GM Canada pulls "Creeps & Weirdos" ads

After receiving sharp--and much-deserved--criticism, GM stopping running its ads in Canada that called bus riders "creeps & weirdos" (among other offensive ads). "GM did not respond to a request for an interview" from The Province, but in the Toronto Star:

Stew Low, GM's director of public relations...said the ads, which appeared in the alternative Vancouver weekly Georgia Straight this month, were supposed to be funny.

"However, there are many people who found it offensive because it was disrespectful to individuals who utilize and operate public transit," Low added. "And for that, we are deeply sorry. We have apologized for its inappropriate nature."

That apology might be undermined by their ad track record.

Michael Roschlau, president and of the Canadian Urban Transit Association, ...said it was the second time the association complained about a GM ad campaign showing transit users in an unflattering way. In 1999, GM ran a "the bus sucks" campaign to promote new Cavaliers.

Links thanks to Amalgamated Transit Union's Transit News.