Video game ad angers mother
August 18, 2004
BUS AD TERRIFIES YOUNGSTER: SCARED: Collette Clairmont and her sons Tristan, 4, and Randall, 2, on Tecumseh Road East. Tristan Clairmont began having nightmares and won't ride the city bus because of Prince of Persia video game ads.
An advertisement for a video game displayed in Transit Windsor buses is being removed after a Windsor woman complained her four-year-old son was too afraid to ride.
"It's about time," Collette Clairmont said Tuesday when she heard the signs were coming down. "I am shocked something like that is even on the bus."
Since October, Clairmont's son, Tristan, has refused to ride buses displaying the ad for a Nintendo GameCube game Prince of Persia because he was too scared.
"If it's on there, he's off," said Clairmont, adding it has been difficult to deal with because the bus is their primary mode of transit.
She called Transit Windsor seven times to complain about the ad.
The ad features a bloodied, sinister-looking man holding a machete-like sword in an attack position. A similar ad features him holding a gun.
In the corner of the ad, the Entertainment Software Ratings Board suggests the game is for a teen audience and may be suitable only for persons 13 and older because of violent content, blood and suggestive themes.
'WRONG MESSAGE'
"It is sending the wrong message to kids," said Clairmont. "I don't even let my kids have a butter knife."
The ad with the gun began appearing in October and the one with the sword was just introduced recently.
After receiving complaints, staff at the bus company agreed the content was too violent and began removing the signs "a few months ago," said Jan O'Neil, sales and marketing manager for Transit Windsor.
But Clairmont said she saw one as recently as Monday and a spot check by The Star Tuesday found two more on the Ottawa 4 and Transway 1A.
O'Neil said they would be removed immediately.
But Clairmont said the damage has already been done.
"Tristan has had nightmares about them, saying he sees the man with the gun," she said.
O'Neil said advertisements are selected and placed on buses by a contract company according to Transit Windsor guidelines. Religious content, alcohol or tobacco ads and violent content are prohibited on public buses, and if the contract company has any questions, Transit Windsor has final approval.
O'Neil said she is not aware of any communication with the contractor regarding these ads in particular.
Gateway Outdoor, which erected these ads, no longer holds the contract with Transit Windsor.
"They should be more careful what they're advertising because transit caters to kids as well," said Transit Windsor bus rider Betty Riley. "And they wonder why our jails are full and where these kids get these ideas from."
