Gas Pumping Law Changes in Oregon

[Frederick Skelly]

In New Jersey you can't pump your own gas at any station. They will yell at you if you even touch the nozzle.

Maybe they have different liability laws? Or perhaps the state feels they are protecting some (lower paying) jobs? (That may not be as stupid a theory as it sounds. I recall reading about NY/NJ turning away out of state power company guys that came there to help after that Sandy storm a few years ago, because they weren't in a union. Dunno.)

Fred

[Frederick Skelly]

Rural stores are often farther from fire stations. And a guy pulling up in a van packed with gasoline cans that all need to be filled might make someone call the police and say something. I bet that there is rule against giving flying lessons to guys who don't want landing lessons. Once that would have seemed silly. Rule changes to selling gasoline need better news coverage that comedy ridicule.

Honest Mel, this is only scary because it's a change to what folks are used to. Most states allow this now and have operated safely for years. I've even seen some that retain one "full service" pump where elderly and other folks who don't want to pump their own gas can have an attendant do it. It costs a dime extra per gallon, or something minimal like that.

Fred

[Nathan Johnson]

I wouldn't even know where there was a full service station here. It's been self serve here as long as I've been driving.

[Ed Labadie]

Still one station in the next town over that has 2 full service pumps, you pay extra for the service, rest of the station is self serve. Must be enough people use them as they have an employee in the service bay on 2nd shift to cover them.

Nice to get a tire repaired or oil change at 8:00pm with no waiting.

Ed

[Jim Becker]

The change in Oregon sounds like it will be helpful to folks in more rural areas, including the stations, although it's not great for some jobs I suspect.

Not only does New Jersey still not allow consumers to pump their own gas, they also require Costco to sell to non-members. That last part I learned about recently. I used to buy my gas weekly in New Jersey because the price difference was significant. But when they raised their tax 23 cents per, the delta became so low that it was no longer practical to drive to where i was buying near Flemington. That also meant I was no longer shopping at other places nearby, like Home Depot and a very nice wine store... Now, it's Costco for 100% of my gas which is about, oh...25 cents a gallon less than ant of the more local places. That's significant with a 24 gallon tank.

There still are a few stations in my area that offer (or require) full service, but they also charge an arm, a leg and probably some other appendage for the privilege. That said, there are some folks who do need the assistance for physical reasons and it's too bad that at some places they have to pay extra while most self-serve stations provide a way to call for assistance.

[Cary Falk]

My understanding is that more rural counties have the option to pump their own gas if they want to. There will still be attendants to pump if people don't want to. You can pump your own diesel in Oregon if you like already. It is more of a saving jobs thing then safty thing. I hate buying gas in OR and avoid it even if it is cheaper. It takes 2 or 3 times longer to get filled up and you have to go hunting for a gas station that is open past 11pm. The weather in the Portland/Vancouver is pretty mild so I don't mind pumping gas in the winter.

[Jerome Stanek]

Last one I went to was in Indiana I didn't know that I couldn't pump my own when the attendant came up and told me. That was 2005

[Myk Rian]

In Oregon it has been unlawful for a driver to pump their own gasoline. One attendant told me this lowered the insurance cost which also made the prices lower than in California or Washington. The law changed on the first of the year to allow people in counties with a population of less than 40,000 to pump their own gasoline.

The internet is having a blast:

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https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...b0b0e5a7abb081

jtk

They need a sign out there saying "Mobil burns best"

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Last time I was in a state that did not let me pump my own fuel, I got out and supervised the fill-up.

I remember thinking that this kid pumping my gas was not old enough to be out of college and if he was more qualified to pump gas than I, there had to be something odd or unsavory going on. I don't think they appreciated being watched, but I was polite with no snide comments.

[Myk Rian]

I was pumping gas in high school, and felt pretty well qualified.

[Jim Becker]

I was pumping gas in high school, and felt pretty well qualified.

Same...it was my second summer job...at like a buck and a half an hour. And when there were no gas customers, there were cars to be washed for customers.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

I pumped my own gas in Cherry Hill NJ in October 2015 and no one died, yelled or even noticed.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

What I said referred to the job prerequisite of not speaking or comprehending English.

[Bill Carey]

Same...it was my second summer job...at like a buck and a half an hour. And when there were no gas customers, there were cars to be washed for customers.

I not only was qualified as a highschool junior to pump gas, but also had the advanced windshield washing degree. And 1.50 would have been a raise.

[Stan Calow]

I'm old enough to remember when having an attendant pump your gas was the norm. It was a respectable teenage job. People around here freaked out when it became possible to pump it yourself - especially the older folks and ladies who did not want to get out of the car. It was not universally popular, just like self-service checkout at the big box stores isn't now.

I've seen plenty of people light up a cigarette at the pump or doing stupid things like filling glass jars, as well of plenty of videos of static electricity fires at gas stations in fire safety training. It happens.