An outraged mother and her child recently brought attention to the inappropriate language used by a long-standing car company in their advertising. Despite the slogan’s 70-year history, Nicole Van Dijken and her 7-year-old son were taken aback when they spotted a car with the phrase “no birds” prominently displayed on the side.

As the Australian mom struggled to understand the meaning of “no birds” and explain it to her young son, she couldn’t help but feel that the car rental business had crossed a line. The company in question is Bayswater Car Rental, founded in 1958 in Perth, Australia, and known for adhering to outdated practices that have since been replaced with a more inclusive approach.

In the past, the company exclusively employed male drivers, hence the “no birds” sign on their cabs. The term “birds” or “delivery girls” was used to refer to female employees in the industry. Bayswater relied on customers to pick up their rented cars, putting the responsibility of driving in the hands of the customers themselves.

Van Dijken expressed her frustration with the offensive slogan and the challenge of explaining it to her son. She shared her thoughts in an interview with ABC Radio Perth’s Jo Trilling, stating, “This is something that never fails to make me furious whenever I see it. It’s a derogatory term, and now I have to discuss it with my son, which I did.”