Is there anything more Dystopian than a blaring gas station video ad? I don’t know anyone who doesn’t find them deeply disturbing and overstimulating, myself included. We’re all so sick of demanding digital minutia screaming at us for attention. Thankfully, though, there are a couple of ways to combat the obnoxious torture.
In the U.S. today, several digital out-of-home (DOOH) content companies deliver stream video ads in tens of thousands of refueling station terminals. One of them is Gas Station TV (GSTV), which hosts 27,000 gas station video ad units across the country.
On Reddit, folks express depressed hatred for gas station video ads and, in particular, GSTV’s offensive ad volume. Some say that the intense sound is a safety issue, especially at night. The loud audio makes it nearly impossible to hear nearby people or cars.
The ads are so annoying you might have the urge to button mash. We’re here to tell you to go ahead and try it.
Gas station video ad screens have a mute button
Many drivers aren’t aware that the unpalatable talking heads inside a gas station video screen are actually mutable.
How? “Mute” is always hidden in an unmarked button. Simply push the blank square buttons around the screen. One of them should silence the ad.
If you’ve tried pushing all the buttons and can’t get the ad to mute, you can talk to the attendant. Ask them how they mute their ads.
As a last resort, take another tactic that’s proving effective in some areas out of your back pocket: the Google Review.
Highlight obnoxious, un-mutable ads in a low-star Google Review
Some Redditors suggested pointing out annoying ads on the station’s Google Plus page. Someone connected to the business gets alerted of every new review and might take your feedback seriously. One Redditor said they did this, and the gas station muted its video ads.
The more we collectively refuse to engage with gas station video ads, the faster we’ll get permanent relief from them.
