Oregon now lets people pump their own gas and some Oregonians are losing their minds over it

[mfcorey1]

The country is trolling Oregonions for their reactions to the new state law requiring people to self-serve at the gas pumps.


For 65 years, Oregon forbid residents from filling up their own tanks. New Jersey is the only other state to have the law.

House Bill 2482, signed into law last year by Gov. Kate Brown, now allows motorists to pump their own gas in nearly half of Oregon’s 36 counties. The law took effect on Jan.1.

When KTVL, a local CBS affiliate in Medford, Oregon, shared a Facebook post to alert locals about the new law on Dec. 29, many Oregonians responded with outrage.

http://www.ajc.com/news/national/oregon-now-lets-people-pump-their-own-gas-and-some-oregonians-are-losing-their-minds-over/k6GIl4UHFBwVjptdDkB99J/

[democratisphere]

1. It will be OK. The rest of US have been doing it for decades.

Some able bodied Americans are so damn lazy.

[murielm99]

2. It took me a long time to get used to pumping

my own gas. I went to full service gas stations for as long as they were available. It was just nice to have the service, to be able to stay in the car.

[Cosmocat]

13. That's funny

I live in Pa, when we go to the beach in NJ, it is weird not pumping, and it took me a few times to get used to not getting out to pump.

I went to a training in Oregon years ago, rented a car to knock around and site see, and got out to pump and they were like WTH are you doing?

[pnwmom]

132. Trying doing the reverse, except have a couple of toddlers in your car, and it's 10 degrees outside.

You'd wish you were in N.J.

[Cosmocat]

133. lol

Yeah.

Just another thing to factor in timing your fill ups around some sun during the winters her in Pa.

[pnwmom]

131. Parents of babies and young children, the elderly and disabled, and anyone in bad weather

are unlikely to appreciate the new regime. And that is a LOT of people.

What you don't realize is that the rest of the US has been paying just as much for self-serve as people in Oregon and NJ do for full serve. So they're not doing this for the benefit of the customers.

[MissB]

3. The article doesnt explain that the new law is for 15 rural counties.

Most of those 15 counties are sparsely populated- the ones that have few residents and fewer gas stations. Three additional counties that are still largely rural but better populated will be able to pump their gas during certain hours (overnight, basically.)

Most Oregonians still won’t be allowed to pump their own gas (because most Oregonians live in the counties where it remains illegal to do so.)

[sarah FAILIN]

7. So this is not state wide?

Why not?

[MissB]

19. It was really only implemented for convenience of rural

folks because the populations are so sparse that staffing the stations isn’t profitable. Keeping the stations open is only profitable if there isn’t a requirement to have staff. Some of these counties are pretty desolate, some have a single decent sized city but then nothing else for miles and miles.

We passed through a couple of the counties in the way back from dropping off our youngest at his college out of state this fall. DH ignored a sign - on the interstate- that said last gas for 80 miles. We barely coasted to the next station. There were several other stations along the way but they’d all closed down over the years because they couldn’t make money. And this was on an interstate - just one that isn’t terribly well travelled compared to I-5.

I live in a major population center. Gas stations are everywhere. They are all staffed with attendants. I have to say I don’t mind not getting out in a downpour and pumping my gas. I generally use the Costco station, which has at least one attendant per lane and generally more during busy times.

[sarah FAILIN]

40. The profit is not at the pump

They need to get people to come in the stores to make food sales and impulse buys. No wonder they went out of business.

[Mosby]

46. why can't gas stations make a profit from gas?

What changed?

[sarah FAILIN]

49. At least around here..

They have price wars between stations fighting for customers. I've had friends that owned one tell me this. The sodas and prepared food are the money makers. Our gas is always cheap though.

[Nevernose]

99. Same thing with movie theaters

They basically break even on ticket sales. The profit is on popcorn and soda.

[jmowreader]

102. Gas stations have never made a profit from gas

The "big oil" thing always made me laugh. "Gas is super expensive because Big Oil is making huge profits."

WRONG! Gas (1) costs a lot to make, (2) has high taxes and (3) is the least profitable thing that comes out of a refinery. If there's a dime of TOTAL profit in a gallon of gasoline - of which three cents goes to the station - I would be highly surprised. If electric cars completely wiped fuel-powered cars off the roads, the happiest people in the whole mess would be the oil companies. They could quit selling unprofitable motor fuels to people who hate them, and stick to the petrochemicals that make tons of money.

Gas stations make their profits on hot foods, soft drinks, snacks, beer and cigarettes. And in the old days, they made even more money repairing cars. Gasoline and diesel sales are almost a hobby to these guys.

[Mosby]

117. Exxon made a 3.4 billion profit in JUST the second Quarter

They are the most profitable company in the world, so I have no idea where you are getting your info from.

The gas stations and the public are getting screwed.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/28/exxon-earnings-78-cents-per-share-vs-84-cents-expected.html

You know a couple decades ago there were no c-stores connected to gas stations, because they made a living selling gas, oil and fan belts.

[MichMan]

119. Not on the retail part of the business

That is like saying that Toyota made a big profit, and it comes from oil changes at your local dealer

Most gas stations are owned by franchisees , not directly by the oil companies.

[EX500rider]

129. "The gas stations and the public are getting screwed."

Exxon earned $3.4 billion on $62.9 billion in revenue, what's that around 5% profit? That's a screwing?

The above posters are correct, gasoline sale are a loss leader to gas stations to get you in to the store to buy cigs and beer and candy ect.


You know a couple decades ago there were no c-stores connected to gas stations, because they made a living selling gas, oil and fan belts.

Making $.05 a gallon was fine in the 50/60's when gas was $.20 and wages were a dollar or two a hour. Not so much anymore.

[Mosby]

143. that's net profit

Which is after they write off expenses, bonuses, r and d and anything else they can think of.

Take a look at kroger, the largest grocery chain in the country, they made about 1.85 percent last year.

The idea of a loss leader is a myth, in fact it's illegal in most states to sell below cost.

[MichMan]

147. Isn't all profit net ?

Definition of profit
1: a valuable return : gain

2: the excess of returns over expenditure in a transaction or series of transactions; especially : the excess of the selling price of goods over their cost

3: net income usually for a given period of time

4: the ratio of profit for a given year to the amount of capital invested or to the value of sales

5: the compensation accruing to entrepreneurs for the assumption of risk in business enterprise as distinguished from wages or rent



You think a profit margin of under 2% is anything to get excited about?

