There are no upcoming events right now.
Why not post one?
Recent Articles
- The Year 2020 Has Been a Wakeup Callby Michael Nabert, published December 31, 2020 in Special Report: COVID-19
(1 comment)
- The COVID-19 Marshmallow Experimentby Ryan McGreal, published December 22, 2020 in Special Report: COVID-19
(1 comment)
- All I Want for Christmas, 2020by Kevin Somers, published December 21, 2020 in Entertainment and Sports
(1 comment)
- Hamilton Shelters Remarkably COVID-19 Free Thanks to Innovative Testing Programby Jason Allen, published December 21, 2020 in Special Report: COVID-19
(0 comments)
- Province Rams Through Glass Factory in Stratfordby Doreen Nicoll, published December 21, 2020 in Healing Gaia
(0 comments)
- We Can Prevent Traffic Deaths if We Make Safety a Real Priorityby Ryan McGreal, published December 08, 2020 in Special Report: Walkable Streets
(5 comments)
- These Aren't 'Accidents', These Are Resultsby Tom Flood, published December 04, 2020 in Special Report: Walkable Streets
(1 comment)
- Conservation Conundrumby Paul Weinberg, published December 04, 2020 in Special Report
(0 comments)
- Defund Police Protest Threatens Fragile Ruling Classby Cameron Kroetsch, published December 03, 2020 in Special Report: Anti-Racism
(2 comments)
- Measuring the Potential of Biogas to Reduce GHG Emissionsby John Loukidelis and Thomas Cassidy, published November 23, 2020 in Special Report: Climate Change
(0 comments)
- Ontario Squanders Early Pandemic Sacrificeby Ryan McGreal, published November 18, 2020 in Special Report: COVID-19
(0 comments)
- A Rundown of the Lunacy That Is Council's Vendetta Against Cameron Kroetschby Martin Zarate, published October 13, 2020 in Special Report: Council Conduct
(0 comments)
- Councillor Threatens Integrity Commisioner Complaint Against Charity, Private Individualby Ryan McGreal, published October 02, 2020 in Special Report: Council Conduct
(0 comments)
- City Already Published Unredacted Motion Central to IC Reportby Graham Crawford, published October 02, 2020 in Special Report: Council Conduct
(0 comments)
- Councillors, Listening to Angry People is Your Jobby David Harvey, published October 02, 2020 in Special Report: Council Conduct
(0 comments)
- Low Hospitalization Numbers Today Are No Cause for Complacencyby Ryan McGreal, published September 23, 2020 in Special Report: COVID-19
(7 comments)
- Silence is Acceptance for Colleagues of Bullying Councillorsby Ryan McGreal, published September 14, 2020 in Special Report: Council Conduct
(1 comment)
- One Resident's View of Safe-Sizing Aberdeen Avenueby Graham Crawford, published September 09, 2020 in Special Report: Walkable Streets
(0 comments)
- Erin O'Toole's Climate Policy is Insincere and Unseriousby John Loukidelis, published September 08, 2020 in Special Report: Climate Change
(1 comment)
- Predictions of Chaos and Doom for Herkimer, Charlton Bike Lanesby Ryan McGreal, published September 08, 2020 in Special Report: Walkable Streets
(0 comments)
Article Archives
Blog Archives
Site Tools
Feeds
By kevlahan (registered) | Posted January 31, 2014 at 15:09:00
Another simple change, that I suggested during the HSR service review a few years ago, would be to limit the number of depressing public service ads running inside the bus and make a better attempt to market the interior space based on the large number of high school, college, and university students who take the bus every day (a prime advertising demographic).
Riding the bus you are forced daily to confront a line-up of worthy, but depressing, social and health problems: various serious chronic diseases, needle exchange programs, zero tolerance for violence, anti-smoking, anti-graffitti, bed bugs, gambling addiction, alcoholism, violence against women and children, lead pipes (leading to grey futures for sad children) etc.
These issues may all be worthy, but it is depressing to be seen as a target audience for every debilitating disease and social problem under the sun. Even worse, many of these ads are deliberately sensational and aim to elicit a strong emotional response.
And, interestingly, these ads only ever appear inside the bus. If these are really such important issues why are we devoting space that advertisers don't want to them, and only reach the small proportion of the population that takes the bus?
Limit the number of public service ads, and either leave the space empty or include poetry or art like other systems do. Passengers are paying customers and should be treated with respect, not as a captive audience for depressing ads that no one else will run.
GO transit doesn't feel the need to fill their vehicles with these ads and I expect, especially with their new emphasis on customer experience, they would refuse to.
Comment edited by kevlahan on 2014-01-31 15:11:37
Permalink | Context