this post was submitted on 27 Jun 2023
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I understand if people have a moderate preference, but I don’t understand why some people have STRONG opinions about pumping their own gas.
When the weather is crappy, I’d rather have someone pump my gas for me than leave the car and do it myself. In New Jersey, pumping your own gas is actually illegal. Gas stations must pay an attendant, yet gas isn’t any more expensive in New Jersey than it is in New York or Pennsylvania. In fact, sometimes it’s cheaper. The overhead doesn’t appear to be passed on to the customer.
If there was a price difference, then okay, but since the prices are just about the same, I just don’t get it. I welcome any explanations or personal opinions.
I'm actually pretty bummed about the change. It's a luxury (and one of the things that makes Oregon special) to be able to wait in a heated or air conditioned car while someone else pump my gas. I also don't understand why some people are so gung ho to pump their own.
Washingtonian here; I just prefer to pump it myself. I don’t have to wait for someone to come over after I’ve been there for 5+ minutes while the attendant services other customers, I don’t have to wait for them to come back after the gas has stopped pumping, and all this waiting time compounds if the station’s busy.
It’s not that I don’t like waiting in general, it’s just that it’s a task that generally doesn’t require waiting in my day-to-day so I find it irksome.
As an Aussie who has always pumped their own gas, I'd LOVE to be able to rock up and have someone just do it for me. Why is this the case in your state, out of curiosity?
The ban on self service in New Jersey was originally passed way back in 1949. It was presented as a safety issue.
Every once in a while, someone proposes a bill to make self-service legal, and it’s always been shot down by a wide margin. I don’t think such a bill has even made it to the governor’s desk in my lifetime.
Much of the public sees full service as a free luxury, and most politicians don’t want to do something known to be unpopular. I heard about the situation in Oregon, but didn’t expect bill to pass.