Gas Stations and Grocery stores traditionally have very low profit margins compared to almost every other type of business. They deal with a lot of volume so their overall profit can look high.

[Mosby]

155. no

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/062113/understanding-profit-metrics-gross-operating-and-net-profits.asp

[EX500rider]

154. Don't have to sell below cost.

A loss leader is a product or service at a price that is not profitable but is sold or offered in order to attract new customers or to sell additional products and services to those customers.

The .03 to .05 cents a gal over costs will just cover pump repair and upgrades to the pumps down the road, plus the double walled tanks with leak detection wells etc. They break even on the gas if they are lucky and make it up on inside sales. That's why it is a loss leader. My family has been in the gas business since the 1920's.

Kroger notwithstanding 5% is nothing to write home about.

[jmowreader]

161. Here is Exxon's profit center

https://www.exxonmobilchemical.com/en

There is a family of petrochemicals called Glycol Ethers, which are solvents used to make paint. They're $300 per gallon.

Cyclohexanone (which is used to make nylon) is $300 per gallon.

Raw ethylene glycol is $25 per gallon.

Both Exxon and Phillips make plastic.

I could go on, but you get the idea

The petroleum companies are making money hand over fist...but the profits aren't coming from gasoline.

[OregonBlue]

41. It's only rural counties east of the Cascades and it's only between 6 at night and

6 in the morning. So no, most people still won't pump their own gas but farmers and ranchers won't have to wait around for someone when they need to get going either.

I love the law. I certainly know how to pump gas but it gives work to a whole lot of people who otherwise might be unemployable. It's minimum wage but here in Oregon, that's $9.75 an hour and lots of people want the jobs.

So no, it's not that we can't pump gas, it's that we prefer to keep people employed.

[christx30]

42. I prefer to do things myself.

I don't want someone making minimum wage, who doesn't give a crap about my car, to do it. I'd also like to get in and out in a reasonable time, and that isn't possible waiting on someone to come out and do something for me that I'm perfectly capable of doing myself.
I also would rather use self checkout. I like knowing that I can walk into a grocery store and walk out with eggs, butter, milk, and bread without having to talk to someone. I'm willing to pass 3 empty check out lanes and wait in a bit of a line for the self checkout. I would just rather keep my contact with other people to a minimum.

[KPN]

64. I live in Oregon -- have for 30 years.

I've never had an attendant treat me or my car poorly. Most have been friendly, hard working people with smiling faces and polite demeanor. You know, no offense intended, but your statement that you "don't want someone making minimum wage, who doesn't give a crap about my car, to do it" sounded pretty discriminatory to me. It sounded like you look down on people making $9.75 here in Oregon, but I'm guessing you really didn't mean that.

Where I get my gas, there's a few attendants who are seniors. I talk with them because they are friendly. In the course of conversation over time, two of them say they were retired a few years but decided to pump gas part-time to keep themselves busy and make a little spare money to supplement their retirement income at the same time. It struck me when I learned that because I've actually thought about doing that myself even though I don't really need the money. Good exercise, social interaction, staying engaged, a bit of routine in an otherwise footloose retirement life, etc. Not bad.

One last thing. I support the law 100%. Just like I'd support a law that says " no driverless trucks". We need to create and preserve jobs, not eliminate them.

[askyagerz]

85. Lived here a few years now

and have always been treated with respect at the pump. Attendants always smile and talk to you. It's just a different world in oregon. People wouldnt understand until they live here a minute lol

[X_Digger]

162. Buggy Whips Union 101 local, represent! n/t

[Smickey]

92. Full servise stations do more than just pump gas,

If you ask they wash windows, check oil, check tire pressure....in fact one could argue that it's a quasi safety check. Was also a chance to talk to another human maybe get some directions or find a good greasy spoon. I am sure it's different depending on which station you use but when I lived in Oregon, I liked it.

[christx30]

115. Getting to talk to someone is not a selling point.

I avoid it whenever I can. Online ordering of pizza. Self check out at the grocery store. Amazon Prime now. Self-serve gas. Netflix.
The stuff they do is stuff I do myself once a year, when it's time to get my car inspected. I don't need it every time I gas up.
I don't want to have to wait on someone being friendly to the attendant. I just want to pay at the pump, gas up, and get on with my day.

[OregonBlue]

176. I like it to. I never have them do the whole routine but since I live in ranch/farm country, my

windshield is covered in just a short drive. Very buggy in these rural areas. I get my gas pumped and my windows washed. I am perfectly capable of doing it myself but I enjoy having it done for me (especially when it's 10 degrees out) and I like that we employ more people. Our gas prices aren't any higher because of it.

[pwb]

104. What?

You can't wait and you can wait?

[Shrike47]

110. I find the gas station attendants polite, respectful, efficient and I can stay in the car.

In western Oregon, where it rains constantly all winter in normal years, that’s a real plus.

[OregonBlue]

175. Lots of people do. I love the fact that we employ lots of people in these jobs. They are actually

much faster than most people think and East of the Cascades is very cold in the winter and very hot in the summer so I love getting my gas pumped. I can pump my own and it's not a big deal. Gas prices aren't higher here because of it. I just like the idea of giving lots of people work that would otherwise be on the streets. Most of them are in fact nice, fast, and often funny and fun to talk to.

We are automating ourselves out of existence.

[MichMan]

183. You are paying extra for full serve

You might not think so, but you are paying extra for full serve. That may very well be worth it to you, but nothing is "free"

[OregonBlue]

185. We pay higher gas prices in Oregon, Washington, and California. We also have much

stricter pollution laws, etc. We're at about $2.40 a gal right now but there are many states almost that high and they don't have full service. Washington and California are higher than we are and they don't have full serve so, I guess it just depends on what your priorities are.

[MichMan]

187. California and Washington have much higher gas taxes

California has gas takes of 38 cents/gal (+2.25 % sales tax) while Washington has 49 cents/gal. Oregon has a gas tax of 31 cents/gal.

You would expect that Oregon would be 13 cents per gallon cheaper than California and 18 cents/gal cheaper than Washington. There are probably other factors that make the cost of doing business more or less between those states.

I don't know why people think having extra employees on staff that require wages, payroll taxes, workman's comp and unemployment taxes somehow aren't passed on to the consumer.

Again, if people want to pay extra $ for full serve than no one will frequent the self serve stations. In every single other state, no one wanted to pay extra and they stopped offering it .

