No joke — Nickelback has received an apology from the Canadian police department that poked fun of the group. Who says, “It’s not like you to say sorry”?
The Kensington Police Service on Prince Edward Island has issued an apology for joking that it would punish drunk drivers by making them listen to Nickelback on the drive to jail.
“Well, as we have seen, our little post became an international story. And somewhere in the noise, the message of Don’t Drink and Drive was overshadowed by negativity towards the band I said I would play if you did,” the lengthy Facebook apology, posted Friday, reads.
“[T]he more successful the post became the less the Don’t Drink and Drive message was mentioned and the fact we love or love to hate Nickelback took center stage. And that prompted me to think less about Nickelback as the ‘Entity’ and more about the four guys, four human beings from Alberta who were dragged into this international story. And the more I thought about that,the less funny the humor seemed.”
The post, which is unsigned, went on to apologize to the members of Nickelback individually.
“I am sorry to Chad, Ryan, Mike and Daniel. Not as just members of Nickelback, but more importantly as fellow Canadians. I’m sorry guys because I didn’t take a moment to think of you AS just guys,” the post read.
“Having to watch as media around the world takes a pot shot at you and having no way to defend yourself. I didn’t take a moment to think of your families as news agency after news agency used their loved ones as a punchline,” the post continued.
The initial post, published last weekend and since removed, cautioned motorists that police would go the extra mile to punish inebriated drivers, by making them listen to Nickelback on the ride to the clink.
“[K]now that the Kensington Police Service will be out for the remainder of year looking for those dumb enough to feel they can drink and drive,” the post read. “And when we catch you, and we will catch you, on top of a hefty fine, a criminal charge and a years driving suspension we will also provide you with a bonus gift of playing the office’s copy of Nickelback in the cruiser on the way to jail.”
Friday’s apology came just hours after TMZ reported that a representative of the band had contacted Kensington police and demanded that the post be removed.
Read the full apology below.