• by Wayne Friedman , March 11, 2013

Not all mobile outdoor advertising is appropriate -- or safe. Some of this has cause the Burbank, Calif. City Council to ban all vehicles whose sole purpose is advertising.

All this was started when some brightly colored vans with the message -- "Topless Maids $99" -- caused some controversy in Burbank, Calif. last year. Some of the vehicles were parked on city streets for long periods -- all of which got city officials motivated to do something.

The ultimate aim of the ban was to curb overall visual blight. There can be exemptions -- such as for pizza or mail delivery.

The ban also includes vans or trucks with plywood billboards bolted to their exteriors. Officials say this poses safety risks, especially if not secure. These messaging platforms could fall onto roads, hitting bicycles and other cars. Violators could be charged with a misdemeanor and face a $250 to $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail.

One councilman dissented with the overall vote -- saying, according to TheLos Angeles Times, that the penalties were too harsh, especially for those unfamiliar with the law coming in from out of town.

Although the provocative messaging pushed the new rules, officials says it has nothing  to do with banning specific content. One official said to the newspaper: “It doesn’t matter if it’s puppy adoption, political ads or topless maids."