Sat, Aug 28, 2010
Use Of The Personal Pronoun In Advertising Deemed
Deceptive
The nation's oldest air ambulance operators may be out as much
as $30,000 for using the word "our" in advertising documents
referring to a helicopter.
The chopper, which was purchased for the exclusive use of Mercy
Flights of Oregon, actually is owned by a separate company BTS
LLC., a company formed in 1998 by Brim Aviation, Timberland, and
Siskiyou Transportation.
Mercy Flights began joint operations with Timberland in 1994
with its fixed-wing aircraft. After its creation, BTS bought the
helo in 1998 for the exclusive use Mercy Flights.
But the U.S. DOT says that, because Mercy Flights does not
actually OWN the helicopter, it can't refer to it as "our
helicopter" in marketing materials. They claim the practice is
deceptive, violates the law, and has slapped Mercy Flights with the
$30,000 fine.
The Associated Press reports that Mercy Flights General Manager
Ken Parson said that the nonprofit is the only company which uses
the helicopter, and that it pays all the operating costs on the
aircraft. But that's not good enough for the DOT.
It's not the first time the DOT has cast themselves in the role
of grammar police. They fined Angel MedFlight Worldwide Air
Ambulance Services of Scottsdale, AZ $10,000 for the use of a
personal possessive pronoun in April 2009.
As to Mercy Flights, if they avoid the improper use of pronouns
for a year, the fine will be reduced to $15,000.
Or $5,000 per letter.
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