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Post by gmh on Oct 13, 2005 22:23:41 GMT 1
efen eu mutha pfurkers
Today I decided to go into town at 4.30pm to do a show. What a mistake it turned out to be for me and the thousands of other people driving in Zagreb at the time. Massive and major traffic jams everywhere. Roads closed all over the centre and beyond for over 4 hours !!!! Why? Because 15 presidents from eu countries were here for some summit, and everyone of then arrived at different times, and not only did they need the route shut down from the airport to their hotel, but also I guess they needed to take a little sight seeing tour around the city centre just to make sure all public and private transport came to a halt. Perhaps it's the fault of the Croatian officials for over reacting to the visit, or maybe it was a request of the foreign 'elite', but either way it seemed to me, and everyone else that was efd over by this event that it was totally unnecessary to close off so many streets for so long.
I guess we can expect the same on saturday when they all leave.
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croam
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Post by croam on Oct 13, 2005 22:48:31 GMT 1
its HR's responsibility to secure 15 heads of state while visiting their country. i'm sure it sucked but thats the name of the game. Croatian tax dollars were used for that too if it makes you feel any better. Imagine what Bush does to traffic. I was in Phoenix last summer when he happened to be there at the same time. you can't get within 4km's of that guy.
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Post by mambo on Oct 13, 2005 23:09:43 GMT 1
Did they ever hear of Helicopters in this coutntry ?
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croam
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Post by croam on Oct 14, 2005 0:56:04 GMT 1
nah....5 armour plated bmws followed by an ambulance looks more official. everyone has helicopters these days(except me).
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Post by davidzg on Oct 14, 2005 1:44:20 GMT 1
It is a disgrace, the same thing happened to be two weeks ago on a friday when some drongo from Hungary was there, they closed all of Novi Zagreb.
It's a joke, as mambo said Helicopters are needed.
The Americans have a chopper to go from their embassy to their moutain retreat so why can't anybody else?
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Post by noddy on Oct 14, 2005 5:44:19 GMT 1
yeah, let the world stop turning for a while because of them.
yesterday people were driving home from work for hours and hours, routes they usually do in maybe half an hour.
and the presidents will still be arriving this morning, so hundreds of people will be late for work and whatever they need to do in the morning.
hate it.
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Post by gmh on Oct 14, 2005 10:22:54 GMT 1
It was definately poor planning. Both yesterday and today they shut down the roads during peak hour traffic ! Where's the logic in that? Also, why close off so many roads in the centre when all they had to do was go from the airport to the Westinn hotel. Helicopters would have been far more impressive. On the upside, many people were stuck in town, and I used that to my financial advantage.  People were really pissed off and honking wildly on their horns, not exactly the best way to gain public support for joining the EU. |
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Post by ROG on Oct 14, 2005 11:46:41 GMT 1
Well, it is like this because of many reasons. Most important is that all political and govermental institutions are centered downtown (organization which stayed unchanged from times of Austro-Hungarian Monarchy) ...
First they need to move those away from town, because now we have "funny" situation that cultural institutions are build far away from towns cultural center, and political/govermental institutions are "spreading" themselves in towns center.
Next ... this is small country, and it would be great for it to work a little bit on "conferencing tourism". What is wrong in Dubrovnik, especialy in "post season", Opatija, or even some island ... Even most distanced locations are just one hour away from Zagreb (by plane, or hour and half by helicopter).
Also, Zagreb airport looks like ... well, there is joke saying that pilot landing on it each time asks himself "have I landed on bus station again?" ...
A lot of work, even more planing and some "vision". But unfortunately - this "small" example gives really good review of how indeed - "organized and planed" Croatian politics and polititians are ...
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croam
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Post by croam on Oct 14, 2005 16:05:49 GMT 1
with all those islands it seems silly not to have a presidential retreat where you can fly foriegn dignitaries to with a helicopter. I think that would be very impressive to visitors and perhaps help out with the congestion you guys are talking about.
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Post by mambo on Oct 15, 2005 1:19:39 GMT 1
If I remember well, Tito would always take them to Brioni Islands. It still is a nice place to be, so why not go there now ?
Worst part is that most of the politicians don't care, they already have lost touch with reality a very long time ago.
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Post by gmh on Oct 15, 2005 8:32:51 GMT 1
well. the whole fiasco is being heavily chastised in the media as amateurish and unnessacary. Apparently there was a world summit here 4 years ago with 150 world representatives and they didn't shut down all the roads that time.
My friends say this is how Tito and others would do it in communistic times. Shut down everything to welcome the guests. Unfortunately I doubt that it was all that impressive for the presidents. I'm sure it just looked like Croatia was totally unorganized and inept.
Imagine what would happen in Brussels if they did the same thing everytime someone important came to town. They'd probably have to get rid of cars all together.
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Post by davidzg on Oct 15, 2005 9:18:16 GMT 1
I'm pleased that the media seems more and more willing to criticise the powers that be on small matters, we have to start somewhere.
Can you imagine the impression it gave to foreign diplomats? The whole city at a standstill? The economic implications alone will have frightened them, or maybe that was the point? To go in low as some back-wards unorganised country and play the role of the helpless needy state?
Maybe they're not as stupid as we think, who knows, either way it is unfair on local people, and local businesses.
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Post by ROG on Oct 15, 2005 12:50:44 GMT 1
I'm pleased that the media seems more and more willing to criticise the powers that be on small matters, we have to start somewhere. Can you imagine the impression it gave to foreign diplomats? The whole city at a standstill? The economic implications alone will have frightened them, or maybe that was the point? To go in low as some back-wards unorganised country and play the role of the helpless needy state? Maybe they're not as stupid as we think, who knows, either way it is unfair on local people, and local businesses. Only retard could come out with such conclusion. Sit, think and post again. |
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Post by gmh on Oct 15, 2005 13:07:53 GMT 1
Even emergency vehicles were stuck for hours!The powers that be were lucky not to have a death on their hands.
Realoldguest, I have the impression that you're the type of person that could lift yourself above the name calling that goes on between some others. Am I right?
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Post by ROG on Oct 15, 2005 13:10:47 GMT 1
Even emergency vehicles were stuck for hours!The powers that be were lucky not to have a death on their hands. Realoldguest, I have the impression that you're the type of person that could lift yourself above the name calling that goes on between some others. Am I right? Excuse me, but what this has to do with you ? You think idiot made point or something ? |
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