Cooking crabs and lobsters - is there a more humane way?

[depressible]

I have never actually cooked crabs or lobster myself but understand that they have to be put into the boiling water while still alive. This seems really horrible. Couldn't they be killed more humanely immediately before putting into the water? I realize there must be something about them going bad quickly if killed ahead of time, but surely something just minutes before boiling would work? WYT?