Did you ever wish for the electricity to go out when you’re in an elevator? Or ever felt like running away from your car when filling up gas?

It seems to me that advertisement-supported/enhanced business models are pushing the line a bit too far. Almost to the point of no concern for consumer’s privacy and choice. I had a couple of experiences recently that bugged me to no end.

One of them happened today at the Shell gas station in Mountain View, near El Camino Real and 85 North intersection. They recently installed video screens on gas pumps that are showing ads (with very loud volume) the moment I started filling the gas. As if I am not already paying a fortune for the gas, I didn’t have a choice to _not_hear_ those annoying ads. They promptly stopped as soon as I was done filling up the gas.

The other incident was when I visited a friend at his office in San Jose downtown the other day. He works on the 7th floor of his office building, so I took the elevator to get there. And there was a monitor in the elevator that started showing me ads about some hotel/resort chain. You can’t do anything but watch those ads in the elevator.

As brilliant as these “business ideas” might be, I didn’t like the fact that there was no choice for me to avoid those ads. I felt trapped between my necessity and someone else’s greed. So for the gas station, I decided to do the ultimate thing I could as a consumer - I will not go to them again until they stop forcing ads on me. Now, that’s easier than convincing my friend to quit his job and join some company on his office building’s first floor!!