Full serve is still allowed and if customers prefer it, it won't be going anywhere. I don't understand not allowing those who would rather fill their own tanks the option of patronizing those stations like in 48 other states

[LisaM]

106. I'd pay more to go to a full service pump if I could.

But heck, when we were little, the attendants would come pump gas, clean the windshield, AND check the oil. I remember the Car Talk guys saying that people were much better about keeping fresh oil when the attendants used to check it.

[MichMan]

120. The vast majority of drivers won't however

48 other states have self serve gas and people don't have any problems with it. There is nothing in all those states that prohibit full service gas stations, and if the customer demand was there, someone would open them and rake in the $$$.

Gas stations operate on razor thin profit margins of only a couple cents a gallon. For reasons I don't really understand, people seem to be willing to drive out of their way for a couple cents a gallon savings. There are not enough people that pay a little extra to have full service to make it viable as the vast majority of drivers would drive down the road to the self serve station.

[LisaM]

128. Yes, I don't get it either. What's a couple of cents a gallon when it could be a job?

To be fair, I don't have (and have never had) a gas guzzler, and I take transit to work, so gas prices don't have the effect on me that they do on everyone, but I do see people who follow the ups and downs of gas prices as if it's a religion.

What about disabled people, who can't pump their own gas, I wonder?

[MichMan]

130. Most stations will have someone come out during daytime hours and pump it if you are disabled

[Codeine]

151. In California you can push a button

on the pump and they’ll send someone out to assist you if you’re disabled. Occasionally there may only be one person at the station so they may not be able to assist.

[Soxfan58]

4. I worked at the first self serve in my home town

In 1977. Were ATMs outlawed to.

[DiverDave]

5. "Gas will be cheaper! "

Lol. NOT!
People are so gullible.

[Lee-Lee]

9. When we still had both Full and self serve stations here full was about a dime more a gallon.

Since there will be mixed stations there now it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

[DiverDave]

11. nope. won't be cheaper

Savings are ALWAYS passed to the consumer, no?

[ProfessorGAC]

87. It Sure Was Around Here, Dave

When IL went self serve, the prices were higher for full serve and when the stations all dropped the full serve option, and the price of self serve carried forward. In fact, as soon as self serve became a thing, doing it yourself was a nickel cheaper per gallon, and that's when gas was 70 cents.

Absolutely certain, that there was "surcharge" for full service and when everyone dropped the attendant, the price did not go up to full serve price except for normal upward trending of gas prices.

[crazycatlady]

22. NJ does not allow you to pump gas

NJ's prices are consistently cheaper than NY or PA.

[brooklynite]

107. ...because they have a very low gas tax.

[ileus]

6. Always amazed me that NJ didn't trust it's citizens to pump petrol.

Had several projects in that area back in the early 00's. We'd alway fill up before crossing the line, or cross back over to fill up mid week if necessary.

Didn't know Oregon was goofy also.


My brothers first real job was pumping petrol at the local station in the 70's.

[Lee-Lee]

8. The first time I drove into NJ I had no idea what the law was there

I pull into a station and start to fill up and a guy runs out at my yelling I can’t do that and calling me a “dumb broad”.

Growing up in NC I had never heard of mandatory full service. We still had a few full service gas stations around, but unless you saw the sign you assumed self service.

It’s oretty obvious overall that consumers prefer self serve- or else there would be more full service stations around. They have all died out in place where people have the option because nobody wants to pay ten few extra cents per gallon.

[Cosmocat]

14. I live in Pa

first few times we went to the beach in NJ, I had a similar experience.

I went to a training in Oregon in the 2000s, rented a car to site see, got out to pump and they were like WTH are you doing!

lol. its funny, when you are used to pumping it seems odd.

I do remember as a kid most gas stations had attendants.

[SoCalNative]

16. Full serve is a misnomer these days

Now all they do is pump your gas. Not like the old days when they pumped your gas, washed your windows, checked your oil and tires...

[marybourg]

36. I don't prefer it at all.

I was already middle-aged when it came along, and it still doesn't sit right with me.

[TheBlackAdder]

43. Yeah, after a couple explosions, they did it. The oil lobby drives the self-pumping to make $$$.

Last edited Thu Jan 4, 2018, 12:53 PM - Edit history (1)

.

I love not getting out of the car, not paying $0.25 cents to have someone do it in shitty weather and when suited up. Sure, at times it might take a minute or two more, but who cares. The oil lobby has been pressuring the state to allow self-pumping to increase the margins at gas stations, which are more and more coming under the ownership of the oil companies.

It's not about convenience, though it is sold as that. Self-pumping is all about giving Big Oil more money.

I have no problem pumping my own gas in neighboring states, but the gas is cheaper in NJ, even with Christie's tax, since he helped raid the transportation trust fund to balance his fucked-up budgets.

.

[MichMan]

50. Most all gas stations are owned by individuals

Big oil extracts and refines the gas. They have little to do with independent gas stations

[TheBlackAdder]

55. Not in NJ or neighboring states. Oil companies only give a penny or two per gallon to the stations.

.


Most of the privates perform service as their main revenue, and gas is just offered as secondary revenue.

If a private gas station has a contract with an Oil Company, once they hit their contracted monthly volume, they often buy gas from Brand-X suppliers, which could be Russian, Venezuelan or other source. That is when they can start increasing their profit per gallon. So, just because you pull into an Exxon, BP, Texaco, Gulf station, that doesn't guarantee that you are getting your preferred gas, or gas that is at a high quality. You might get Amoco Gold one day, and some dank gas the next--all under the trade name of the station. The buyer has no clue of the source.

That is why boycotting Exxon doesn't work. All those no name gas stations will buy Exxon gas, as they discount it to be competitive with other suppliers. Then, an unmarked transport tanker will pull into the gas station, and fill the tanks. With named private stations, refulings will occur using marked trucks, and when getting other sources, those trucks will be unmarked and often a nighttime delivery.

In NJ, there is only one or two refineries. Most oil will get shipped in and processed by them, such as Sunoco. When there is a gas crunch, it costs to much to send in gasoline from two states away, so the oil companies have agreements to share oil processing, at times, and formulate it to the firms specs.

There was years of news reports and radio discussions with the NJ Petroleum Institute about this, how most of the branded oil is just an illusion.

.

