Full or self-serve gas?

[Shanti]

I'm a Texan and self-service is the norm here.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Every five years or so some NJ legislator proposes allowing self service gas and he's practically tarred and feathered. Most legislators are scared poop-less of upsetting their constituents so they continue to ban self service.

Very few people give a damn about the reasons listed. Some NJ residents may cite them as an excuse, but if they're being honest, it's really because they just don't want to pump their own gas.

I like getting gas in NJ when I happen to be there and having the convenience of full service.

I was actually reading an article about that. It's quite an interesting thing really how opposed people are to pumping their own gas there or at least changing/adjusting the law the way it was written.

Yes as to the original reasons very few care about it now. But the history of why the ban came to be was back in 1949. Either way I find it fascinating lol.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Government interference at its worst. Government has no business telling me I can't pump my own gas.

I don't think you'd see a new law regarding that nowadays. It's just older laws that stayed on the books long after their initial reasons were considered valid. By now though you have had several generations that have lived around a culture of not pumping their own gas and based on citizen reaction they largely still agree with not pumping their own gas even if the original reasons have long been forgotten for most or those reasons don't matter. As I mentioned in a post to the other poster it's quite interesting really.

 

[ronandannette]

We have both. Self serve is definitey most common but one of our full serves motto is ‘we jump to the pump for you’.

I've seen that commercial a million times but oddly, we don't have DOMO in Calgary. There is a local grocery chain that still offers full-serve, including oil checks and washer fluid; they're about the last as far as I know. Everybody else is self-serve but the bigger pain is the trend toward pre-pay. I get all my gas from a certain chain on my company card and it has a weird restriction that it can't be used at the pump. So I actually have to go in, guess how much gas I need, pay in advance and then go back out to pump. Grrr... I just did it an hour ago - NOT fun at -19C.

 

[Sabeking]

For those of you who have full service do you tip? I remember as a child my father either tipping or the gas was a higher price than self serve. I have not seen full service in NC for a long time.

 

[MillauFr]

I don't think you'd see a new law regarding that nowadays. It's just older laws that stayed on the books long after their initial reasons were considered valid. By now though you have had several generations that have lived around a culture of not pumping their own gas and based on citizen reaction they largely still agree with not pumping their own gas even if the original reasons have long been forgotten for most or those reasons don't matter. As I mentioned in a post to the other poster it's quite interesting really.

I agree with you that is the reason the law still exists. People don't like change. That is why some terrible laws and practices persisted in this country for far too long.

 

[usnuzuloose]

That note does mention the single employee rule. But of course there's nothing that says that single employee can't do it.

As for Oregon, I remember being in some remote location where I saw nobody there at a gas pump. I was wondering what it took to get someone to pump. This was at Crater Lake National Park, where the main general store has maybe one pump. I think they normally need to have someone come out. When I've gotten gas at busy gas stations, there were always a couple of employees right there waiting for customers.

Most of them were regular customers , so they knew if I was alone they had no problem and I was glad to do it. I knew if I was alone I did not have to do it, but I was happy to do it. And they were happy to wait. So many people don't realize that corporations do what they call by the hour for customer service, ours was in order to have a second cashier we had to serve 70 customers or more per hour. So early morning I would do paper work as I was told to have paper work in by a certain time and my only one person had to deal with a long line of people. And nothing I could do a about it.

 

[bcla]

I mentioned the gas station at Crater Lake. I didn't actually pump there, but there might be a chance that it's self-service. I'm starting to think maybe they weren't subject to all Oregon laws since it was federal land.

http://www.craterlakelodges.com/find-us/frequently-asked-questions/
Where is the nearest location to get fuel?
Mazama Village has self-service fuel pumps that are available May through October during business hours of the Mazama Village General Store. Currently only unleaded fuel is sold at Mazama Village. Propane is not available inside the Park.​

 

[mjkacmom]

I agree with you that is the reason the law still exists. People don't like change. That is why some terrible laws and practices persisted in this country for far too long.

