Germans. After a moment, a German officer boarded the bus and carried out
a foreign exchange search. I opened my purse and showed its content to him.
It later proved that in my pocket I had smuggled five zlotys, which I had completely
forgotten before my departure. After that check, there was to be a luggage
search. But our cicerone⁸⁷ reached an agreement with the border guards.
The Germans were to search only several suitcases selected at random and severalpassengers of their choice. A German with a mean [x]⁸⁸ expression on his
face and piercing eyes got on the bus, scanned everyone and left. Then another
German dragged out four suitcases, which he then returned. The whole search
ended with an inspection of those suitcases. When we set off again and crossed
the border, it was like a load off everyone’s mind. After that cursory search,
some of the passengers regretted not having taken everything they wished to.
This or that [. . .] what are the ways of smuggling [. . .] valuables. At some [. . .]
stopped. In our [. . .] after which three [. . .] from Łódź [. . .] for [8] the reconnaissance bus and returned to Łódź. The rest of our journey was almost uneventful. The bus was stopped once, the driver showed his pass, and we moved
forward. As we were approaching Warsaw, the busmen announced that we
would go to Okopowa Street, where we would have to wait on the street. When
we began protesting, we were told that for an additional fee of two zlotys per
person the bus would take us to the bus station on Grójecka Street. Nolens
volens, we agreed. The station on Grójecka Street proved to be unheated and
the buffet was closed. The wind was blowing from every direction, and the
night was very cold. At the station there was already a group from Łódź,
which had set off from Lutomierska Street, not Południowa Street. They told
us about their unpleasant adventure near Warsaw. The bus was stopped by
Germans who demanded passes from the Jews. When it turned out that none
of the Jews had an Ausweis, the Germans told everyone to get off the bus.
The passengers took fright, but in the end all of them, regardless of their sex
or age, were ordered to run on the road. When that ‘job’ was done, the passengers
could continue their journey to Warsaw. Everyone began to settle
themselves at the station; some unpacked their bedclothes and went to sleep.
I did not have any bedclothes, so I paced and nervously smoked cigarettes.
Some of the inhabitants of Łódź recognised me. The above-mentioned
87 (Italian) guide.
88 [x] look.