[MichMan]

62. Are you positive?

They all have franchises with major oil companies so the signs all say Mobil, BP, Shell etc. The stations are owned by small local chains and they employ the workers

[TheBlackAdder]

66. Read my updated post above.

[louis-t]

63. I don't know about where you are at, but in Michigan

the stations started slowing down the pumps at the end of pre paid amount, thinking people will walk away from the last 20 or 30 cents. I think that is rude to your customers who are standing out in the cold or in a not so safe neighborhood. All in the name of a few more pennies of profit.

[TheBlackAdder]

69. NJ. We have aggreessive state Weights and Measures & Consumer Protection departments.

.

I haven't heard of that technique, as every gas station in NJ, you either pump until it's pull and you are only charged for that amount. If you select the $20 option at some stations, and only pump $19.70, you are only billed for $19.70. Now, some stations will put a $100 hold on your card for a couple days, until the actual amount is processed, but that's about the extent of it.

Paying for something, pre-paid or not, and not getting the product, is fraud.

NJ101.5, which is a semi-Libertarian leaning radio station, calls out all of this stuff. They even call out Christie at times.

.

[Amishman]

121. That is not why they slow down

Most gas pumps have two dispensing speeds, fast and slow. Switching to slow when set to dispense a predetermined amount is how it ensures accuracy of the final volume dispensed. As gas prices increased, I think this was done more widely to comply with weights and measures rules as the possible error was increasing in terms of money.

When pumping manually and shutting off when at fast flow, the volume dispensed might be slightly inaccurate.

[louis-t]

158. Bull. They don't slow down at $19.85, they slow down at

$19.50. And they started doing it long before gas prices were $3.

[KPN]

67. Oregon's not goofy -- just weird

in a great sort of way. I feel truly blessed to have happened to end up here these last 30 years. More State's should follow Oregon's lead on the gas pumping thing as well as minimum wage, the publicly owned Coastline, and so much more. Pretty darned progressive here.

[jalan48]

73. We have vote by mail too. We're much more progressive than the rest of the US.

[GreenEyedLefty]

10. We visited Oregon for the first time this summer.

I am glad I got a heads up from a friend who lives in WA that we weren't supposed to pump our own gas... anyway, my husband jumped out of the car out of habit and shot the breeze with the attendant while he pumped our gas. The guy said that the law provides a way to employ people - it's an easy job and tends to draw itinerant workers.

[KPN]

71. I live in Oregon. Disagree with your

statement about tends to draw itinerant workers. Maybe some, but most seem to be locals who want and need a job. Have lived here for 30 years and have had thousands of conversations with gas station attendants. Just wanted to clear that bit up.

[GreenEyedLefty]

97. It may have been the part of the state we were in.

Anyway, it was the guy's opinion not ours. Maybe he himself was only doing it temporarily, who knows.

[Blue_Adept]

12. I'm hugely grateful that we have one full-serve place in my MA town

I don't use it myself, even in the harsh winter period, but there are a lot of older folks who can drive well but simply can't be out in the cold to do this kind of thing. My mother is 78 and only drives in-town and handles it very well but she couldn't pump the gas if her life depended on it.

[Maeve]

35. My mom can't figure it out so one of us 'kids' fills her car for her

I've been using self-serve since the '70's, but I remember the true full-service station when I was a kid--"check your oil, sir?"

[Blue_Adept]

39. I think it was a town by town roll out here in MA during the late 80's or early 90's

when it all changed. The flip side is that most of those places ended up having convenience stores added as well so it wasn't so much of a loss of a job but additional jobs inside, especially the 24 hour joints.

I do miss that whole just staying in the car thing but mostly just in the winter

[Freddie]

140. My dad never pumped gas

Died a couple years ago at 92. Luckily there was a station in the neighborhood that still pumped your gas. Personally I find it fast and convenient to fill up, use your debit card and drive away.

[CTyankee]

44. My daughter in the Boston suburbs likes her gas pumped by an attendant.

It can be hell pumping your own gas in winter. Here in CT I get my gas at the local Stop and Shop, but I only pump it in decent weather. I definitely have to plan ahead...

[oberliner]

15. This is only in counties with less than 40,000 people

Not sure why an Atlanta newspaper would be running a story on this.

[gratuitous]

18. They're running the story to slag on Oregonians

Which is only fair, considering how much we Oregonians slag on Georgians.

The new Oregon law is designed to meet a reality that there aren't always enough people available to do all the jobs that need doing. Being a gas station attendant isn't the greatest job in the world, but it is a job. Decent, honest work that deserves decent, honest wages.

[maxsolomon]

65. Because it's a human-interest story

"look at these weird people and their crazy customs!".

Full disclosure: I pumped my own gas in Frenchglen, Oregon JUST THIS SUMMER.

[KPN]

169. Lol. Yeah, there's a little neighborhood

store in my neck of Oregon (not quite as remote as Frenchglen -- awesome place btw) that let's me pump my own all the time.

[Codeine]

77. Because some of the quotes are hysterically

funny stuff. People enjoy reading stories where other people look and act like idiots. It’s the human condition.

[HAB911]

17. I refuse to bag my own groceries

If I could I would refuse to pump my own gas. Get ready to do all employee's work as shit always rolls downhill.

[HAB911]

24. I'm not lazy

employees are PAID to bag my groceries and scan my merch at Home Depot, it's their rice bowl (The Sand Pebbles (1966))

[bathroommonkey76]

25. Yeah, you are lazy

I bag my own groceries every chance I get.

So glad for the self-serve kiosks out there in the world today.

[HAB911]

26. The corporation has you doing their bidding

you must be proud to take someone's job

[LanternWaste]

70. Best way to rationalize our sloth and laziness is to rebuke the corporation

Best way to rationalize our sloth and laziness is to rebuke the corporation, and place all blame with them.

It's both an easy and convenient method to account for our own torpid apathy, regardless of whose bidding you do.

[HAB911]

72. I fully support your right to do the employees jobs

even though you have paid their wages

I mean, this is 'Murica!

[JonLP24]

170. Now you are calling him or her lazy

When I go to Fry's there is someone there at the end bagging groceries what is wrong with that?

[HAB911]

28. Probably a moot point anyway

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210053424

[DLevine]

27. No, it is about businesses making their customers do the work

that used to be done by employees. They get away with hiring less workers and pocket the savings.

[CTyankee]

45. my supermarket hires disabled people from a local group home to do the bagging

and also to help with loading grocery bags in my car. These are very fine workers who are eager to help, esp. for people as old as me who also uses handicapped parking spots that my doctor arranged for me to have when I was diagnosed with arthritis in my lower back. But those spots are often full...

