To be fair, I suppose it's possible that there is some local ordinance that prevents "controversial" signs to be displayed in Des Moines. The article, clipped in its entirety, makes no mention of such.

Perhaps the citizens of Des Moines are, for some reason, more sensitive to opposing views and the authorities are charged with preventing differing views to be seen by the locals. It makes one wonder if they allow bright colors in public or talking above a whisper? I know that loud, boisterous behavior has, in the past, caused me some discomfort. And we can't have that. Can we?

From KCCI in Des Moines:

"Drivers said people weren't getting on buses or getting off the buses
because of it," said advertising director Kirstin Baer-Harding. "So
with all the calls, it wasn't something we wanted."The signs came down on Aug. 4. Baer-Harding said they never should have gone up."The ads mistakenly got put on buses," she said.She
said DART has the final say on any advertisements and its board decided
at the last minute that it didn't like the content. She said the
mistake slipped in amid last week's chaos with the DART-pedestrian
crash and the release of its first hybrid bus.

Hmmm? I can see people not getting on the buses but not getting off the buses? That's sort of weird.

It all seems kind of silly but if they don't allow religous postings, it all seems fair to me. "One ridiculous turn deserves another?"

It all seems kind of silly but if they don't allow religous postings, it all seems fair to me.

The only reason given for removing the posters was that they had received complaints. The DART spokesperson only said that they didn't "like" the content of the ads.

So much for the fair exchange of ideas. For the life of me, I will never understand the deep sense of threat that the god-fearing folk seem evidence when people say things to disagree. (And I'm a former conservative evangelical pastor!)

Those DART folks cowered under loss of revenue ... and caved to a bunch of non-sense. Sad.

For the life of me, I will never understand the deep sense of threat
that the god-fearing folk seem evidence when people say things to
disagree.

Maybe it's the public nature of this sign that bothers them? Perhaps they take it as an endorsement of the content. But even that doesn't make sense since the content was directed towards atheists or people who had considered dropping their religious faith.

Also, there is a sizable portion who wrongly assume that atheists are without morals or ethics and in good part responsible for all the ills befalling our country. Best to just shut them up before they gain a toe-hold and bring devastation down upon our country.

Or maybe it's just business?

Ant hills just beg to be stirred up, don't they?