Customer shares frustrating experience pumping gas at station: 'We live in the worst timeline'

A gas station customer's frustrating experience at the pump can teach us all something about taking action to better our world.

A photo from the Netherlands shared in r/awfuleverything documented the problem: a Smarter Nozzle contraption on the handle of a pump to enable the display of advertisements. The post about "unskippable loud [ads] while getting gas" was so popular that it was reposted in r/ABoringDystopia.

"I emailed a petrol station to drop [them], and they did just that." — Photo Credit: Reddit

There, it sparked laughing-crying jokes about paying for a subscription to get ad-free gas. It also started a serious conversation about handling similar situations that harm our health.

In one comment, a Redditor said residents who lived near a Speedway complained to law enforcement, and the township intervened. It didn't eliminate the problem, but "now it's much more tolerable."

"I emailed a petrol station to drop the loud annoying ads on pump, which couldn't be muted, and they did just that," someone else wrote. "Surprisingly!"

"Confirmed: we live in the worst timeline," another commenter said.

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No matter the root of our umbrage, we can take action to create a safer future. It appears the Smarter Nozzle is designed to increase convenience store sales — vital to small business owners — and doesn't have much to do with oil and gas giants, which are raking in record profits as their products decimate our lives and the environment.

But ads are known to be harmful to our mental well-being, and it seems they are everywhere. It can be even more harmful when the products being pushed are fast food, fast fashion, or polluting vehicles, Adfree Cities reports. Children are especially vulnerable to ads and unhealthy food choices, which can lead to self-image problems, obesity, and more.

Advertising also encourages overconsumption, which includes habits that pollute the atmosphere. In 2022, advertising was found to be responsible for an extra 30% of carbon dioxide pollution in the United Kingdom, according to Adfree Cities, which contributes to the rapid warming of our planet.

So, next time you see something so out of touch, have a quick conversation with the store owner, send an email, or make a phone call. Your voice could help save Earth.