[brooklynite]

108. When was the last time you demanded an Operator place your phone calls?

[HAB911]

111. funny story

I spent 44 years and 6 months installing the dial telephone offices that replaced operators(original company that invented the dial - Automatic Electric), that's the march of technology, not a corporation having me do what their employees are paid to do. Now those offices are being removed with the demise of circuit switching and replaced by IP, technology marches on.

[MichMan]

112. I remember the good old days before ATM and Debit cards

No direct deposits or ATM at banks. Everyone had to line up at the bank on Fridays to cash their checks. Provided a lot more jobs for bank tellers; now they want customers to walk up to an ATM to get money

[HAB911]

114. Assuming a commercial bank is where you go

do you suppose you are getting lower fees? (I don't know, I use a Credit Union)

In my case of bagging groceries, Publix pays employees, maybe a living wage, to bag and even take out to the car, and no tipping. Their cost is built into the food prices.

do you suppose the gas prices for self serve will be cheaper or stay the same and full service prices will rise?

Anyway, I can barely remember full service stations it's been so long ago in Florida.

[MichMan]

118. All people care about is who has the lowest price

48 other states have self serve gas and people don't have any problems with it. There is nothing in all those states that prohibit full service gas stations, and if the customer demand was there, someone would open them and rake in the $$$.

Gas stations operate on razor thin profit margins of only a couple cents a gallon. For reasons I don't really understand, people seem to be willing to drive out of their way for a couple cents a gallon savings. There are not enough people that pay a little extra to have full service to make it viable as the vast majority of drivers would drive down the road to the self serve station.

[HAB911]

124. I know

many people that will drive across town to save .02 on a gallon, doesn't make sense, very funny

[bearsfootball516]

20. Are there really people upset about this?

I have never in my life, not pumped my own gas. I can't even imagine someone pumping my gas for me.

[janterry]

30. It's lovely

The best part was when my daughter was an infant. I didn't have to get out of the car.

[snooper2]

48. Yep, special snowflakes on facebook complaining they have some screen shots at the link

It is hilarious

best comment-



Mary K Kitzmiller Texan here. Just here for the comments. Y'all are precious.

[pnwmom]

135. Have you ever in your life had to get gas

with a 3 month old and a 2 year old in the car, and it's 10 degrees outside?

Or been driving with a broken left ankle, and crutches in the backseat, and there's ice on the ground?

Or realize that your friends in self-pump states are paying as much for self-pump as you are for full-serve?

If you could imagine those situations, maybe you'd change your mind.

[bearsfootball516]

137. I have been in the first one, and essentially the second

I dealt with it and would do the same in the future.

[pnwmom]

138. Why would you want to pay as much or even more for no service?

[bearsfootball516]

139. I like doing things on my own

[MichMan]

145. Ask the people in the other 49 states

49 other states allow self serve with no issues.

Of course it costs more for a gas station owner to employ a staff to go out and fill people's tanks vs just one employee, so it cost a few cents more a gallon. People drove by the full serve stations to the self serve to save a few cents a gallon, so they all stopped offering it.

I suppose all of the people that live in those states must be too stupid to figure out that they really wanted full serve

[MichMan]

142. Nobody is prohibiting full serve

If customers are demanding full serve stations, then gas station owners will continue to provide it. All Oregon is doing is allowing Self Serve to be offered. Just like the other 49 states in the country that allow it.

[pnwmom]

144. Yeah, right. The end result will be that customers of full serve will pay more.

We moved from a full serve state to a self serve state and got to pay more with self serve. That was fun. Not.

[MichMan]

148. Got it; gas prices are always fixed and never go up and down for any other reason.

You know I think you are right.

Michigan started offering self serve gas in the mid 70's. Gas was only 50 cents a gallon then for full serve. I paid $2.59 a couple days ago for self serve. I can't believe that they raised it 500% like that !

It costs a gas station $$ to employ extra people to pump gas, so it should cost more atthe pump for that extra level of service. The vast majority of people won't want to pay extra.

[bearsfootball516]

150. That sucks, but gas is more expensive in Oregon than almost every state.

http://www.gasbuddy.com/USA

[KPN]

166. OR has higher gas taxes than

most States.

[MichMan]

188. No they dont. Right on the National average of all 50 states

31.12 cents per gallon.

[KPN]

190. Damn - you caught me!

I stand corrected. Guess I fell prey to local myth here in Oregon. Knew I should have looked that up immediately after I posted it. Lol. Actually, Oregon's at .34/gal State tax right now.

[crazycatlady]

21. If NJ ever did this there'd be riots in the streets

Jersey girls are proud of not pumping gas.

[Jersey Devil]

134. lol, moved from NJ to NC last year and my wife still hasn't pumped gas

She sends me to gas up the car, refuses to touch a pump, says "Jersey girls don't pump gas." I don't argue.

[KPN]

167. Lol. Funny!

[MichMan]

149. Wonder how the other 48 states manage to survive

[crazycatlady]

153. It is part of NJ's culture

You'll see "Jersey Girls don't pump gas" shirts, stickers, etc almost everywhere.

[MichMan]

29. I don't want to waste time waiting

When I need gas, I just want to pull up, pump my own and be on my way as quick as possible. Last thing I want to do is sit in my car waiting for some attendant to show up, especially when I am in a hurry.

[janterry]

31. It can be much quicker

I used to go to a place in MA and they were so organized. They pumped because they could get more people in and out quicker - and charged less than other places nearby.

[Ilsa]

33. Me too. Also, I don't want someone taking my credit card inside

to run the transaction so it can be cloned or copied.

[LanternWaste]

75. Like drive-thru windows

"Last thing I want to do is sit in my car waiting for some cashier to take my order at the drive-thru, especially when I am in a hurry."

But I get it... it's much more convenient for may brains to simply apply our own anecdotal desires and wishes to legislation; otherwise we'd be forced to apply research, and then read for context, nuance and intent. Which can be a real drag. "Especially when I'm in a hurry..."

[Ilsa]

32. How is payment made at full service?

Do you turn your credit card over to the attendant so they can go inside and cooy or clone it? Or do you get out of your car?

How long do you typically wait for an attendant? I'm pumped and gone in a few minutes by using pay-at-the-pump. I've pumped my own gas for 40 years.

[MissB]

37. Its still largely pay at the pump

In the metro area, I may have to wait a minute or so, depending on the size of the station. I never sit there and wish I could pump my own gas though.

