The European unified emergency number 112 is being deployed in Poland. By now, it certainly works for all mobile-phone calls and most landline calls. There are also three “old” emergency numbers that were in use previously and are now operating paralelly. These are:
- Ambulance: 999 (Pogotowie, dziewięć-dziewięć-dziewięć)
- Firefighters: 998 (Straż pożarna, dziewięć-dziewięć-osiem)
- Police: 997 (Policja, dziewięć-dziewięć-siedem)
Pickpockets operate in larger cities, especially in public transport or rail station areas. The Warsaw bus route 175 running between the airport and the city centre is notorious for pickpockets operating there.
- Keep an eye on your belongings when travelling on a bus or train.
- Don’t display any bags, valuables or your car radio if you leave your car parked in the streets. Use guarded parking lots whenever possible.
- Use common sense.
Walking around is usually safe, particularly in city centres. It may be unsafe to walk in the suburbs, depending on the time of day, your dress and behaviour (that is, how obvious it is that you are a foreigner) and other factors. Again, use common sense.
Watch out for the Polish equivalent of chavs, called dresiarze — young people with shaved heads, usually dressed in counterfeit Adidas tracksuits (and sometimes with a leather jacket on top of that). These are the young generation of the Polish underclass, best avoided.