As someone has said select the types of services you want to listen to. It's easy and even easer if you use the software that came with the radio called Home Patrol Sentinel. You might look on Youtube, they have lots of video's that will walk you through set up.

When something comes across that I probably do not wish to listen to, I tap the illuminated channel with my fingernail. This holds the scanner there long enough for me to think. After I click the arrow on the right, I have about a second to click Avoid. After you click the Avoided channel again, away she goes to scanning. The avoided channel should not reappear.