On edit: pay at the pump means you roll down the window and hand them the card and tell them what you want. They walk over and swipe the card and start the pump then give you the card back.

[Atman]

80. I feel much more "unsafe" handing my credit card to some guy...

...who then walks off for five minutes while I sit in the car and wait for him to bring me a receipt to sign. He's got my card, the CV code on the back, everything. No way.

[Ilsa]

116. I agree. I don't even like doing it at restaurants.

My husband had two cards, one cloned, one copied, that had to be replaced a few years ago. Fortunately, the fraud software alerted the card companies who called me about the transactions and we got them cancelled and replaced.

[KPN]

168. That's not how it works in any place i've

gassed up at in Oregon. The pumps all process credit/debit cards -- so they swipe it right there in front of you and then hand it back to you. Or you can swipe it and enter PIN yourself, but the attendant won't let you handle the nozzle. The places that requisite your card inside require you go inside yourself to pay -- at least all the places I've been to (over the past 30 yrs living in OR).

The only time I've handed an attendant payment and they've had to go inside is when I paid with cash and they needed change.

[MineralMan]

186. Back in the old days, when I was a gas pump jockey,

there was a mechanical credit card imprinter at every lane of pumps. There was no electronic processing. You stuck the card in the imprinter, put a multi-copy receipt on top of it, set the amount on mechanical numbering sliders and ran a roller over the whole shebang. Then, you had the customer sign the receipt, tore off the top copy and handed it to the customer. The other copies went a slot on a locked box where the imprinter was mounted.

That's how that worked. Later, someone wrote all of those amounts on a deposit slip, bundled up the copies of the signed receipts and took the whole batch to the bank for deposit.

There was life before computers. I lived it.

People didn't wait long at the stations I worked at. A car pulled in and you trotted over to the car. "Fill 'er up?" "Can I check your oil?" A good worker could handle two or three cars simultaneously, check their oil, eyeball the tires, and wash the windows. When the pump clicked off, you ran over and handle the payment.

In between cars, you did oil changes, mounted tires, and sometimes washed cars.

[Ilsa]

189. I used to balance those sales slips when the registers and

Computer systems spit them out. Even with computer systems, there was an imprinted copy made. This was at a large retailer who was one of the first to start accepting Mastercard. Many decades ago!

IIRC, there was computerized charging to the card at the point of sale only to create a record that would be transmitted to the credit card company.

I remember signing those slider printed carbon copies.

[samnsara]

34. thank gawd..it was a mess driving thru oregon and....

..having to wait for an attendant to come pump my gas.

[dalton99a]

38. Millions of shoes will be ruined

because people don't know how to operate the nozzle without extensive training

[AmandaRuth]

47. I live in WA state and just want to say that i know a couple of guys

that moved to OR in the 80's that used the toss a way job of gas pumping to finance their relocation. Literally, they drove to OR on a Monday and had a job pumping gas on Tuesday. The jobs were minimum wage and easy to get. Back then, it was well known this was an easypeasy way to get to OR, and some used it as a pit stop to CA. Just a interesting memory i have.

[jalan48]

51. I like not having to pump my own gas. Nothing like gas dripping on your shoes to start the day.

[MichMan]

53. Been pumping my own for 40 yrs

Never got gas on my shoes once

[jalan48]

61. What do older folks do in pump your gas states?

[Codeine]

79. Pump their own gas.

Old people are generally not helpless.

[jalan48]

83. Generally, this is true. For some pushing the nozzle into the tank would be difficult I would think.

[Codeine]

84. At which point one might question the wisdom

of such a person operating a motor vehicle, but that’s one hell of a sacred cow in the country.

[pnwmom]

141. And you probably can't smell it on your hands, if you're like my hubby.

But I can.

[SweetieD]

54. I've never gotten gas on my clothes. I've been pumping my own gas for decades. The fears about this

concept of pumping gas are insane.

[Neema]

58. Seriously. I'm a huge klutz and I've never gotten gas on myself.

I was super weirded out when we went to Oregon and couldn't pump our own gas.

[Codeine]

81. Exactly. I have the eye-hand coordination

of an intoxicated four-year-old and I can manage. I’m sure normal, non-klutzy people can cope.

[VOX]

123. I got my shoes soaked when I once brilliantly tried to top off, top off, top off...

Just a little more, I think I can get a little more in there...*splat*.

I don't attempt to top off any more.

[jalan48]

59. I guess I need more time on the job.

[MurrayDelph]

74. I frequently commute between northern Oregon and southern California

and, regardless of whether I am taking the straight route down the I5, or the scenic route through Reno (I5, OR-58,US-97,CA-139,US-395/I-580,CA-14,I5, about 2 hours more total drive time, but only 25 miles longer, I get better mileage, and the rooms are cheaper [especially if I win]), I always make a point timing my fill-ups to just before leaving Oregon, or soon after re-entering. As someone who has several fused or artificial hand joints, I appreciate someone else pumping for me (especially in winter). And, even on the secondary highways (such as in Klamath Falls), the gas is cheaper than in California.

Of course, I am also looking forward to the end of the year, when my Tesla should be ready, and pumping gas becomes moot (unless I take a different car).

[Codeine]

78. Im nearly fifty years old

and I’ve never once gotten gas on my shoes. It’s not a complex process.

[NewJeffCT]

52. some of the comments on Facebook were hysterical

a local TV or radio station asked about it, and the question had over 50,000 replies the last I checked

[infidel621]

56. Hillarious

Got a good laugh out of some of the comments and outrage.

[Ohiogal]

57. Yeesh!

I can't remember when I DIDN'T pump my own gas and bag my own groceries! And I am 60 years old!

[Codeine]

86. A significant number of posters here

seem to believe that a person your age having to step out of their car and operate the incredibly complex and sophisticated technology of an automated pump is entirely too much to handle.

[Binkie The Clown]

60. Next McDonalds will "let" you fry your own burger.

When they "let" us pump our own gas what they mean is they make us get out of our warm, dry, cozy car to get out in the cold, windy rain just so the gas station owners can hire fewer people and put more money in their own pockets. Anybody who favors pumping their own gas has to be a Republican.

[LanternWaste]

76. Or favors washing their own car

"Anybody who favors pumping their own gas has to be a Republican..."

Or favors washing their own car. Or favors cooking their own meals. Or favors mowing their own yard. Greedy, self-serving bastards doing the jobs of otherwise decent, clean, fine, upstanding Americans.

