Russian Terror Bus
Friday, 9th March 2007 by Alex Turnbull
There's something very strange going in Moscow, Russia.
It looks as if a bus has come to a stop right across a motorway, bringing traffic to a complete halt in both directions. There doesn't appear to be any debris from a crash visible, so what on earth happened here?
Has the bus crashed, or could we actually be witnessing some sort of hostage situation?
Thanks to Jonas Rasmussen.
About the author
Alex has decided that his title will be Senior Vice President of Stuff.
No. You’re wrong. I live right where – just two screens down. This place is a u-turn. Cars go from the left, cross here a centre strip and go to the left to a crossroad. A bus has a big radius of turn, so it’s alone on the road. Cars at the right side are waiting at light signal. Please, dont cry to everybody what every strange thing is a terror’s mark. It’s a paranoya.
Namata is right. You can even see the other cars turning left to the bus. However, this U-turn has been closed due to the construction on the Sukharevskaya square, to the left.
Eh?
I’m with Nev… Eh? A U-turn on a highway? I don’t think so.
Have you ever been in Moscow, Mark? Clearly, the answer is no 🙂
I’m with Namata.
Traffic is not stopped in “both directions”. Traffic is moving as it should from right to left. The traffic to the left of the bus is stopped at the next light, The traffic to the right is stopped at the prior intersection. You would not have opposing traffic facing each other across all lanes.
The lower lanes is obviously moving normally from left to right.
There’s no authorities or police to be seen. Surely if this were a hostage situation, the Russian authorities would be there with bells on. You’d expect helicopter possibly, but definitely many police, possibly armed response.
There’s no evidence of any kind of Police with this apparent situation.
“A U-turn on a highway” Eh! It is not a highway, it’s just a “normal” street on moscow, the probleme is that cars (and buses of course) shouldn’t cross that way, it’s forbidden (big white line separates both sides) but you know, in moscow everyone almost does what he wants so it’s something strange but not so much 🙂
Turning left – Moscow style
More importantly, what’s the deal with the weird white/pink marks that look like they’re outlined in black on the U-shaped building to the top left?
Those do look like left-arrows in that center lane. At first I thought the bus was navigating a left from the parking lot on the north side, taking advantage of the traffic stopped to the east.
I certainly wouldn’t say the bus is stopping traffic in both directions. The westbound traffic (north side) is clearly stopped at a stop line (mostly) on the east side of the bus. The eastbound traffic (south side) doesn’t appear to be bothered by the bus at all.
This explanation could not possibly have been any more disappointing.
Nick : there are other bugs like the one you point (and even bigger) : https://www.googlesightseeing.com/maps?p=&c=&t=k&hl=en&ll=55.75114,37.593257&z=18)
Keith : i don’t think the left arrows were designed to do such things as the bus does ^^
In Soviet Russia, bus drives you!
I live 2.5km near this place. It’s just a U-turn at rush hour (from inner to outer circle). Didn’t you see a stop-line at outer circle? And this road is not a highway – it’s Sadovoe kol’co – the most busy circle in Moscow.
P.S. Sadovoe kol’co consist of several streets – Sukharevskaya square – on of this streets.
2Nick: white-pink marks on U-shaped building is a spot of reflected sunlight from the zinc-coated steel roof. Actually, I live in a building with a such roof.
Ahahaha… no U-turns on highways?! Guess what? IT HAPPENS in plenty of countries, and often legally, too… where they even have such rules…
Man, people need to see more of the world.
Never mind that it clearly isn’t a highway in this case…
What the hell? Think someone has spilled something on the photos
https://www.googlesightseeing.com/maps?p=&c=&t=k&hl=en&ll=55.762888,37.657624&z=18
More:
https://www.googlesightseeing.com/maps?p=&c=&t=k&hl=en&ll=55.757784,37.65977&z=17
Maybe some exposure problem?
@Juggy:
Brilliant! Second “In Soviet Russia” joke I’ve heard outside /. in two days!
😀
Well i’ve just saw the bus and thought it was weird,
I don’t know about u-turns and such but since it’s a 15-18 tracked road or highway i doubt that it’s legal, or smart. and to number 9. cool video 😛
Have fun 😀
Arent there any trafficlaw in Russia :O
OMG – im glad that i don’t have to drive my car around in your streets 😉
A u-turn in Moscow is OK an a freeway, on a bridge, in a tunnel, in the subway and anywhere you can manage it as long as there are no cops 🙂 P.S. That really was a u-turn several years ago (when the shot was taken) – not sure about what’s now there. I think it’s closed nowadays.
@cookie monster Hey, nice! I see this every evening on the way home 🙂
Check out the videos that this Cafe Hayek post links to 🙂 !
Malcolm (18. and 19.):
I think it’s a nudist area 😀 LOL!
There is nothing unussual here in this picture! U-turn.And the long veicle just wants to turn from Sadovoe Koltso (Garden Circle) to Prospect Mira (Peace street). Now it should occupide one of three right lines and than turn to the right.
Since when do traffic patterns make any sense at all? Unless there was a massive explosion(or at least a healthy fire surrounded by police cars), nothing about this really raises an eyebrow. In my hometown, there’s a produce distributor that has its loading bays less than 100 ft from a six lane highway. That means any time an eighteen-wheeler needs to back in, the whole highway basically has to come to a stop… at least until someone decides to use a semi trailer to turn their car into a convertible. 🙂
Malcolm (18 & 19) I think your answer was already provided in 16. Sun reflecting off of a zinc covered roof.
I see little evidence, but my guess is that there was a VIP in transit and the bus (along with other cars) was blocking traffic to clear an opening. I do not know the area but this type of operation is very common and often bus is used to block many lanes. There appears to be government building nearby? Bus can not be turning since it is totally in wrong position and off axis of side road.
Also, If you look you can see a couple of groups of cars that could be motorcade of VIP. Not sure if correct, but this is another fun mystery for someone with more time and familiarity with area.
Isn’t it incredible how Americans have been so brainwashed by their government which terrorizes its own people by preying on their ignorance, reinforced by an entertainment industry that churns out fantastical tales that Americans have tremendous difficulty discerning from reality? It’s incredible. This is a bus making a turn on a busy street…! Not some terrorist hostage drama. Wow.
29 well, I don’t know :S i’m not an american i’m from denmark and yeah maybe the hollywood action have brainwashed med a little.
I just looked at the bus and thought it was strange cause here in denmark we only have four tracked highways and u-turns isn’t allowed 😛
I am stunned about the stupidity of these “watchers” and the patience of the russian friends here who try to explain the situation….
that’s it when you see the world with prejudices and square eyes because of too many tv!
Go out! See the world! You will learn a lot and your eyes will open!