping that they would take take advantage of the opportunities and do well. It it very irritating to experience that instead of doing their best, some do their best to rip of tourists by offering services fit for dog (come on....flees in the hotel room???) or taking other advantage of visitors.

Before we relocated to other country, we were treated differently and we didn't have experiences of "foreign tourist". To be, suddenly, in shoes of "rich and stupid" as many tourists are perceived, because they spend more for one meal than local family would for week or a month, is very annoying experience. You just cannot imagine. Especially, when you hear what they are saying while thinking that you don't understant the language.

Unfortunately many western travellers in our age group spoiled it for all of us saying loudly million times "It's sooooooo cheap!!!!!" and tipping like a fools (Normal people in local's eyes just round it up).

I don't know Victor and should not speak for him, however, I can relate. When I came back, after many years, I was appaled by many things as they were huge flaws on the beauty and perfection we, who were born there, know of and always loved.

 

Thank you Magan. I also do not know Qcumber and will not give him the courtesy of even replying. I just consider the source. However, I did not return to Czechia for the sake of a cheap hooker or beer! I indeed was dissapointed, for I never immagined Czechs as street husslers, hookers or pickpockets. My exposure to czech expats thru the years, all over the world was as industrious, competent, inteligent, educated and caring people. Thruout the free world, the bare mention of your Czech heratige, brought you respect and admiration from the natives, that were more than happy to empoly us for our superb techical/ academic knowledge and integrety, despite the fact that at time we could not even speak the local language. Being a Czech was

My dissapointment with the current Czechs in general, is the reality of the
"eutopian" immage my parents and their peers fostered in my mind. The pride and love of country the expats maintained, even in exile. My parents tried to instill their values on me, and each time I attempted to "deviate" from the norm of acceptable behavior. When I questioned, why? The standard reply was: "becuse we are Czech, and Czech do not do that"!..

Hence, by facing the current "reality", I experinced a culture shock. I could not immagine a Czech as a pickpocket, street hussler or a hooker -- I guess those types never found the need to expatirate -- But this is not only my view, since many other expats that I know, upon returning "home" share the same views as I do. Czechia/Czechoslovakia is no longer the same as we remember "old country"..

By the way, just out of curiosity, I wonder what is Qcumber's connection to Czechia? My roots in the land go back to 1855 to Habry U Caslavy to Adolf Stransky, on the maternal side, and all those who survided WWII, eventualy expatriated in 1949, They did not leave because they could not make a living there, but rather for poltical oppression.

The fact that Czechia now reminds me of a Mexican border town, is a personal observation, and I'm very ashamed to see this sort of moral deterioration of the land of my birth. Hopefully the people will see the light and restore the former pride of the Czech people as a free nation!

Viktor

 

Have to correct you, Victor. Pick-packeters are and always were Roma (gypsies) citizens working in groups. They work usually tram 22, metro Muzeum etc. and transportation to popular concerts where tourists travel. Most of us are not used to watch out valet so it's easy pickings. If you know what you are looking for, you can actually recognize them and see what they are doing. As they are not Czech citizens (great for them in regards to being picked up by police), they should not be included in unsavoury experiences "with Czechs". I think that from what I heard this "profession" is lately infiltrated by very east europeans. Prostitutes are also mostly from East European countries as Prague has huge number of tourists.

On other hand, waiters excelling in tourist rip off are mostly Czechs. As they see western tourist with such disregard for CR currency, they don't see anything bad with muddling the bill or serve you/charge you whatever they think you can take.

I will be going to Prague in September for three months, but I speak Czech and I only go to local restaurants frequented by Czechs - no foreign language menu for me. I also have very safe purse and never had anything stolen from me.....so as I am concerned, I had no problems.

 

Magan:
Who told you gypsies (Roma people) are not Czech citizens?

 

Qcumber:

If you find my "observations" as psychological problems, you may care to tune in to the Czech TV. There is a weekly show called: Cesky Robinson, which deals exactly with the subject of an expat family returning to Czechia after a a prolonged exile in Swizerland and dealing with the new Czech Republic attitutes.

