HIS name is Alexei Volkov. He is a bus driver from Zelenograd. And he's as mad as hell, especially with drivers who cut him off on the roads.
So, he's taken the law into his own hands. And, as a result, he's become a folk hero in Russia.
He is known as "the Punisher" after the ruthless comic vigilante who dispenses brutal justice.
Volkov has been in more than 100 traffic accidents, though "accidents" may be a misnomer.
He's caused most of them with his in your face - or in your rear-end - driving style.
If someone cuts him off, Volkov just smashes into them.
To ram home his point, he then posts the dashcam video of his exploits online.
His YouTube channel has had hundreds of thousands of hits - and we mean hits.
In an inteview, Volkov boasted that the courts have taken his side in any case that's gone that far.
Most people seem to sympathise with him.
As he told one Russian news site: "Take my latest accident. What could I do? Swerve to the left in the oncoming traffic or suddenly brake and maybe injure the passengers?
"In both cases my licence would be revoked and I’d have some serious problems. While the happy bastard would just leave the scene.
"I am not interested in such outcome. The cops just grin. As for the colleagues – I haven’t asked what they thought."
He started recording the smashes in 2007 to defend himself from insurance scam drivers, who sharply cut in and brake in front of other vehicles to cause a smash and then make fraudulent claims.
The Youtube videos show Trabants, Ladas, a van and even an expensive 4x4 fall foul of The Punisher's wrath after swerving in front of him. The footage also shows incredulous drivers getting out of their cars to confront him after the shunts.
An Interview with Alexei Volkov
Give right of way to a bus!
- Have you been found not guilty in all cases due to the video records?- In all cases of scams I was found not guilty. In the past the traffic cops sometimes tried to argue, but I always succeeded to prove my point through the court. And now everything works like a clock – they judge objectively.- Do you have problems with the management because of the large number of accidents?- If there is no fault of mine, the management doesn’t care. The bus usually gets only minor damage. If the damage is more serious, they just wait for the insurance payments and then repair. For example, in the last accident the front bumper was seriously deformed after I hit a truck weighing 3 tons.- And what is the attitude of your colleagues and traffic cops to your principles?- It’s not about principles. Take my latest accident. What could I do? Swerve to the left in the oncoming traffic or suddenly brake and maybe injure the passengers? In both cases my license would be revoked and I’d have some serious problems. While the happy bastard would just leave the scene. I am not interested in such outcome. The cops just grin. As for the colleagues – I haven’t asked what they thought.- So, how many accidents have you had overall? Have you posted all of them on YouTube?- In total I have had more than one hundred accidents. Of course, I haven’t uploaded all of them: in my channel there are only the obvious scams and some colorful collisions. Besides, I acquired the dash camera only in 2007.- Have you ever got complaints from the passengers, who were unhappy that they couldn’t get to their destination after the accidents with scammers?- That’s a strange question. The passengers escaped uninjured, what can they complain about? That’s nonsense.- So, none of your bus passengers has been injured in accidents?- No, not a single passenger was injured.- How do the scammers behave after the accidents, when they realize that they will obviously be found guilty of the accident?- After the accident, nobody realizes that they will “obviously be found guilty”. It’s still a common misconception that those who hit from behind are always at fault. So, they behave arrogantly. Though later it’s funny to watch their painfully pathetic explanations in the office of the analysis group which investigates the accident. By the way, the freak from the last video considered himself right even after cops explained him the situation and he hired a lawyer.- And how in general will you evaluate the behavior of Zelenograd motorists from the point of view of the bus driver? Do they give the right to a bus departing from the bus stop?- What can I say? They usually behave in a rude manner. I often see how bus waits with the turn signal switched on for one-two minutes, and these “morons” still continue squeezing in. However, the situation is gradually improving. Also, due to my educational work.
source: http://www.news.com.au, http://redhotrussia.com
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