The "Stop a Douchebag" Campaign in Russia Gets Some Help from the Police

With cities designed during the communist regime when only a select few were supposed to own cars, traffic in Russia is now a complete pain in the proverbial backside. Since cars have become more and more affordable and most of the population has migrated to the country's main cities, their streets have now become overcrowded. So what do some Russian drivers do?

They use the sidewalks, obviously. Sick of the complete lack of respect shown towards pedestrians and fellow drivers as well, a group of young guys have started the "Stop a Douchebag" movement. Judging by their MO, they see this as an educational program. They don't look to punish the offenders, they just want to make sure that those caught realize that what they're doing is wrong. If they comply (turn back and re-enter the traffic), then it all ends there. If not... well, then things get interesting and we have videos such as this one.

Dealing with the kind of people who don't show any consideration towards the rules naturally puts them in harm's way. It's not hard to imagine drivers pulling out bats or, even worse, guns, after having half of their windshield covered with a sticker. Actually, you don't have to imagine anything: just watch some of their videos, and it's bound to happen at some point.

The boys (and, occasionally, girls) stand their ground and are even willing to grab onto the car's hood if the driver insists on going forward. Case in point, the Volvo featured right here. After a seemingly friendly conversation, the driver backs up and tries to go 'round the man blocking the sidewalk.

After a short trip on the hood, he stops and gets out, but he turns out to be all talk and no action. Still, a few moments later, a traffic police squad shows up, and the guy is in deep trouble. Turns out he also had a few unpaid fines (the shock!), to which a few new offenses will be added. The police say he'll be going to court, and that's what makes the work of these guys from the "Stop a Douchebag" movement worthwhile.

The second character in this clip is just that: a character. He seems to be drunk, but he might just be like that all the time, who knows. He pulls a lengthy negotiation, but to no effect. After he yells at his girlfriend to get in the car because she was interfering with the process, he casually tells the guys (and the camera) that if they call the police, they'll find out he's on their wanted list. And for murder, nevertheless.

As the man finally understands that there's nothing he can do to get through, they all go back into the car and reverse all the way to the actual road. The man dressed in white, the one who carried the negotiations on behalf of the "Stop a Douchebag" movement, delivers the best possible conclusion: "This is what happens when people are stuck somewhere in the nineties."