Folks still remember the 1989 San Francisco earthquake vividly, which as it happened struck right before a World Series baseball game.

But they need to do more than remember. They need to be prepared, knowing that one can strike literally at any time, with little or no warning.

That's the message of the Bay area chapter of the American Red Cross in an ongoing campaign, and the latest thing it's come up with to illustrate that point is an actual taxicab with debris scattered across its top, as if a quake hit and sent a building tumbling down on top of it.

One such debris-laden cab is rolling around San Francisco right now, and soon another will show up in nearby Oakland.

“We’re trying to bring it to life by showing the destruction in everyday activities that people would experience in an earthquake,” says Melanie Sanders, communications manager for the American Red Cross Bay Area. “The purpose is to drive home to folks that they do need to get prepared.”

Sanders says other past elements of the campaign have included a huge earthquake-like crack in San Francisco’s Union Square and large illustrations of how some of the area’s most recognizable landmarks would look after suffering the destruction of a quake.

The San Francisco cab has been up and running since last month and will continue through February, while the Oakland taxi should roll out soon, although an exact date is still being decided.

Creative for the cabs was handled by Publicis & Hal Riney, along with Clear Channel Taxi Media, which also coordinated the installation.