Metro Manners Trading Cards
2003
Meat Collective; Robert Goodin, Diana Aspillera, artist
Metro Manners Trading Cards are a series of collectibles that depict public transportation etiquette in a variety of whimsical scenes. Original cartoon characters, designed by Meat Collective, colorfully promote a pleasant bus and rail environment. The trading cards are solely distributed through Metro’s Safety Program, which gives presentations to schools in LA County. Characters include: the Blab Sisters, who talk to loudly on the train or bus; the Snacker, whose food and drinks make a mess; and Edgy Eddie, who creates a hazard by standing too close to the edges of sidewalk curbs and train platforms.
There are fourteen trading cards distributed in foil wrappers of five cards. Each card has a numerical value (1 through 9). These values correspond to a game where two or more players could flash a card and the highest value wins with the exception of "1" which beats a "9" and a "2" which beats an "8".
"A world where aliens, stuffed animals, and all sorts of other creatures co-exist and drive each other crazy is one way reality can be perceived - or maybe it really is that way to illustrator, Robert Goodin. In collaboration with Metro's Metro Art, Meat Collective used the cards as a way to catch the attention of school kids and gently educate them on proper public transportation manners." - Diana Aspilera