Video: Russians Confront Drivers Using Sidewalks To Avoid Traffic

We have previously discussed the problem in some countries like China where drivers routinely drive on sidewalks. Russia is also notorious for some horrendous drivers. One group however has started a campaign to confront drivers, leading to some tense confrontations on sidewalks as the videotape below indicates. It raises an interesting legal question of this type of citizen action. The line between citizen action and vigilantism can blur if it involves property damage, even though this is relatively slight. Indeed, there is admittedly a certain satisfaction in seeing these cars marked with a large sticker after such reckless conduct.

The campaign is a Russian youth movement. The confrontations and blocking of sidewalks seems perfectly legal. The question is placing the large sticker on the windshields which are clearly difficult to remove. They also block the vision of the drivers. That would lead to potential problems in the United States, even though few would have any sympathy. It would also constitute a form of trespass to chattel. One defense may be that the sticker was used only for those cars that refused to back up and were moving toward the youths.