A subway train pulling into a station is supposed to be a welcome sight for riders, but some trains are generating a different reaction. A city councilman wants the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to do something about trains suddenly covered with ads for women's lingerie. NY1's Jose Martinez filed this report.
The F train has gone R-rated—so says Brooklyn City Councilman David Greenfield, who's got a problem with this train being covered in ads where the models aren't exactly covered.
"These are these 10-foot huge models in their underwear and many people in the community don't want their children exposed to that," says City Councilman David Greenfield.
Lane Bryant, a clothing chain for plus-sized women, has turned the train into a rolling advertisement for its "#I'mNoAngel" campaign.
"They're a little lewd. You have both kids and adults view it as well. I really don't think it's something that should be displayed so publicly," says one rider.
Now, Greenfield wants the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to strip the ads from the trains, saying he's gotten complaints from Orthodox Jewish constituents in Midwood and Borough Park.
"Our communities are not Times Square. You choose to decide if you want to take your children to Times Square and to have them see almost-naked models. But in this particular case, these ads are running through family communities and we've gotten a lot of objections," Greenfield says.
It's not the first time the MTA has come under fire for racy subway ads—like some for plastic surgery and others for city-issued condoms.
On other subway lines, we've seen trains wrapped in ads for mattress stores, television shows and the NBA All-Star Game. Greenfield says the "I'm No Angel" ads are taking things too far, though.
"I wouldn't take my child to anything beyond 'SpongeBob Square Pants' and to now have him exposed to something that would be in a rated-R movie. I don't think that's fair to children," Greenfield says.
The MTA says the ads will continue, saying: "These advertisements are part of a campaign running in outdoor formats across the country. The ads meet the standards for commercial advertising commonly used by transit agencies in many states."
Some riders see no problem with seeing so much skin.
"Just let it be. It's just advertisement and that's it. That's all it is," one rider says.
The Lane Bryant ad blitz is expected to keep on rolling for three more weeks.