This article originally appeared at Foxtrot Alpha

This is literally my childhood dream come true. Ex-army amphibious vehicles are serving as taxis crossing the rivers of St. Petersburg.

English Russia reports that one company got an official license to use ex-army BRDMs as city taxis. These were originally scouting vehicles and are made for any and all forms of terrain, floating their way across rivers and four-wheeling over everything else.

They're painted red and pink so as to not freak out regular Russians. Not that Russians don't have to deal with military vehicles showing up at random, like tanks crossing the road, tanks crossing the beach, or whatever else.

The service seems reasonably popular and reasonably practical. Check out English Russia for more pictures of happy amphibious taxi customers. Their slogan is "A Safer Taxi," which might explain the large roof-mounted guns.

If you or anyone you know has any idea how I can try one of these things out for myself, please contact me or my 10-year-old self immediately.

Yes, that's a machinegun barrel