Russia bans people with fetishes, transgender,and pathological gamblers from....

[SteveG1988]

Driving cars.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30735673

[Pete from Boston]

As low oil prices drive Russia to economic desperation, a lot more scapegoats will suffer.  It is a very sadly repetitive pattern. 

[NE2]

That's one way to cut traffic by 30-40%: get everyone with a breast fetish off the road.

[cpzilliacus]

As low oil prices drive Russia to economic desperation, a lot more scapegoats will suffer.  It is a very sadly repetitive pattern. 

Long tradition of this  in Russia - goes back to the Czars, and the Communists managed to come pretty close to perfecting it.

[vdeane]

I remember reading another article on this on the Freewayjim Facebook group (before it got deleted a couple hours later).  Not surprising given Russia's war on anyone who isn't considered "traditional" or "normal".

If they really wanted to reduce accidents, they'd start actually enforcing their traffic laws (they do have them, right?) and start an anti-DUI campaign.

[Pete from Boston]

If they really wanted to reduce accidents

But that's not what this is about at all.

[Brandon]

If they really wanted to reduce accidents

But that's not what this is about at all.

It's more about Seig Heil than anything else. 

[formulanone]

If they really wanted to reduce accidents

But that's not what this is about at all.

If you allow us to take the article into consideration...it is (if not a factual reason).

The government says it is tightening medical controls for drivers because Russia has too many road accidents.

Then again, Russia has nothing to do in Crimea except park its military toys there.

[hotdogPi]

Driving czars.

Fixed.

[Pete from Boston]

If they really wanted to reduce accidents

But that's not what this is about at all.

If you allow us to take the article into consideration...it is (if not a factual reason).

If you take the article at face value, it is.  But we're smarter than that. 

[vdeane]

That doesn't change the fact that it is the reason the Russian government has officially given (the fact that we know it's BS does NOT change that) and that accidents are a huge problem there (ever seen Russian driving videos on YouTube?).

[Pete from Boston]

That doesn't change the fact that it is the reason the Russian government has officially given (the fact that we know it's BS does NOT change that) and that accidents are a huge problem there (ever seen Russian driving videos on YouTube?).

So what?  We all know this has zero to do with car accidents beyond their being a convenient excuse to further oppress certain groups.  Car accidents are the giant red herring here and nothing more.  It is all a ruse.

[Brandon]

That doesn't change the fact that it is the reason the Russian government has officially given (the fact that we know it's BS does NOT change that) and that accidents are a huge problem there (ever seen Russian driving videos on YouTube?).

So what?  We all know this has zero to do with car accidents beyond their being a convenient excuse to further oppress certain groups.  Car accidents are the giant red herring here and nothing more.  It is all a ruse.

Kind of like hyperinflation and a shitty economy in Germany in the 1930s.  Sure the economy sucked, but it was just a convenient ruse to use for what happened later.  Honestly, I wouldn't be shocked if Putin tried something similar.

[vdeane]

That doesn't change the fact that it is the reason the Russian government has officially given (the fact that we know it's BS does NOT change that) and that accidents are a huge problem there (ever seen Russian driving videos on YouTube?).

So what?  We all know this has zero to do with car accidents beyond their being a convenient excuse to further oppress certain groups.  Car accidents are the giant red herring here and nothing more.  It is all a ruse.

I was just stating what they would need to do if they actually wanted to do something for that objective (rather than just use it so they can avoid admitting what everyone already knows).

[kkt]

It is all a ruse.

Was that a pun -- a la Russe?  If so, very good...

[hbelkins]

If Russia wants to get serious about highway safety, they'll ban vodka.

[Brandon]

If Russia wants to get serious about highway safety, they'll ban vodka.

Oh, that'll go over well.  Anyone hear about a little thing in the US called Prohibition?  Went over like a lead balloon and gave rise to modern organized crime.  That'd be a major gift to the Russian mafias.