Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Batman brings order to Slovak town

His utility belt might not be as well-equipped as the TV version and he hasn't had to fight Penguin's henchmen yet, but Zoltan Kohari has nailed the superhero look and grit needed to fight evil in the southern Slovak town of Dunajska Streda. Dressed in his home-made, all-leather Batman costume with the bat symbol proudly displayed on his chest and pointy ears on his cowl, Kohari, 26, cleans the streets, helps old people out and calls the police when he sees something suspicious.



"I have decided to do good for the people. I take care of order and help clean up the environment so we can keep living on this planet," Kohari said. There are some slight differences in the storylines of the real-life Kohari and fictional millionaire Bruce Wayne. For one, Kohari is a real-life person, whose path to the side of truth, justice and a tidy neighbourhood once strayed to the wrong side of the law.

The trained house painter spent eight months in jail last year and attempted suicide after he was released, before realising he had a mission to make life in his community better. Lacking a full-time job, he moved into a dilapidated concrete apartment block on the edge of town where he turned an empty apartment - with no electricity or running water - into his very own Batcave from where he launches his street patrols.


YouTube link.

Kohari says he never resorts to physical violence and some people in his town think he is a bit batty, but his neighbours said he is an honest and good man. "He's had a tough life but he is very dependable and we like him. He helps us out, keeps an eye on public order, and he is a hero for my son and his schoolmates," said Jana Kocisova, a mother of two who lives in a neighbouring apartment block.

3 comments:

Bill said...

This guy needs to be locked up, for his own protection, before someone beats the absolute living crap out of him... Also running around the streets carrying a large bladed weapon isn't exactly going to endear him to the local police either...
He needs a check up, from the neck up

Anonymous said...

Whilst carrying a bladed weapon is questionable, they might have very different knife laws in Slovakia.
And quite frankly, despite his slightly unusual approach. I applaud his do-good attitude. Too many people don't give a f-ck about anything other than themselves, and if he's inspiring young kids to think about morality and helping others, more power to him.

Shak said...

I'm with you, anon. I think what he's doing is admirable. Not too many people are wiling to involve themselves in their community.