File this under “That'll Be the Day.”

New York Leads Politeness Trend? Get Outta Here! - New York Times:

And throughout New York's history, its political leaders have sought to restore order to the chaotic streetscape and fine-tune urban life. Fiorello H. La Guardia once banned street performances involving monkeys. Decades later, Rudolph W. Giuliani's campaign against squeegee men came to embody his philosophy that fighting crime began with the smaller, quality-of-life offenses. But sometimes, the city's attempts to enforce the laws illuminated its hard-nosed nature:

Mayor Edward I. Koch's favorite parking sign warned motorists: “Don't Even THINK of Parking Here.”