Russia’s Daredevil Pedestrian Safety Advocates

Have you ever thought about taking matters into your own hands when you see someone drive in the bike lane or block the sidewalk? Well, these Russians are living your vigilante traffic enforcement fantasy — and it looks absolutely terrifying.

A group of men calling themselves the “Stop a Douchebag” movement are willing to risk anything, even a bullet to the head, to protect the sidewalk from entitled drivers.

Wow. Russia’s traffic culture makes south Florida’s look tame.

  • njudah

    OMG…they really do not screw around over there eh?

  • Andy

    As seen from the videos, it’s amazingly how many people are driving on sidewalks. It seems like some bollards would go a long way, although they seem to be driving up curbs too.

  • Joe Enoch

    I discovered these last week and was transfixed for at least an hour. The bravery and (mostly) calm demeanor of the activists in the face of such hatred and entitlement is astonishing. It seems to be working though because in some of the later videos, the drivers immediately back up or acknowledge they’ve been had by the “stop a douchebag” movement.

  • red_greenlight1

    I love these guys! However, based on what I know of Russia I really fear things will not end well for them.

  • Alex Brideau III

    Even better would be some street furniture (perhaps benches or potted trees bisecting the sidewalk every few feet or so) as they would not only discourage illegal driving but also add some pleasant amenities for those walking.

  • joe redford

    I thought asholes were only in America. Why are they driving on the sidewalk?

  • Jake Wegmann

    Wow. Absolute fearlessness. I’d say I admire those guys–and I guess I do–but I couldn’t condone anyone copying their tactics.

    One thing that strikes me in that video is the fury with which entitled people react when their privileges are directly threatened. I don’t think that’s just in Russia, that’s universal.

  • Eric McClure

    Faith in humanity restored. Except for those jerks driving on the sidewalk.

  • anothervoter1

    In such a hurry that they’ll drive on the sidewalk. But yet they spend, who knows how much time arguing and threatening.

    True genius. Or in this case. Douchebags.

  • chekpeds

    I love these Guys -! Crime and Punishment..

  • mrtuffguy

    Wow. Maybe a bollard would do the same thing without the risk of being murdered.

  • dat

    That’s hilarious. I don’t see anything close to ‘terrifying’ though. Just a bunch of entitled douche-canoes in cars. None of them even brandish anything. Good fun.

  • One does draw a gun and point it at the protesters, 2:45 into the episode above.

  • flyingember

    Looks like that city is paying attention. I think I caught that in one of the videos they mention bollards going in within a couple weeks.

    There’s still areas in Russia without suitable roads. If you leave a city east of the urals you’ll get lucky to find better than gravel. There’s notable cities without sufficient bridge capacity over rivers

    In Moscow they don’t actually have freeways in the city core and public transit isn’t sufficient. So if anyone wants to see what not building enough transit with only surface streets and everyone wants to drive does look at Moscow. It’s a lesson for transit planners everywhere

  • Tyson White

    This one is awesome! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQPTa8DU-Uo
    I wish it had english subtitles, though…

  • dat

    Weird, I didn’t see that when I first watched it! Thanks!

  • Andrew

    You can turn on YouTube translated CC’s, but don’t expect anything terribly intelligible.

    This one’s my favorite, at least the opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0favqDqKoI

  • Josef Taylor

    If they put benches down, they couldn’t plow it, then people would be walking on the road. Then they have to get a separate plow for the sidewalk…

  • Golden Gate Shark

    those dudes have brass balls

  • Alex Brideau III

    I would think this should be no different from any other area that receives significant snowfall and has street furniture.

  • neroden

    Wow.

    What’s interesting is that when the police show up they are clearly *extremely* intimidating to the guy driving on the sidewalk, who promptly backs off.

  • neroden

    The big difference is that in these cases in Russia, the police, when called, enforce the traffic law. (Who knows whether they would if they weren’t on camera, but when they’re on camera they do.)

    In NY I would unfortunately expect the police to support the people driving on the sidewalk.

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