In September of 2007, Seattle's transit system rejected advertising from the pornographic magazine "Hustler" because their ads were deemed to violate community standards. In this article, we will discuss why the decision was made and what it means for public transportation systems across the country.
The Seattle Municipal Transit Authority is responsible for regulating advertising on its buses and trains. They have a policy that prohibits any advertisements that are obscene, profane, vulgar, libelous, defamatory, or otherwise offensive. This policy has been in place since the early 1980s and was updated in 2006 to specifically include language about offensive language.
In April of 2007, Hustler submitted an advertisement to be displayed on King County Metro buses. The ad showed a cartoon of an attractive woman lying on her back with her legs spread wide open and the text "Suck My Bus". It also included the phone number and website address for the company.
When the advertisement was reviewed by the authority's Advertising Review Committee, they found it to be offensive and rejected it. They cited several reasons for their decision, including the fact that it promoted sexual activity in a public setting and could be seen by children.
Hustler appealed the decision but the appeal was denied. They claimed that the ad was not obscene and that people should be able to choose what they see while riding the bus. The company argued that the First Amendment protected their right to free speech and that the advertisement did not promote sexual assault. However, the transit authority stood firm and refused to change their position.
This incident caused a lot of debate within the community. Some felt that the transit system was overstepping its bounds by rejecting the ad, while others supported their decision. Supporters argued that the authority had a responsibility to protect riders from offensive content, while opponents said that this was a slippery slope towards censorship.
The Seattle Municipal Transit Authority's policy is now used as a model for other cities across the country. Many municipalities have similar policies to ensure that ads are appropriate for public transportation systems.
In conclusion, the Seattle Municipal Transit Authority made a controversial decision when they rejected Hustler's advertising for violating community standards. While some felt that this was an unnecessary restriction on free speech, others agreed with the transit system's actions. This incident has become a case study for how public transportation systems can regulate advertising.