[Codeine]

82. Yes. Much better that some other, lesser person

receive a pittance to spend his entire shift in that cold, windy, rainy hell that would evidently destroy you in the three minutes it takes to top off your tank.

Anybody who is too delicate and pampered to pump their own gas must be a Double Republican.

[northoftheborder]

89. My Mother, who still drove in her 90's....(a Triple Democrat)

...went out of her way to use the only gas station in her part of town to have full service on one pump. Of course, that pump was more expensive, but it was worth it for her. There should be more who do, for seniors and disabled people, getting out of the car and pumping gas is more difficult than for you or I. And I miss full service for other reasons .... checking your oil, tires, wiping your windshield .... was worth it for me sometimes. There is not a single full service station where I live now, or anywhere within 50 miles that I know of.

[MurrayDelph]

178. In California, self-serve stations

are supposed to pump gas for disabled people (with placards), unless there the only person on duty is the cashier (so they always make sure to only have one person working at a time).

[Binkie The Clown]

91. Maybe his only alternative is the homeless encampment at the edge of town.

People need jobs. Insulting them by calling them "lesser people" is among the reasons why the Democratic party has lost the working class.

Any way you try to spin it, making people pump their own gas destroys jobs for the sake of putting more money in the pockets of the owners.

[Codeine]

93. Im not calling him lesser,

I’m openly stating that your attitude toward his comfort vs your own comfort is indicative of your thought processes in regard to the worth of said individual.

But you knew that. I appreciate your dishonest and sophomoric debate tactics, however.

[Binkie The Clown]

94. So when the lineman who goes out to restore your power in a storm, would you rather do it yourself?

Or do you put your own comfort and convenience (that you are PAYING for) above his?

Get real. Almost every service sector job in the world is about selling comfort to the customer for a price. Yes, I'm willing to pay a price for my comfort, and so are you. Every time you drive through a fast food place, you put your own convenience above that of the person in the drive through window. Every time you take your car in to have the oil changed, you are putting your comfort above that of the person who changes your oil for you. You pay for it. You buy comfort and convenience, and don't try to tell me you don't.

So when you are prepared to go out in a storm and fix your own downed power line come back and preach to me about putting a price on my own comfort. Yes, I pay for comfort. Why would I want to pay the same price to have that comfort taken away, and destroy some person's job in the process?

[Codeine]

96. A lineman performs a skilled task for fair remuneration.

I imagine few of us here could restore a downed power line.

Anyone can pump gas; it is an effortless task that people only avoid because of sheer laziness, and the person pumping it is paid the legally mandated minimum amount of money allowed. I see that as a crucial difference. People not performing a simple task that requires no training and no tools simply because they’re too damned soft or because they might get a little chilly is pathetic.

As for drive-throughs, I don’t use them because I’m not a lazy piece of shit. People need to get off their asses.

[Binkie The Clown]

100. :shrug:

[KPN]

172. Lazy has nothing to do with it.

What we do in Oregon is different. So what? No reason to make up a bunch of phony arguments against it. Some of this stuff seems almost xenophobic. Hilarious.

[Binkie The Clown]

177. It just dawned on me: You seem to imply that only the "skilled" deserve jobs. nt

[Codeine]

179. I imply no such thing. You may infer what youd like

but it’s a dishonest and intellectually weak inference.

But you knew that.

[Binkie The Clown]

180. You kmean I'm using "fake logic"? :) nt

[Codeine]

181. I wouldnt credit you with using logic of any sort, sir. nt

[Binkie The Clown]

184. So in the last two posts you call me "dishonest", "intellectually weak" and "illogical".

Well, I guess with such a strong case as that, you win. Although I didn't really think that name-calling qualified as strong reasoning. But, if that's the best you've got, then I guess this discussion is over.

[KPN]

171. Good post.

I'm getting a real hoot out of people defending the right to pump their own gas in this thread -- or I guess they see it as a right.

Why anyone wouldn't like what OR and NJ do is beyond me. I'm seeing a lot of lame and laughable reasons being offered here. And yes, a lot of put downs of the people who work the gas attendant jobs.

You are right. Anyone who claims to be a Democrat should be able to appreciate the job aspect -- especially coupled with Oregon's minimum wage. Heck, army local Safeway, gas attendants make more than minimum wage, same at Costco -- significantly more.

[jalan48]

88. When it has come up for a vote in the past it was pushed by Republicans here in Oregon.

[Binkie The Clown]

95. Of course. Destroy jobs. Take money from the poor and give it to the rich. That the Republican way.

Why would they NOT push it, and call it "freedom" in the process. You are "free" to pump your own gas. Tomorrow you will be "free" to pump your own septic tank, and "free" to haul your own garbage to the land fill. Did I say "free to"? I meant "required to".

[jalan48]

98. I agree with what you say. I failed to mention that big oil also promoted pump you own gas.

Some Americans seem to enjoy being manipulated into ridiculous positions.

[PoliticAverse]

103. Next you'll have to make your own pizza!...

[still_one]

68. This sounds like bullshit hyperbole to me.

[nolabels]

90. My Chevy Bolt lets me drive past the OIL CORPORATIONS

The car seemed a little more expensive to purchase but the MISSING EXHAUST PIPE feels so much better

[Liberal In Texas]

101. My wife still won't pump her own gas. And there hasn't been a "full service" station around here

for more than a decade. Guess who gets to do all of the gas pumping.

Once she was driving with me riding and we pulled into a gas station and I showed her how it was done. As the car was filling up I went into the store to get a newspaper or something. I guess the pump stopped and she thought she would be nice and pull the car away from the pumps so someone else could use it. When I came out she had pulled the nozzle still in the car off and was so embarrassed she refuses to try it again. The attendant was cool about it, said it happens more than you know and for that reason there is a quick disconnect built in on the hose. So no actual damage was done and I didn't have to pay them to get it fixed.

[jmowreader]

105. Some of you are from Oregon...can anyone answer this question?

Can I pump my own diesel? I'm extremely paranoid about people putting the wrong fuel in my car, so NO ONE but me fuels it. You want to borrow my car? No, but I'll take you anywhere you want to go.

If I can't pump my own diesel, Oregon is off my list as a tourist destination.

[MissB]

109. Yes you can.

[snort]

113. I like having someone doing the job.

It doesn't cost me a dime, the service is prompt and it rains a shitload here. It's tough to see the downside.

[MichMan]

122. Then continue to use full serve

Others who would rather pump their own will be able to.