Give it a look, and it may even surprize you, since this is a self critique of the Czech people by the Czech people,

Viktor[/b]

 

Jana: I lived in Prague when Czechoslovakia was dividing and remember quite clearly that we all had to "apply" to be either or else. Those who had criminal record in past 5 years were not "allowed" to become Czech citizens. In many of those families there was always one and they had a gread difficulties because of that. Most of them were originally from Slovakia and I think that most of them still are Slovak citizens. They speak Czech or Slovak. This is on basis of what I remember and I would be surprised if they would go forward to switch their citizenships.

I do have to say that I am not familiar with the law in CR regarding citizenship now (I am citizen already for long time), so my comment on
they are not Czech" was clearly based on above.

 

Well it is interesting to see that racism is alive and well in Czechia, (and also Canada!).
Magan:

Stereotypes make things so much easier to deal with. Roma = criminal. Criminals cannot be Czech!
Of course there are many Roma, both individuals and families, who are not criminals, and are Czech citizens. I number several among my personal friends. It is true that the bad activities of many Roma cast a slur on others, but you cannot pigeon-hole all of them in that way.
The Czech waiters who rob tourists are no less criminals, but does that make all Czechs thieves? Or all waiters thieves? There are black touts on WS {See this thread} but does that mean all black people are touts? Beware of such generalizations. It is the stuff nightmares are made of!

 

Bravo Chris!

 

The generalisation is a normal mental process which helps to survive (or to save your wallet at least).

Ergo:

Beware of all tigers in the jungle!
Beware of all waiters in the Prague pubs!
Beware of all Gypsies in the streetcars! (highly recommended)
...
etc.

 

The implication seems to be that you are perfectly safe if there are no gypsies on a streetcar!
Not so. A better generalization would be:
Beware of pickpockets on the streetcars.
Plus that is not racist; pickpockets come in all shapes, sizes and races, just as waiters do.

 

How ridiculous! See the world as it is, not as it should be. It is not something theoretical, and stupidly described in a politically correct manner just to please a bunch of nincompoops. :lol:

Whatever you say, people with common sense will always be able to identify potential criminals.

 

And where did you get this nonsense from?

 

Qcumber:

According to your reasonig, common sense as you put it:

" All Frenchmen are flithy and flea infested!"

My common sense dictates this (thank you for awakening my preception of reality), since the hotel owner explained the pest infestation of my room was due to the previous occupants:

" A French Tour Bus full of Frenchmen with their filthy dogs! "

From now on, everytime I see a Frenchman anywhere, I just spray him/her with DDT. That should be easy, after all, they all look alike... Wow, I've learned something new today.

Viktor

 

Viktor, your generalisation is not correct, you have omitted something:

From now on, everytime I see a Frenchman with his/her filthy dog anywhere, I just spray him/her with DDT.

 

And do not forget to spray all French Tour buses, too!

 

I agree with you, szarkafarka. Generalization in this case stems not from racism but from life experience. While I admit that there are law-abiding gypsies who suffer injustly from prejudice, I automatically clutch my purse tighter when I see one.

 

I am sorry to hear, Eva2, that you have had your purse taken by a Gypsy.
That would naturally make you suspicious.

 

In US Sociology- it is noted that the correlation between crime vs race is directly based on opportunity/repression. Yes, there is a higher percentage of crime (per capita) in the US by blacks- however years of repression and lack of opportunity led to the black poor resorting to crime as a means to wealth. I wouldn't be surprised that the Roma in Czech are the same. Less advantages=higher chance to resort to thievery.

 

I must say, your problems sound typical for a tourist here, and I experienced something like that when I first came here. But, the reason is because you are a tourist and don't speak Czech.

Many people engage in conversations with me, especially cab drivers if I am in the mood to talk. But always always always these conversations are in Czech. If my brother is in the car and we are speaking English the services is always a bit less. Czechs do not like foreigners! I've had one lady be super rude to me simply because I was a foreigner and didn't understand Czech 100%.

So, my advice? If you want to get friendly with the Czechs, learn their language!