Drivers Joke, Request Food, and Dream of Metro on 2GIS

A snowstorm brought Vladivostok to a standstill on February 5, causing 10-point traffic jams and prompting drivers to entertain themselves by posting jokes and requests on the 2GIS app.

Apr 30, 2026

Not all commuters will manage to reach home early because of the gridlock.
Source:
Maxim Protasov / VLADIVOSTOK1.RU

The city remains gridlocked — as of 6:00 PM on February 5, traffic is still at 10 points. According to reader reports, it is difficult not only for drivers but also for pedestrians: buses are not running, stops are full of people, and some motorists have taken to bypassing jams by driving on sidewalks.

A screenshot from the 2GIS app showing driver comments during the traffic jam.
Source:
2GIS

In such a immobilized situation, drivers reach for their phones and start their favorite pastime — writing comments in online maps. Sometimes it even turns into a dialogue between two people at opposite ends of the street.

A driver captures the snow-covered streets of Vladivostok during the peak of the storm.

Источник:

Ilya Stromilov

For example, someone asked for a joke and got one; someone else asked to have food brought to their car, but with the toilet it turned out to be more difficult.

It is not worth driving through the city center — Pushkinskaya, Sukhanova, and the bridge exit are almost at a standstill. The situation is difficult on the rise from the Izumrud shopping center. Also, everything is jammed on Svetlanskaya in both directions and on Balyaeva.

Some joke that they might as well not go home, sleep in the car, and go back to work in the morning. The main thing is to park where it is free. Some recalled plans for a light metro.

There are also those who ended up at home at this time. Whether he got home early or never left at all is unknown. He urges others not to envy him.

Traffic jams in the city began at 4:00 PM and only intensified by the end of the workday. Readers said it took them more than 2 hours to get from Avangard to the Molodyozhnaya stop, and some were unable to leave the center of Vladivostok by public transport at all.

Municipal territory maintenance specialists have already treated the most accident-prone and important sections, and work continues. Reports of slippery roads or weather-related incidents can be left at the Unified Dispatch Service (UDS) number: 222-23-33.

The bypass road has already been cleaned and treated, and heavy truck traffic has been allowed. They are not allowed into the city yet. In the morning, the road on Shefner Street was closed and has not been reopened yet. According to weather forecasters, there will be no more snow, the temperature in Vladivostok will drop to -9°C (16°F), but it will feel like -15°C (5°F). The night will be clear.