Auto Dealer's Joke About Women Drivers Doesn't Go Over Well Online

"I think there should be a common sense line of what's hateful and what's funny."

A Canadian auto dealership is coming under fire for posting a series of signs that make fun of women drivers.

"Women are like snowflakes," read the first sign at Mellish Motors on Prince Edward Island. "They can't drive."

Another local business owner, Chelsea Ling of Papercakes Pretty, posted a photo of the sign on Facebook.

"I'm very much for businesses doing what they want and not for people saying 'oh, they run a business, they can't do that,' but I think there should be a common sense line of what's hateful and what's funny," Ling told the CBC.

Ling also said she didn't want her sons to see the sign, which is on a major highway.

"Just because it is normal in society, I don't believe it's okay," she told the network.

But John Mellish, who manages the used-car dealership, isn't backing down. After receiving complaints, he changed the sign to read:

Still not backing down, he changed it a third time.

"Attention Drama Queens," it read. "Auditions for today have been cancelled!"

Mellish told the CBC the signs were meant to be funny.

"We probably struck a nerve with one or two people out there, and so be it -- that's fair ball," Mellish told the network. "Some people take it the right way and I love that."

He also said in a 2013 interview he posts controversial messages so people remember where his business is.

Mellish told "Morning Show on the Go" that he's never taken a sign down because of complaints, but he has apologized for some.

"If I put up something about men or about myself, there's no response at all," Mellish said. "If I put up something about females, there's a lot of apologies going on."

When asked if women are more sensitive, he replied: "it appears to be that way."

However, the criticism online was coming from both genders:

Some stepped up to defend Mellish and his signs, including a few women:

(h/t Buzzfeed)

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