Jersey girls don't pump gas

[brerrabbit]

One of the major reasons that gas is cheaper in NJ is that the state tax per gallon is 14.5 cents. That is one of the two lowest in the nation. By comparrison NY fuel taxes are 31 cents a gallon. Niether of these numbers include the federal tax of 19.4 cents. Working in the fueling industry for a number of years and having been the finance manager for company owned sites in NJ I can tell you that the incremental cost of having attendents pump your gas for you is around $4,000 a month. When divided by the average throughput at these sites that comes to about 2.7 cents a gallon. Almost every major (including the one I work for) no longer own stations. The industry has retracted to a wholesale only model and the individual sites are owned by wholesalers, jobbers and individuals. Therefore it is totally errounious to suggest that the major oil companies have anything to do with staffing levels and number of employees at the sites. All of those decisions are made by the people that own the sites.

In many studies and papers written concerning why NJ requires attendents for gas stations the most often cited reason is the fact that organized labor has a strong hold on the state of NJ and they have repeatedly been the leading force in not allowing self service stations in the state. In numerous surveys and polls taken amoung station owners (once again these are individuals, not the big oil companies) their number one complaint about doing business in NJ is the fact that they are required to have attendents and not allowed to offer self serve.

 

[John VN]

From 1969 to 1972 I was a gas jockey in N.J. while attending college. One day, a girl I met in 1st grade came in to get gas. We had gone to the same schools and were even in the same class occasionally up to HS graduation. We talked while I pumped gas and said good bye. A couple days later she returned and something wonderful happened.

36 years and 6 months ago yesterday we were married.

Having to pump gas for someone can be a good thing.

 

[sbell111]

As a PP mentioned, there are big company gas stations that don't count on their service stations as the primary income - instead, volume, such as rest stops on the GSP or turnpike. If the law was taken off the books, those stations would most likely retrofit their pumps, since they employ so many people. They would then probably lower their prices, and people would go out of their way to gas up there. Isn't this what happened to the rest of the country? The result being that it's rare to find a full service station.

If I read your post correctly, you argue that most people in NJ don't care if they pump their own gas or not. They would just as soon pay less and pump their own gas. In that case, why is it appropriate to have a law that forces them to have full serv?

What boggles my mind is why someone would care about laws in other states?

Perhaps it is because that is the thread's topic. The OP specifically asked all of us for our opinions.

Laws that residents of the state want to remain, because if eliminated, it wouldn't be in their best interest.

Laws that some residents want to remain? You have already stated that if self serv were available, that many people would use it. If the majority of NJ residents would still prefer to use full serv, you would find that many stations would still offer full serv regardless of whether that law was still on the books.

 

[MyDizneyBoyz]

Anyone know the answer to my question about diesel? Can you pump your own diesel in NJ?

Can't have you thinking Jersey folks are rude for not answering your question.

No, you cannot pump your own vehicle fuel (gas or diesel) in NJ. The attendant will show up real fast if you get out and act like you're going to pump it yourself, though, if you're in a hurry... I'm just saying.

 

[sbell111]

From 1969 to 1972 I was a gas jockey in N.J. while attending college. One day, a girl I met in 1st grade came in to get gas. We had gone to the same schools and were even in the same class occasionally up to HS graduation. We talked while I pumped gas and said good bye. A couple days later she returned and something wonderful happened.

36 years and 6 months ago yesterday we were married.

Having to pump gas for someone can be a good thing.

It's amazing that those of us in other states were able to stumble into happy marriages.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

From 1969 to 1972 I was a gas jockey in N.J. while attending college. One day, a girl I met in 1st grade came in to get gas. We had gone to the same schools and were even in the same class occasionally up to HS graduation. We talked while I pumped gas and said good bye. A couple days later she returned and something wonderful happened.

36 years and 6 months ago yesterday we were married.

Having to pump gas for someone can be a good thing.

What a sweet story.

 

[CapeMayMommy]

One of the major reasons that gas is cheaper in NJ is that the state tax per gallon is 14.5 cents. That is one of the two lowest in the nation. By comparrison NY fuel taxes are 31 cents a gallon. Niether of these numbers include the federal tax of 19.4 cents. Working in the fueling industry for a number of years and having been the finance manager for company owned sites in NJ I can tell you that the incremental cost of having attendents pump your gas for you is around $4,000 a month. When divided by the average throughput at these sites that comes to about 2.7 cents a gallon. Almost every major (including the one I work for) no longer own stations. The industry has retracted to a wholesale only model and the individual sites are owned by wholesalers, jobbers and individuals. Therefore it is totally errounious to suggest that the major oil companies have anything to do with staffing levels and number of employees at the sites. All of those decisions are made by the people that own the sites.

In many studies and papers written concerning why NJ requires attendents for gas stations the most often cited reason is the fact that organized labor has a strong hold on the state of NJ and they have repeatedly been the leading force in not allowing self service stations in the state. In numerous surveys and polls taken amoung station owners (once again these are individuals, not the big oil companies) their number one complaint about doing business in NJ is the fact that they are required to have attendents and not allowed to offer self serve.

2.7 cents sounds even better than 6 cents!!! You're saying that the gas stations are making money on volumn alone and that is why they don't complain about labor.

However, locally, in the papers here, gas station said that insurance rates would definately go up. While I agree that Floridians and Ohioans are not blowing themselves up on a daily basis, it really doesn't take much risk for an insurance company to decide to raise your rate.

The one complaint that gas station owners definately have is finding reliable help. They are often hiring from a pool of teenagers and people with minimal education. (same pool that Mc Donalds hires from) Some of these people may be the "call-out, I can't come in" types or the "I quit " types. You have to hire people who aren't thieves, also. But Mc Donalds manages to stay staffed and so do the gas stations here.

