Random Rant: Gas stations

This ain't a new thing, but it increasingly ticks me off. Why oh why do gas stations have to blare annoying radio music while I spend 90 seconds pumping gas? It's not like I'm going to be able to even listen to one complete song--on the off chance there is a song that I actually enjoy.

With rare exceptions, I've found that these gas stations:

1. Play music at 90-plus decibels
   
2. Have incredibly poor reception
3. Are at a commercial break about half the time you're there
4. Play top contemporary country hits

Having to listen to loud, whiny contemporary country with reception going in and out, interspersed with commercial breaks for crappy, American trucks would be my personal hell. This isn't probably true for everyone, but I can't be alone, can I?

I've become more sensitive to this as I've had to deal with having a sleeping baby in the backseat as I pump gas. I swear, even before parenthood I was pretty peeved with my gas pumping radio encounters. I don't go to stations that I know blast nasty music. It's my only real requirement when choosing where to go.

I've been to one station in St. Paul, that has video screens with commercials and short weather/newscasts from a local station. Methinks this is the wave of the future. Sigh...

Soon, there will be no escape from the constant onslaught of unwelcome auditory and visual stimuli. And this complaint is from someone who has attention deficit disorder who normally needs some level of external stimuli. If I'm being driven batty, things are really out of control!