Frustrated driver sparks outrage with photo of bizarre sighting at gas station: 'I don't think it's a coincidence'

A frustrated driver posted a photo on Reddit of a screen above the gas pump at a Shell station that "plays ads with audio while filling up."

"[As far as I know], there was no option to mute, skip, or otherwise avoid it," the original poster added.

Apparently, this is a growing trend at gas stations, though it's existed for years already.

Excessive advertising is becoming so commonplace that it can contribute to overconsumption. That's the point of most advertising, after all — to get people to buy things.

Overconsumption leads both to more pollution in the process of creating products and to more trash in landfills — and that means even more pollution in the long run, as landfills release both methane and microplastics.

Besides individuals choosing to lessen consumption by shopping at thrift stores or joining local "buy nothing" groups, regulating advertising is one way to help address the issue.

Commenters shared the OP's frustration. Some people shared tips on how to mute the screen, which The Drive published. Others theorized that gas stations have slowed their pumps to force people to watch more ads.

"I've only been to one Shell gas station with these ads so far," one commenter wrote. "It was the only one that had a painfully slow pump speed, making you have to stand there forever to fill up. I don't think it's a coincidence."

"It is not," another agreed. "The Circle-K I used in New Orleans put in screens and suddenly it took 4 times as long to fill up. I stopped going … slowing the fuel flow so you can get paid for showing more ads is too far for me."

Mostly, people vented about excessive advertising. 

"Feels like ads are becoming so much more pervasive than they used to be," someone wrote. "I'm so tired of these things."

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