If self serve vs. full serve doesn't help the gas companies, why did they advocate for a lifting of the ban?

When I lived in Rockland county New York for a short time a few years ago, the gas was not 30 cents more than New Jersey---it was 90 cents more. You should have seen the lines in every New Jersey border town to buy gas. All of the cars had New York plates. Self serve wouldn't have help either---they were coming in droves.

 

[punkin]

When I lived in Rockland county New York for a short time a few years ago, the gas was not 30 cents more than New Jersey---it was 90 cents more. You should have seen the lines in every New Jersey border town to buy gas. All of the cars had New York plates. Self serve wouldn't have help either---they were coming in droves.

Too true. When I lived in Rockland County, I would drive to Northvale, NJ where there were 2 gas stations just on the Jersey side on Rt 303 which did a brisk business.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Too true. When I lived in Rockland County, I would drive to Northvale, NJ where there were 2 gas stations just on the Jersey side on Rt 303 which did a brisk business.

That brought back memories of the 303 DriveIn!

 

[brerrabbit]

All things being equal a NJ station has a 16.5 cent advantage in price every day. Other factors make the price different as well. In NYC regulations do not allow for 18 wheelers to deliver gas so they have to use smaller trucks which increases the cost. Also since no new gas stations have been built in the market for a long time sellers can charge a premium. The real value of selling more gas at self serve sites is the amount foot traffic it drives into the C store. Margins on the sale of cokes and twinkies are north of 30%. Gas staitions in NJ would like self serve simply because they would generate more business in the store thus making more money for their businesses.

 

[JerseyJanice]

It's amazing that those of us in other states were able to stumble into happy marriages.

Edited to add: That was a nice story, John VN. Thank you for sharing it. Some of us appreciated reading it.

 

[punkin]

That brought back memories of the 303 DriveIn!

That's been gone for a long long time. I can't remember exactly when it closed, but I was a lot younger then and still living in Rockland County, so at least 15 years, probably more.

 

[Buckalew11]

It's amazing that those of us in other states were able to stumble into happy marriages.

Such a nice response.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

It's amazing that those of us in other states were able to stumble into happy marriages.

Missed this first time around.

It was a sweet story, period. I didn't get that he was claiming they shouldn't change the law in NJ because that was the only way to find a spouse. Geez.

That's been gone for a long long time. I can't remember exactly when it closed, but I was a lot younger then and still living in Rockland County, so at least 15 years, probably more.

I moved away from NJ in '73; I remember going to see Beatles movies at the 303 Drive-In and swinging on the swings when I was little, a very long time ago.

 

[onelilspark]

Grew up on the other side of the river (PA.) Used to always, always stop for gas in Jersey on our way home from the shore. Absolutely I would not vote for someone who was going to change that...not for the same reasons as the OP (shows a basic misunderstanding of why gas is cheaper in Jersey!)

...I travel a lot for work, I have a company car. I live in the snow belt now. I wear heels instead of snow boots some days when I feel like I just want to look pretty...I climb down out of my SUV in my tights, skirt, and heels and pump my own gas. Keep hand sanitizer in my car to get rid of the gas smell on my hands. Even a girly girl can pump her own gas!

I cracked up when I saw the thread title

 

[sbell111]

Edited to add: That was a nice story, John VN. Thank you for sharing it. Some of us appreciated reading it.

I was a nice story, but given the fact that most people don't meet their spouses in this manner and I have no doubt that he would have attracted a spouse had he not had that job and the fact that doing away with this law will only do away with gas jockeys if the people in New Jersey actually prefer self-serv, it is not on topic.

 

[sbell111]

Grew up on the other side of the river (PA.) Used to always, always stop for gas in Jersey on our way home from the shore. Absolutely I would not vote for someone who was going to change that...not for the same reasons as the OP (shows a basic misunderstanding of why gas is cheaper in Jersey!)

...I travel a lot for work, I have a company car. I live in the snow belt now. I wear heels instead of snow boots some days when I feel like I just want to look pretty...I climb down out of my SUV in my tights, skirt, and heels and pump my own gas. Keep hand sanitizer in my car to get rid of the gas smell on my hands. Even a girly girl can pump her own gas!

I cracked up when I saw the thread title

So why would you vote not to change the law?

 

[LisaNJ25]

I was in CT yesterday, and low on gas, so I pulled off the highway (don't remember if it was 395 or rte 2) and lo and behold, there was a FULL SERVE station, with cash and credit prices, as well as a sign saying that tips were welcomed. The cash price for REGULAR was $2.95; the credit price was $3.05. I bought $10 worth, and no, I did not tip. Then when I got to my regular, self-serve station at home, I filled it up for $2.69/gallon. (Over the weekend, in NJ, I paid $2.43/gallon, full serve.)

lol imagine tipping at a gas station here in New Jersey. I would of cringed at $2.69 The one on my street is $2.37 today.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I was a nice story, but given the fact that most people don't meet their spouses in this manner and I have no doubt that he would have attracted a spouse had he not had that job and the fact that doing away with this law will only do away with gas jockeys if the people in New Jersey actually prefer self-serv, it is not on topic.

So your issue is that it was O/T to the thread, and "It's amazing that those of us in other states were able to stumble into happy marriages" was your way of pointing that out.

Your turn.

 

[Deb in IA]

I was a nice story, but given the fact that most people don't meet their spouses in this manner and I have no doubt that he would have attracted a spouse had he not had that job and the fact that doing away with this law will only do away with gas jockeys if the people in New Jersey actually prefer self-serv, it is not on topic.

Run-on sentence.