But it’s not terrible! We have one of the highest COL, highest property taxes, car insurance rates, political corruption, roads, bridges and tunnels a mess, traffic, please let us keep this little perk.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

For those of you who have full service do you tip? I remember as a child my father either tipping or the gas was a higher price than self serve. I have not seen full service in NC for a long time.

No. They make above minimum wage.

 

[winterman]

When I lived in central Maine (26 years) there was a full service station that I would pass almost any time I went out. If we were driving far from home my DH would pump the gas. I never learned to pump it myself until he died. In the area that I live now, it is all self serve except for 2 stations that I occasional pass that are all cash. I only use pay at the pump. I'll get back in my car and drive away if they don't have it.

 

[NinaBella]

I am in FL and I have only seen signs on the pump that says HONK for assistance. Now some gas stationed I have been to only have one cashier, so not sure how they leave their station to come outside. Sams club has a gas attendant that will come pump for you if you need assistance.

 

[loves to dive]

We have one station here that is still full service, up until about 3 years ago there were many of them. I miss S&H green stamps personally, almost all our dishes came from them and almost all our glasses were the glasses they gave away.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Self service here in AL, with pay at the pump.

I believe that there is only one full service station here in town. And by full service, I mean that they check your oil, wash the windows and offer to take your trash. Their price reflects that, and you never see anyone getting gas there. He also has a service station, and that is where he makes his money.

 

[John VN]

FL self serve but and about the only thing that was good about having lived in NJ years ago was the required Full Service Gas Stations.

my little ditty about John and Kathy.....

NJ 1956 I met Kathy in 1st grade. Entire schooling in same schools and occasionally the same classes with little interaction. HS had more classes together yet still nothing however wrote in each other's Graduation Year Book. During college I worked at a gas station and pumped gas in addition to doing mechanical work.
1972 a car pulls in for gas and it's Kathy who I have not seen since 1968. I start gas, she gets out of car as it is filling, we talk, I go to lean on car at windshield/roof and accidentally touch her hand....... ......WHAM-BAM-THANK YOU SAM!!!!!! June 1973 wedding. Who would have thunk it. 45 years 5 months from tomorrow.

THANK YOU NJ

 

[tvguy]

For those of you who have full service do you tip? I remember as a child my father either tipping or the gas was a higher price than self serve. I have not seen full service in NC for a long time.

Nope. If I paying 50 cents a gallon more for full service, the owner BETTER be paying well. That's $15 extra when I fill up my Suburban, and it doesn't even have the big fuel tank!

 

[tvguy]

That note does mention the single employee rule. But of course there's nothing that says that single employee can't do it.

As for Oregon, I remember being in some remote location where I saw nobody there at a gas pump. I was wondering what it took to get someone to pump. This was at Crater Lake National Park, where the main general store has maybe one pump. I think they normally need to have someone come out. When I've gotten gas at busy gas stations, there were always a couple of employees right there waiting for customers.

I buy most of my gas at ARCO AM PM, and during normal business hours they have 4 or 5 people working. But their business model is different, their prices on gas are lower because they make their money on the hot food they sell. During the morning and evening commute they have 2 checkouts going, and 2 people cooking. http://www.ampm.com/food

 

[J'aime Paris]

It's -17 here with the wind chill right now.
I wish someone else would pump gas for me!

Haven't seen full service stations in
WI for years....

 

[klacey1]

I’m in Mass. I can only think of one place in my city that will pump my gas for me, and even though they are literally across the street from me I avoid them because I always feel compelled to tip and I rarely have cash on me. I know people insist that it’s not a tipped position, but I feel compelled to nonetheless.

 

[firefly_ris]

I’m in Mass. I can only think of one place in my city that will pump my gas for me, and even though they are literally across the street from me I avoid them because I always feel compelled to tip and I rarely have cash on me. I know people insist that it’s not a tipped position, but I feel compelled to nonetheless.

Yes, exactly this... the one full service station around here, I used to live less than a block away from it but rarely went because I'm notorious for never having cash on me.... and I don't feel right not tipping.