ABA says Priceline ad in 'bad taste,' calls for removal

After viewing the newest and last commercial in the "Priceline Negotiator" series with actor William Shatner, the American Bus Association (ABA) believes the spot, depicting Shatner's character apparently dying in a fiery bus crash, as the bus tumbles over a bridge and into a river is in very poor taste.

ABA believes the commercial damages the reputation of the bus and motorcoach industry and the hardworking men and women who drive buses, maintain them and do all of the work to safely carry hundreds of thousands of people each day. ABA is asking Priceline to take the spot out of circulation immediately.

To show Shatner just how safe the motorcoach industry is, ABA is inviting Shatner to ride on a motorcoach. Beginning in February, the actor will be starring on Broadway and many hundreds of motorcoaches each day arrive and depart in Manhattan bringing commuters, travelers, theater goers and others visitors to New York City. It is estimated that nearly one-third of theater tickets are purchased by group tour and motorcoach customers.

According to U.S. government reports, motorcoaches are the safest form of surface transportation. Each year the motorcoach industry safely carries more than 726 million people to big cities and small towns, to visit family members, to get to an airport or go on a vacation. The industry is very proud of its safety record, and ABA members and their employees work hard every day to make sure passengers are safe, according to the ABA.

"William Shatner is a cultural icon. He's been a part of the entertainment world for 60-plus years, from his early days in film and television as a character actor in the late 1950s and early 1960s, to his many starring roles in television, movies, commercials and the stage. Mr. Shatner is one of the most recognized and best actors of our era. Anytime he is available for a motorcoach ride, we'll be there to show him personally how great our industry is." said ABA's President/CEO Peter J. Pantuso,

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