Suicide, Safety and Summer

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

The guard was nice, his English was poor so he asked others what I had said to him to be clear. He asked the "chubby jumper" and I had it, told the guard that he was the problem and I just walked away. The guard passed by me so I spoke to him again and he gave a lame answer, in the summer it is crazy but the winter it is easier?! What? The pool isn't even open in the winter!

From my experience, Hungarians generally avoid confrontation. Which means jerks get away with a lot since nobody will confront them.

And the locals alway have an excuse, for... literally... everything. Once when I asked for extra tomato sauce on a pizza. When it arrived it had barely any. I complained, and I was told the "garlic bleached it out". Needless to say, I never patronized that restaurant again (which, at no surprise to me, closed a few years later).

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Really though? How dangerous does it have to be before someone notices in Hungary?

Well, there was the red tide, and still nobody got punished (the judge in the case let all those potentially culpable all go free this year). And locally where I live, there were some people selling used gas tanks for house hold stoves that were not certified, and some ended up exploding and killing a few people, but nobody was prosecuted. A local mayor pretty clearly made fraudulent travel claims, his conviction was mostly overturned on appeal (and despite an independent review saying the local government office was essentially incompetent).

So, overall, it leaves one with the opinion that apparently nobody cares or gets punished for dangerous or illegal situations in Hungary.

You are on your own in Hungary. And do not expect EU consumer law to help you here either (I have personal experience on that one).

Justice in Hungary? Forget it.

This is the Wild "East".

Your have just scared the c*** outta me but yes, you are correct one is basically on their own here in HU.
My husband called HU the new "wild west" years ago, too bad he didn't patent that phrase since it is now used allot here, no other words would fit.

If you have not done so, read "Relations" (Rokonok in Hungarian) by Zsigmond Móricz. Published in 1932, and available in English.

It is a slow read, and can be a bit boring at times, but if you finish it, you will put it down and say... now I understand Hungary.

The themes in that book are still true today. All cultural. Which means they survived all political/economic structures including Fascism, Communism, and Capitalism. If the EU fails, it will not be because of a Brexit, but from a failure to understand local cultures like Hungary. People here do not necessarily think, or act, in an anglo-saxon way.

Then read "The Egyptian" by Mika Waltari. Not about Hungary at all, but a good study of human nature, personal psychology, power games, and politics, and in which you will find many parallels in today's news.

Dang, thanks for the info but seriously, if you say it was a slow read, I probably wouldn't make it to page 2.!!
Hungary at times does seem to be against it self from what I have experienced.
Like just yesterday at the pool.
When the "jumper" slashed a "fancy" Hungarian women all done up in makeup and perfect hairdo, she looked really annoyed , brushed the water off her skin but didn't address the idiot.
I swam to wards her and made a off the cuff remark," It's always the fat boys who splash" because I was speaking in English and older then her she sort of gave me a half smile but never said a word to the jerk who actually was being a pest.
Honestly he didn't do much to bother me other then make me look at him, that was a bit of a tortue, thank goodness he was not wearing a Speedo at the time!

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Dang, thanks for the info but seriously, if you say it was a slow read, I probably wouldn't make it to page 2.

Well, if possible, one may try to find it on "books on tape" (and I realize I am dating myself by using the word "tape"), and listen to it by the pool instead. 

I will look for a digital copy, as most e-readers these days can "read" the book to you as well.

The Egyptian is a bit more of a "can't put it down" type of book. So maybe start with that one.