Over recent months, videos showing groups of young men lingering outside nightlife venues in flashy cars at closing time have circulated widely online. The behaviour, now dubbed the “clean up crew”, has sparked mixed reactions, with some calling it a long-standing nightlife tradition and others questioning the safety and intentions behind the trend.

For those unfamiliar, the “clean up crew” is not a cleaning service. The term has become the latest addition to nightlife vocabulary online, referring to groups of young men who pull up outside clubs and events towards the very end of the night, usually in flashy cars like Mercedes V-Classes or LED-lit Audis, scouting for women to take home or onto the next motive.

Over the last few months, videos showing the phenomenon have been circulating heavily across social media, turning what many say is an old-school nightlife routine into full-blown internet discourse. One recent clip currently making the rounds shows a group of young men sitting in a V-Class while crowds of well-dressed women gather around the vehicle after a night out. The video itself is not particularly chaotic, but the reactions online definitely have been.

While some people expressed shock, others argued the behaviour is far from new. According to residents in the comments, this has been part of club culture for years, with social media simply giving it a name, an aesthetic and an audience. Some women even openly admit that they look forward to this part of the night, organising rides for themselves and their friendship groups beforehand, seeing it as part of the experience and novelty of going out.

Still, not everyone is entertained. Critics of the trend have urged people involved to “have shame” and prioritise safety during nights out, particularly given concerns around strangers, alcohol and vulnerable situations being part of the equation. Others chose to focus on the energy of the people in the video itself, joking that everyone involved looked like “young rookies” still in the honeymoon phase of clubbing culture, excited by the lifestyle and theatrics of nightlife.