
New York City taxi cab
Interestingly, the first appearance of taxi-top advertisements in 1975 was met with an uproar, says the Times. Then-mayor Abraham D. Beame was part of the vocal opposition to the lighted signs that eventually were seen as improving the visibility and safety of taxicabs. Taxis are now plastered with ads everywhere from the backseat down to trick hubcaps.
Perhaps the most unintentionally brilliant comment in the Times' article was from Allan J. Fromberg, spokesman for the Taxi and Limousine Commission, who stated his organization's role is simply to "ensure the engineering and safety of the harness unit that holds the ads." Uh-huh.
Good grief. With their stocks plunging beyond belief, you'd think cash-strapped New Yorkers would find something better to complain about. Someone make sure to tip off Yanos against going to Europe where, despite having some the safest cities in the world in which to raise a child, the topless female form appears without issue everywhere from beaches to magazine ads.--Colin Mathews
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