[Atman]

125. That's what is so funny about this whole "argument."

No one is forcing anyone to do anything. If you want to use a full-serve station, continue to use a full serve station. If you want to pump your own gas, pump your own gas.

When self-serve first went into affect most stations would have two-tiered pricing. That's what got most people to use self serve. Why pay an extra ten cents a gallon just to have some jamoke do what I could do myself? Of course, if you like the convenience, that's entirely your choice. I don't see the controversy here.

[Sneederbunk]

127. You don't understand Oregonians. They don't want to pay extra for full-serve

Have lived here 47 years. Oregonians are unreasonable about this. No pro-choice on this. Even rejected a state law to allow complete self-service. They think it is a birthright like no sales tax.

[Atman]

136. No, I guess I don't understand.

It still freaks me out to get gas in New Jersey.

[MichMan]

164. They appear to already be paying 18 cents a gallon extra for full serve

Oregon charges 31 cents/gallon in state gas taxes
Washington charges 49 cents/gallon in state gas taxes

If all were equal, Oregon gas prices should be cheaper than Washington by 18 cents a gallon due to the lower tax rate, but it isn't. Therefore, one might conclude that Oregon gas stations are adding 18 cents/gallon to cover the additional expense of employing people to pump gas.

[pnwmom]

160. They will then raise the price on full serve. Right now full serve in Oregon

costs the same as self-serve in WA. That won't continue.

[MichMan]

163. They are already paying 18 cents a gallon extra in Oregon

If indeed the price at the pump is identical between Oregon & Washington, Oregon drivers are already paying 18 cents a gallon additional for full service.

How?

Oregon charges 31 cents/gallon in state gas taxes
Washington charges 49 cents/gallon in state gas taxes

If all were equal, Oregon should be cheaper by 18 cents a gallon due to the lower tax rate, but it isn't. Therefore, one might conclude that Oregon gas stations are adding 18 cents/gallon to cover the additional expense of employing people to pump gas.

[pnwmom]

165. Oregon is about 11 cents cheaper. But you're dreaming if you think that after Oregon stations

fire some of their employees, they'll pass the savings along to their self-serve customers.

[MontanaMama]

126. So, do these pump attendants

lose their jobs now? We vacation in Oregon every summer and while it is odd for us to have someone else pump our gas, I've never run across anyone who wasn't pleasant and happy to help. It all seemed quite civilized to me. AND, you never had to wait for a gas pump when Joe Blow went in to buy a bag of corn nuts after he got his gas. The attendants keep the line rolling and you can't beat that.

[Loryn]

146. I am on the Oregon coast

and as of this morning the attendant said our town is still full service. As you can imagine, he fears losing his job, and didn't mince any words about being out on the street if that happens.

[Codeine]

152. If everyone in Oregon wants full service

why would he be out of a job?

[Loryn]

156. I don't think everyone in Oregon does, but I can't speak for everyone.

I always pumped my own gas in California. Several people in my county were discussing it online, so I thought I would ask a person who provides the service. It seemed important to him.

[KPN]

173. He's not. Because the coastal counties

have populations greater than 40,000. The new rule only applies to Counties with less.

What's wrong with him being happy he's not out of a job?

[MontanaMama]

157. If I had a choice

between pumping my own gas or having an attendant do it, I'd choose full service every time. the fact that if provides someone with a job is a plus. On my trips to Oregon, it seemed many of the attendants I met were retired folks who just wanted to work part time. Seemed like a win win to me.

[pnwmom]

159. I always thought Oregonians lucky that they didn't have to pump their gas

and yet it didn't cost any more than ours.

When my kids were younger, I liked not having to leave a car with small children inside.

Now I like not having to get out in cold, icy weather, and not ending up with the smell of gasoline on my hands.

(If you think your hands don't often smell of gasoline then your nose probably doesn't work that well)


https://www.wikihow.com/Get-the-Smell-of-Gasoline-Off-Your-Hands

Any mechanic or person who has put gasoline in their car knows how strong the smell of it can be. The smell lingers and unfortunately does not quickly go away on its own. Luckily, there are several ways to remove the smell of gasoline off your hands without the use of harsh chemicals. You can use white vinegar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, or detergent and salt to make your hands smell nice and clean.

[Lee-Lee]

174. All you you who think you are not paying more for full service are in denial

Just because you are not told about the cost and shown it on a sign doesn’t mean it isn’t there. It’s just like “free shipping”- it’s not free, it still got paid for, they just rolled it into your purchase and told you it was free.

One of my first jobs out of college was doing bookkeeping/management/it/everything else for a guy who owned 3 gas stations and bought a 4th while I was there.

His average profit on gasoline was 1.3%. If you bought 10 gallons at $2.20 a gallon he made about 29 cents profit on that sale after all his expenses were accounted for. On some transactions that were paid with credit cards he actually lost money but the margin was higher on cash sales so it balances out, but as more and more people shifted to paying with cards he had to increase prices to covert the fees. Pay at the pump lead to an increase in costs and that raised the price a few cents a gallon across the board as more people shifted to it because the credit card companies take a percentage off the top.

There is not enough profit in retail gasoline sales to pay a person to stand there and do nothing but operate the gas pump for you without charging more per gallon. Period. The price you pay is being raised to account for that.

But, it is deeper than that. Gas stations make their money on everything else you buy. All that stuff you buy from coffee (that your paying way, way more for per gallon that gas, hell your bottled water at the gas station costs more than gas) is what makes it worthwhile for that gas station to exist. But in order to get you to buy something they hve to get you into the store. The first step of that is getting you out of the car- so full service works against that. So to make up for the lower revenues inside the store because people don’t leave their cars you have to charge even more.

Just because you don’t get told expressly it’s costing you more doesn’t mean it is not. It is. Just look at every other state where it’s optional- Full service always costs more. And overwhelmingly people reject it.

For people asking about how the elderly or disabled can handle it- the ADA requires self serve stations provide assistance to disabled customers. That’s how it’s handled in the 48 other states.

[karynnj]

182. As a refugee from NJ, I understand those who are unhappy with the loss of full service gas stations

I hated the idea that I would have to pump my own gas - after decades of sitting in the car and having it done by the person at the gas station. I know it is not hard, but I really appreciated not having to do it.

Then, I noticed that a gas station a few blocks from my house has a FULL SERVICE lane. They charge 5 cents a gallon, but I am happy to pay that and always fill the tank there. (The surcharge is usually between 50 and 75 cents.)