STAFF EDIT: Advertising Rights

It is nearly impossible to walk through the streets of Boston without viewing a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority vehicle and its familiar advertisements at every turn. As the vehicle of choice for Boston residents, the MBTA serves the public interest; however, when it comes to those advertisements, the MBTA has the right to make its own decisions.

The MBTA has been under fire recently for rejecting an ad it deemed offensive. Change the Climate, a group for legalizing marijuana, sued the organization for refusing to display ads for its cause. Despite accusations that the transit authority is violating First Amendment rights, the MBTA claims it has the right to protect its riders from material they are forced to view in the subway and on passing buses.

In its service as a forum for advertising, the MBTA does reserve the right to choose whichever ads it deem appropriate for their riders. The authority has the responsibility to avoid offending its riders and causing controversy with the messages the trains display, so long as it does not force its own opinions on the public.

Although the decision is the organization’s to make, the MBTA is being prudish by refusing to accept the marijuana advocacy advertisements. The group has every right to hold a pro-marijuana position, and few would be offended by the presence of a few ads. The proposed ads were meant to express a political viewpoint, not to shock or disturb. Even if one was offended by the ads, there is no reason a potentially disturbed rider cannot simply turn away.

Riders of the T should undoubtedly be the MBTA’s first priority, and there is nothing wrong with trying to protect patrons’ sensibilities while they are captive passengers. The MBTA has the right to display whichever advertisements it rules appropriate, but it should choose its battles carefully.