Portland, Maine, Convenience Store Trying Something New to Curb Bad Behavior

Congress Street in Portland, Maine, is under fire right now.

One of the busiest streets in the entire city is facing a dual crises. On one side, there are more vacancies along Congress Street than there has been in the last two decades.

On the other side, the unhoused crises is front and center on Portland's hub, making it impossible to ignore.

Bad behavior has also been a pressing issue along Congress Street in the past few years. Which is why one popular convenience store is trying to curb some bad behavior with a unique tactic.

7-Eleven on Congress Street in Portland, Maine, Now Blasts Classical Music Outside

The 7-Eleven location at 704 Congress Street sounds more like a symphony than a convenience store and gas hub.

The store has been pumping everything from Mozart to Beethoven out of the speakers that face the gas pumps at the store. It may seem strange for any convenience store to have a lengthy playlist filled with classical tunes but it's curated for a purpose.

Studies Show Listening to Classical Music Has Positive Effects

Perhaps the 7-Eleven on Congress is onto something.

Studies have shown that repeated exposure to classical music can have some seriously positive effects on a person's mood as well as their behavior.

That includes lower a person's blood pressure, their heart rate and reduce their level of cortisol, which is caused by stress.

Classical music has also been shown to release dopamine inside people, which increases happiness and leads to better moods.