Blocking traffic? Watch out for this Toronto crosswalk referee or you might get a yellow card

A blocked intersection during rush hour in downtown traffic is a sight many Torontonians are all too familiar with, and so one resident has decided to take matters into his own hands and start playfully confronting drivers with his whistle and red card.

You may have seen Martin Reis dressed as an unofficial soccer referee in a bright yellow uniform, standing on the intersection of Richmond and Peter streets ready to ref what he calls his "matches."

Rain or shine, Reis is standing at that corner — or other intersections across the city — ready to blow his whistle and run up to any offending motorist who blocks the crosswalk or bike lane.

"I'm having a little fun, people are [stuck] in downtown rush hour traffic and to me it's a good way of doing something good for the community hopefully, make it a little bit safer," Reis said.

He says he was tired of being angry and watching drivers block the road and jam up traffic — so instead of staying mad, he decided to find the humour in the situation.

"My approach is the angrier you get, the funnier you have to get," Reis told CBC News.

"That's the only way to reach people sometimes."

Reis, who has worked as a performance artist for more than 20 years, is part of The Federation of International Fun Artists (FIFA), which is not affiliated with FIFA, soccer's world governing body.

Reis says he got the idea to dress as a referee because the FIFA Women's World Cup is currently happening. He calls this performance "Crosswalk Referee," which he says is intended to be a "lighthearted" way of pointing out the dangers of being downtown during rush hour.

He has been refereeing at some of the city's most congested intersections for several weeks now, and says he plans to continue.

"Yellow and red cards are a universal language so most people get the soccer references," he said.

Drivers have been cooperative though sometimes confused, while pedestrians and cyclists seem to appreciate the gesture, he added. 

"It's a lot cheaper than getting a real ticket, so they're kind of relieved I'm not a real cop or anything," Reis said.

"Some people are bewildered, which is good. I want to make them think a little bit about what's happening. But some of them are really friendly and laugh and they get it."

Jayden So, a Toronto resident, said he kept seeing videos of Reis ticketing drivers across social media and didn't think he would run into him at an intersection on Friday.

"I think it's cool, I find it really funny," So told CBC Toronto.

"It's also promoting good driving standards and safety as well. He's doing really good stuff out here."