Mexico City: What do Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden and Mother Teresa have in common?
They are being deployed as behaviour cops in posters in the car-clogged streets of Mexico City in a campaign to stamp out bad driving, corruption and aggression.
The unlikely combo?who may soon be joined by US President George W Bush and Adolf Hitler?appear on the posters across the city with speech bubbles telling drivers to stop paying off traffic police with bribes or parking where they shouldn't.
Like city dwellers across the world, Mexico City's 18 million residents?known in local slang as "Chilangos"?have a reputation for being loud, aggressive and rushed.
"For devil's sake, don't give bribes," declares a beaming image of Mother Teresa on an advertisement hoarding.
A few streets away a grave-looking Saddam warns: "Don't double-park, you could cause chaos!" while Bin Laden advises pedestrians to use footbridges to cross busy roads because, he says: "I'm concerned for your life."
"It is a bit weird, especially as we're talking about civil disobedience, but it's supposed to be ironic," says Claudia Adeath, whose citizens' group "Muevete Por Tu Ciudad" (Do Something For Your City) is behind the posters.
Each campaign poster bears the slogan: "Who else do you need to hear it from before you take notice?"
"It's a way to get people's attention. We want this to create a stir. We are all fed up of living in this urban chaos," said Adeath.
"Every big city has its problems but Chilangos have reached extreme levels of disrespect, aggression and intolerance. We want a city with more harmony and respect," she added.
Her group has designed tickets with a thumbs-down sign that can be printed off its website and stuck on offending cars.
Backed by local publicity firms, it has posters on some 50 billboards, bus stops and metro stations.
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