I have been following Wojtek’s words and thoughts via Chris Doss for a while now. But as I am now in Doug’s list, I now have the opportunity to respond. Also, I would like to point out that I lived in Poland for most of the 1980s and then again for a long spell in the 1990s. Thus, when Wojtek left, I arrived to the PRL.
On gypsies, Wojtek’s observations match mine. Gypsies were universally hated with a touch of odd fascination. As far as treatment of gypsies I remember the further south one went in Poland, the worse it got. There were many gypsy “villages” around Warsaw that would be raided by the police from time to time or by bandits.
One thing Wojtek didn’t mention, which is quite interesting considering Poland’s political problems in the 80s, was the fact – saw it myself a number of times - gypsies were allowed passage through borders without passports (cause they didn’t have any).
I remember well border and custom officials on what is now the Czech border simply not interested in train compartments stuffed with “dark people”. The smell was enough to keep me away.
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