Comments on: Media roundup

By: Blair Rogers

Blair Rogers — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:52:59 +0000

Don’t forget to hit them up at Infratil as well.

The company that actually owns NZBUS.

Buy shares in the company – only about $1.60 at the moment – buy a hundred and go to the AGM and ask questions from the floor to the company director’s about LOSS of REVENUE and BAD PUBLICITY.

With their current share price one would think that they would be doing a bit more to earn revenue.

I’ve posted a message on their facebook discussion page.

http://www.facebook.com/board.php?uid=57993919565

I expect that they might kill it off.

They also have NZBUS photo gallery – Leave a message on the gallery or photo’s

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=88642&id=57993919565

I left one

New slogan for NZBUS

NZBUS
Ride With Us We Discriminate

By: Alastair

Alastair — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:58:29 +0000

Frank Ritchie:
Fair point, i agree. Revision; insert: “SOME” I appreciate open discussion as well, and think outright banning of the ad is trying stop discussion. Most believers will not at all be shaken as they “know” that god exists, so yes its most likely a minority which complained that somehow took offense.

By: Frank Ritchie

Frank Ritchie — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:44:07 +0000

Alistair – a more accurate comment would be “the weakness of SOME God believers” – many of us are quite happy for the ads to go up and have been engaged in such discussions often.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 01:53:18 +0000

Keep in mind the response to the “St Matthews in the city” billboard over christmas – That was put up by a church to promote a more open minded approach to their own beliefs – a brave and meritable action in my mind. That not only elicited an immediate outcry of unseen proportions by the more conservative religonuts, but was also the target of rather violent vandalism.

These are the people we are dealing with…

By: Alastair

Alastair — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 01:00:59 +0000

Good points SimonG, its frustrating on so many levels and really speaks of the weakness of God believers in the way they took such offense to opening a discussion about the idea that the MIGHT not be a god.

By: Alastair Moore

Alastair Moore — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:41:30 +0000

And I’ve had exactly the same email from Katie Greenaway. I understand they can’t reply to each and every email but I’m hoping that people will continue to bombard them with emails expressing disappointment and frustration.

By: SimonG

SimonG — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:19:10 +0000

I’m actually pleasantly surprised that NZ Bus responded – I got an identical email to Kevin’s in response to one I sent to them yesterday.

What disappoints me is the idea that some customers and staff expressed such sentiments for a campaign without swearing, violence, sex, or any controversial material – before it had even started, no less.

I am also worried that people who find ‘distasteful’ and ‘distressful’ such a harmless expression of doubt seem to have such a powerful influence over companies such as NZ Bus. If anything, this campaign is seeming to expose an undercurrent of medievalism in our otherwise supposedly modern and tolerant society.

Actually, remember the fuss about the Virgin in a Condom statue exhibition? They got away with that because of the artistic dimension. How are a few words somehow more offensive? Has anyone got a link to a posted/broadcast reason for objecting to the campaign? That would be worth a read/watch.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:56:43 +0000

I recieved this email today from NZ Bus in response to my complaint about their rejection:

Dear Kevin

Thank you for your email.

Mr Fisher as spokesperson for the NZ Atheist Bus campaign launched his campaign in early December. This resulted in a number of press articles and broadcast coverage.

As a result of the publicity the campaign launch received, NZ Bus fielded a number of enquiries from the public asking about our involvement in and support of this campaign, raising their concerns. Additionally, a number of emails were received from customers expressing their distaste for the campaign and their distress. Similar concerns were also raised by a number of staff.

Mr Fishers campaign drew significant reaction from the travelling public and our people to be deemed controversial and divisive. NZ Bus has the right to decline advertising that may, in its perception, be considered controversial or divisive.

We have said no thank you to Mr Fisher and have wished him well in his endeavors to secure a bus company to work with.

Kind regards
Katie Greenaway| Customer Services Team Leader
Email katie.greenaway {at} nzbus.co(.)nz

I don’t know about you, but sounds like bullsh*t to me.

By: Alastair

Alastair — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:36:48 +0000

Awesome media coverage, great rapid response!

Keep the pressure on and some change will occur

By: Glenn

Glenn — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:34:46 +0000

And a radio interview will full motion video in amazing technicolour http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_SaWSxatS4