Vehicles

Ekaterinburg

John

Here are two videos shot in Ekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia.

The first is another bit of bad driving (see Whoaaaaaaaa!), this time by a driver who apparently was so intent on beating the red light that he wasn’t keeping an eye on the road.

It’s been suggested that a gas main burst, causing the road surface to rise up, and that stopped the van dead. One wag commented, “In Russia cops don’t stop you for running a light, the road does.”

The second video is a beautifully-filmed time-lapse tour of Ekaterinburg, shot in January 2013 by Dmitry Krylov.

Traffic choreography

John

Compared to Melbourne traffic, this looks chaotic… until you take a closer look. Sure there are heaps of vehicles passing through the intersection, but they all flow so smoothly that you’d reckon the scene had been choreographed. No one seems to get upset because they’ve been cut off, no one tries to take another driver’s place, and even when a few stragglers are caught in the middle when the light changes no one seems to mind. Most important… no accidents – not even a close shave.

Melbourne drivers could take some lessons on patience and sharing from this video! I guess it comes down to a difference between Eastern and Western attitudes.

The video’s uploader commented, “Video taken on May 15, 2010, 6.00 PM at KFC rooftop, Nguyen Cahn Cha intersection, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. Watching Saigon traffic is truly an exhilarating experience, crossing the streets is another story!”