Mimes Directing Traffic in Bogotá Had Surprisingly Loud Impacts

Having spent decades stuck in traffic, I’m always curious how traffic engineers fix traffic congestion. Widening roads, for example, actually increases traffic. I would never have thought mimes would work. But they do, or did:

“When the clock strikes 5 p.m. in Bogotá, a horde of cars finds itself stuck in an all-too-familiar congestion nightmare. A motorbike weaves in and out of lanes, trucks incessantly honk, and what seems to be hundreds of engines idle in the blistering Colombian sun. Even pedestrians add to the motor muddle, as they dart dangerously through the gridlock. But then a savior in stripes descends upon the fury.

White face paint and charcoal-lined eyes accentuate an expression of utter horror aimed at the motorist who just ran a red light. Pale gloves flash at a honking heathen, and gregariously exaggerated steps imitate the pedestrian who just can’t wait their turn. After three vehicles nearly collide in an intersection, a fleet of performers stretch colorful fabric across the hoods.

But it’s not all chastising. A series of cartwheels as perfect as pinwheels follow the family that uses the crosswalk. Applause greets the cyclist who waits their turn.”

Mimes Directing Traffic in Bogotá Had Surprisingly Loud Impacts

Academic turns city into a social experiment

Mimes make silent mockery of those who flout traffic laws

In Germany, Karl Marx and Elvis Direct Traffic