Serious Question

18 Comments

1. 

   sunmusing on May 17, 2015 at 10:14 am

   Pumping your own gas is a great way to save money…sticker shock as you squeeze the trigger on the pump is still the best way to keep track of your mileage…

   • 

     Andrew Longman on May 17, 2015 at 11:07 am

     But gas in NJ is about 12c/gallon cheaper than in neighboring PA and NY. That’s most due to the fact that state gas tax is about 12c less but illustrates the point that the primary drivers of gas prices are demand, marketing, refining and transportation. Not pay to the guy who pumps it.

     The the self service ban in NJ originated when a big station owner in north jersey wanted to squash a new competitor who was offering lower prices for self service. He paid the right legislators in Trenton and he got a ban in place.

     Of course too, full service used to mean full service. Oil and tires checked. Windows washed… All of them

2. 

   DuncanJWatson on May 17, 2015 at 11:27 am

   I drive an EV now and so don’t ever pump gas.  I grew up on Long Island so I had a ton of friends who got jobs pumping gas.  And I like having someone else pump gas in NJ and OR since I have lived in both places.  It is a lot nicer than dealing with the fumes and crap myself.

   All in all I prefer not having to deal with it at all and so I continue to drive Electric.

   • 

     GreenCaboose on May 17, 2015 at 4:51 pm

     Ditto.  Just plug in when we park in the garage and unplug as we leave.  Much simpler.

     However, we still have a polluter used occasionally for long trips and big cargo.   In that case I feel the same way about pumping my own gas as I do about self-checkout lanes – I much prefer doing it myself to waiting for someone else to do it for me.   Target used to be my favorite place for food shopping but now I tend to avoid it because most Targets still don’t have self-checkout lanes.

3. 

   Raypc800 on May 17, 2015 at 11:44 am

   I pump my own gas and use the time to check the oil,and all fluid levels under the hood. That way I know how my car is doing.

4. 

   nativesun on May 17, 2015 at 11:55 am

   In Oregon, it is illegal to pump your own gas.  We support that law because:

   1.  It creates low-level jobs that contribute to the economy as wages are respent.
   2.  There is a definite safety factor:  people do really dumb things like drive off with the gas hose still in their filler spout.  I had a friend who was badly burned and hospitalized for weeks, in Denver, due to carelessness of someone who was filling their tank themselves. Her quote was: “My God, I am on fire!”
   3.  Traveling from state to state, the difference in laws and procedures, including how to pay for gas, and how to pump, can be endlessly confusing.  It’s nice to have someone else take care of that.
   4.  Some stations give you the full service, cleaning windshields, checking oil level, etc. just for good customer service.

   5. OK, so we are old-fashioned.  Live a little.

5. 

   desert rat on May 17, 2015 at 12:45 pm

   The only times I’ve ever had to deal with this was Oregon, and I was ripped off several times there by the attendant ‘accidentally’ filling it up with premium instead of regular.

   I shudder to think of the repair bill when one of those gas huffing drooling idiots decides that when I asked to fill my VW TDI up with diesel I really didn’t mean it…

   I don’t understand why these stupid bans persist; it’s not like there’s a huge epidemic of exploding gas stations and fires caused by people pumping their own gas in the other 48 states…

6. 

   esquimaux on May 17, 2015 at 1:06 pm

   pumping your own gas is normal. We’ve done it in California since the 70s.

7. 

   ILuvChez17 on May 17, 2015 at 1:50 pm

   Quitting smoking and pay at pump means I don’t go inside much anymore. No loss, though I do enjoy the merchandising (or lack thereof) and finding goofball products.

   The thing that bothers me is the TVs they now blast at you while pumping. Because you can’t have sixty seconds of solitude in American public life. Just STFU already.  

8. 

   BroD on May 17, 2015 at 3:24 pm

   I think the ban is stupud (sic) and don’t waste my time with rational argument. It’s been years since I was affected by it though.

9. 

   n1cholas on May 17, 2015 at 3:35 pm

   I’m from Ohio. You pump your own gas unless you go to a Swifty where they’ll pump your gas for you.

   Only ever passed through NJ, so I didn’t mind. It’s definitely odd though when you’re used to pumping your own gas every single time.

   Now, PAs entire liquor store for liquor and beer thing is annoying. I’m used to going to a gas station, pumping my own gas, and picking up beer inside, and in PA, I need to take a trip to the liquor store instead. Not to mention, last time I was in Philly, I wanted to buy a 12 pack, and had to get 2 six packs that I had to carry out twice. Absolutely idiotic.

   Here in Georgia, you buy liquor at “package stores” because down here southerners pretend they aren’t buying liquor but a package. Cognitive dissonance is everywhere. Not that I’m a heavy drinker, but luckily the Sunday blue laws changed right when I moved here.

   When I first moved here, you couldn’t even buy beer on a Sunday. At a store. Of course, you could still go outside of your home and drink as much alcohol in a bar or restaurant.

   Purchase alcohol for home consumption. No, God will be upset. Go out and get hammered and then drive home. Yeah, that’s cool. Brilliant!

10. 

    priscianus jr on May 17, 2015 at 3:54 pm

    This is pretty much how I feel about it.It’s all part of the same thing:

    http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20050912005413/en/Service-Smile-Valued-Consumers-Businesses-Su
    rvey-Reveals#.VVjxZ2ZAit8

    • 

      priscianus jr on May 17, 2015 at 3:58 pm

      Sorry, I didn’t realize it was an ad when I linked it. That was no part of my meaning. Nevertheless, I do appreciate good customer service. It helps give the impression that we live in a civilized society.

11. 

    rfahey22 on May 17, 2015 at 4:58 pm

    I always thought pumping your own gas was the norm, so I find the NJ law odd and antiquated.  

12. 

    DeeGoldfish on May 17, 2015 at 5:20 pm

    I am used to pumping my own gas. In most of my travels around the US, I’ve pumped my own gas. One Summer when I ventured into New England, the bans on pumping ones own gas felt weird and controlling. The first time I had someone tell me I was not allowed to pump my own, I looked at them as if they were crazy! But no. I was not allowed to touch the pump. WTH?

13. 

    donnah on May 17, 2015 at 9:08 pm

    Well, I don’t like pumping gas. I do go to Swifty and have them do it, and I tip the person who does it for me. It’s not about the money for me; the smell of gasoline makes me sick.

14. 

    rontun on May 18, 2015 at 2:55 am

    I grew up during an era when the norm was to have an attendant pump the gas, check your fluid levels, make sure your tires were properly inflated and wash your windshield, all while offering a ready smile and being dressed in a crisp uniform. And I’m not making this up. LOL

    I still refuse to pump my own gas and am more than happy to pay 5 cents per gallon more for the privilege of having someone else pump the gas and deliver the aforementioned services. That’s still possible here in New Hampshire, and it was in Kentucky as well.

15. 

    nicteis on May 18, 2015 at 11:41 am

    I prefer to pump my own, because if you don’t put the gas cap back onto my junker with that extra quarter-twist, the check engine light invariably comes on.