At a busy train station platform in Mumbai, one traveler was searching for the sign that indicated where they should board their train. Instead, much to their disgust, they saw a row of advertisements.
"Due to these advertisement boards, the LED indicators are not completely visible until you reach near them," they vented on Mumbai's subreddit. They also included a photo of the offending advertisements, which they described as "causing inconvenience and rendering the indicators less useful."
Commenters were outraged by the inconsiderate ad placement; one person described it as a "metro plague."
Others seemed resigned to the ad-inundated reality, with many describing how these were no different than similar ads they see every day. One Redditor even described how they have frequently seen traffic signals blocked by billboards that, ironically, have been erected to wish politicians a happy birthday.
Yet nothing about those ads feels geared toward public service. "Is this a government or some Business[?]" one person questioned.
Advertisements have infiltrated what feels like every possible facet of daily life. Not only do they pop up on every screen and surface possible — including blazingly bright billboards on the sides of moving trucks — but they've started appearing in places that were previously off limits, too. (Have you found an ad inside a fortune cookie yet?)
Watch now: Giant snails invading New York City?
But in addition to being distracting, many people lament that these incessant advertisements encourage a culture of excessive consumerism. And the greater the amount of unnecessary — and cheaply made — items that we buy, the more quickly we pollute the planet. After all, when something is shipped off to a landfill, it doesn't cease to exist. Instead, it continues to release planet-warming pollution and, in many cases, chemical contaminants into the water and soil around it.
But until enough people take real action on scaling back their material consumption, ad placement will continue to be alluring for businesses and governments. That means people can expect to see them everywhere — even on train platforms.
"It's all about money, honey!" one person wrote.
|
Do you think we use too much plastic in America? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Definitely 
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
Cool Picks
