Meet the new traffic cops in Caracas!

Like in any big city, drivers in Caracas are always in a hurry, cutting each other off, cheating on a traffic light, rushing to work. But there is also courtesy. Rather than demanding their "right of way," drivers on primary avenues do take turns, allowing others to enter from side streets - but they'd better be quick about it because the pause is short. One of the pleasant things I've observed over my years living in Venezuela is that in the midst of all this, "road rage" so common in the United States is rare among drivers here. Generally, Venezuelans don't get mad when another driver squeezes in front of them. One of the things the government has done in cities and towns across the country over the last year has been to install traffic lights with clocks, counting down the seconds before the light changes. As a result, drivers are much more patient than they used to be while waiting for that light to turn green when they're on the go and preparing their minds to stop before it turns red.

The latest move by the Venezuelan government to encourage drivers to comply with the law is the use of mimes as traffic cops in the Caracas municipality of Sucre. They remind me of those gay cops on roller skates directing traffic in Provincetown, Cape Cod. The city hired 120 of these colorful character cops to coax, humor and shame drivers with smiles and frowns for directing traffic, enforcing compliance while entertaining and getting some good will on the side. Clothed in their neon costumes and wearing painted faces they point at street signs or traffic lights, bow and smile approval at good drivers, put hands on hips and wag fingers at the bad ones without saying a word.

Our sources tell us that most drivers have taken a liking to the mimes, even compliment them sometimes and that driver courtesy and compliance are improving.

Leave it to Venezuela to solve problems creatively and humor is always one of the ingredients among fun-loving Venezuelans from the big fiestas to being given a silent no-no! by a multi-colored mime when tempted to run that red light!